Fanny Kaplan and the Attempted Assassination of Vladimir Lenin - Takeaways - MDSpire
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Fanny Kaplan and the Attempted Assassination of Vladimir Lenin

  • By

  • Stephen G. Schwartz

  • Christopher T. Leffler

  • Peter M. Allen

  • Andrzej Grzybowski

  • September 4, 2026

  • 5 min

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  • 1

    On August 30, 1918, Vladimir Lenin was shot in an assassination attempt, with two bullets striking him and one hitting a bystander.

  • 2

    Fanny Kaplan, arrested shortly after the shooting, confessed and was executed, although some historians question her role as the shooter.

  • 3

    Kaplan, born Feyga Chaimovna Roitblat, was a revolutionary who suffered visual impairment, possibly due to a previous bomb explosion.

  • 4

    Her ophthalmologic diagnosis remains unclear, with suggestions of hysterical blindness or injuries from the bomb blast affecting her vision.

  • 5

    Despite her visual impairment, Kaplan's shooting accuracy was notable, hitting Lenin with two of three shots, a higher rate than modern police officers.

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