My Dear Toadfrog:
Lenin was much more a product of Russian thinking than Marx. The fact is that Russia has always been drawn to empire and when ever it has a week leader the empire falls, weither it is Nicolas, Krensky or Gorbachiev. Russian "Marxism" was no more Marxist than most US "Marxist intelectuals" are intellectuals (on half of that I assume we both may agree!)
Cheers
Larry