, ▁the ▁order ▁came ▁directly ▁from ▁Len in ▁and ▁Sver d lov ▁in ▁Moscow . ▁That ▁the ▁order ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁believed , ▁although ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁hard ▁evidence . ▁The ▁execution ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁carried ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁initi ative ▁of ▁local ▁B ols he vik ▁officials , ▁or ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁option ▁pre - appro ved ▁in ▁Moscow ▁should ▁White ▁troops ▁approach ▁Y ek ater in burg . ▁Rad zin sky ▁noted ▁that ▁Len in ' s ▁body guard ▁personally ▁delivered ▁the ▁tele gram ▁ordering ▁the ▁execution ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁evidence . ▁ ▁Symbol ism ▁▁ ▁The ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁became ▁the ▁site ▁for ▁many ▁instances ▁of ▁symbol ism , ▁both ▁physical ▁and ▁non - phys ical . ▁Commun ist ▁symbol ism ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁of ▁this ▁time ▁period , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁debut ▁of ▁the ▁icon ic ▁ham mer ▁and ▁sick le ▁as ▁a ▁representation ▁of ▁the ▁October ▁Revolution ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁eventually ▁becoming ▁the ▁official ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁Although ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁extensive ▁political ▁experience , ▁their ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁revolution ▁itself ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁political ▁and ▁symbol ic ▁order ▁resulted ▁in ▁Commun ism ' s ▁port ray al ▁as ▁a ▁mess ian ic ▁faith , ▁formally ▁known ▁as ▁commun ist ▁mess ian ism . ▁Port ray als ▁of ▁notable ▁revolution ary ▁figures ▁such