▁was ▁kept ▁burning ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁room ▁in ▁case ▁secret ▁papers ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁bur nt . ▁Len in ▁sm ugg led ▁a ▁draft ▁program ▁for ▁the ▁party ▁written ▁in ▁milk ▁between ▁the ▁lines ▁of ▁a ▁book . ▁ ▁The ▁Congress ▁was ▁conven ed ▁by ▁three ▁major ▁social ▁dem ocr atic ▁groups ▁from ▁different ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁ ▁The ▁Saint ▁Petersburg - based ▁League ▁of ▁Str ug gle ▁for ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁of ▁the ▁Working ▁Class , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁active ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 5 . ▁The ▁future ▁founder ▁of ▁Mens he v ism ▁Juli y ▁Mart ov ▁and ▁the ▁future ▁founder ▁of ▁B ols he v ism ▁Vladimir ▁Len in ▁were ▁among ▁its ▁leaders ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 - 1 8 9 6 . ▁Although ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁in ▁the ▁Empire , ▁this ▁group ▁could ▁not ▁play ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁since ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁recently ▁weak ened ▁by ▁arr ests . ▁ ▁The ▁General ▁Jewish ▁Labour ▁Bund , ▁which ▁had ▁un ited ▁Y idd ish ▁speaking ▁social ▁dem ocr ats ▁in ▁the ▁Pale ▁of ▁S ett lement ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁Bund ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁social ist ▁group ▁in ▁the ▁Empire ▁and ▁spons ored ▁the ▁Congress . ▁ ▁The ▁social ▁dem ocr atic ▁organization ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁around ▁the ▁K iev - based ▁Rab och aya ▁Gaz eta ▁( Work ers ' ▁New sp aper ). ▁ ▁There ▁were