Was Lenin a hero who made life better for Russians or was he a villain who made it worse?

Let's consider Lenin, the man. The sheer authenticity of his passion cannot be doubted by anyone. He did not cynically exploit the Russian situation of 1917 to satisfy his lust for power. The revolution, which overthrew the Tsar and later installed the Communist regime, was not just a path to leadership for leadership's sake. Whatever anyone thinks of Lenin, we cannot deny his sincerity. He genuinely believed that Russia could achieve a Communist utopia, and that he would be the first step in the salvation of the nation.