Abstract: Plekhanov's discussion on the role of individuals in history consciously follows materialist dialectics and draws a clear line
from the Heroic View of History and Fatalism. In academia, some scholars conclude that Plekhanov completely ignored the decisive
role of the people in history because he focused on outstanding individuals. However, this is not the case. Plekhanov's discussion on the
role of individuals, especially on how individuals play a role in history and the extent of their role, has made contributions to historical
materialism. Faced with the impact of wrong ideological trends such as "Individual Heroism" and "Historical Nihilism" in the West,
rereading On the Role of the Individual in History and grasping its theoretical essence can serve as a theoretical basis for criticizing
wrong ideological trends and provide a reference for young people to establish a correct view of history and consciously apply historical
materialism.

Key words: Plekhanov, individuals and history, historical materialism, the people