What do these WEIRD Soviet names mean?

Oktyabrina

The name, derived from the month of October (‘октябрь’ or 'Oktyabr'), did not appear by accident. Children were called this way in honor of the Great October Revolution, i.e. the Bolshevik coup. 

Vladlen, Vladlena or Vladilen, Vladilena

The male and female version of the name is an abbreviation of the first and last name of the leader of the revolution, VLADimir LENin.

Mel or Mels

Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin & Joseph Stalin

‘Mels’ is an abbreviation of the first letters of the surnames Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin (there was an earlier version without Stalin).

Dazdraperma

Long Live the First May!

This female name is an abbreviation of the Labor day slogan: “Long Live the First May!” (“Да здравствует Первое мая!” or “DA ZDRAvstvuyet PERvoye MAya”). However, this name never really sounded too melodic to the Russian ear. Dazdraperma's lesser-known “brother” is ‘Dazvsemir’, short for: “Long Live the World Revolution” (“Да здравствует всемирная революция” or “DA Zdravstvuyet VSEMIrnaya Revolutsiya”).

Kim

Meeting of the Communist International of the Youth

This is not a Korean last name, but the first letters of ‘Communist International of the Youth’ (‘Коммунистический интернационал молодёжи’ or ‘Kommunistichesky Internatsional Molodezhi’).

Gertruda

This name has nothing to do with German women or Hamlet's mother. In Soviet times, it meant ‘Heroine of Labor’ (‘Героиня труда’ or ‘GERoinya TRUDA’)

Renat

The name, very common in Tatarstan and the Caucasus, in Soviet times received a new interpretation – Revolution, Science, Labor (‘РЕволюция, НАука, Труд’ or ‘REvolutsiya, NAuka, Trud’)

Chelnaldin 

In 1934, during the polar winter, the steamer ‘Chelyuskin’ was squeezed by ice near the Bering Strait and sank. One hundred and four people managed to abandon it and found themselves stranded on an ice floe, on which they spent two months. The name appeared in honor of “CHELyuskin [passengers] on Ice” (‘ЧЕЛюскинцы НА ЛЬДИНе’ or ‘CHELyuskintsy NA LDINe’).

Arlen

Lenin taking speech in front of soldiers

There are several famous Soviet scientists with this name. It came from the ‘Army of Lenin’ (‘АРмия ЛЕНина’ or ‘ARmiya LENina’). There is also a female version of the name, Arlena.