Krupskaya was born into a impoverished noble family. Because she was poor herself, she had strong views about making life easier for the poor At one Marxist discussion group, she met Lenin. Soon after their meeting, Lenin was exiled to Siberia. Krupskaya was allowed to join him, on condition that they married. This could suggest a marriage of convenience, though they remained loyal. Following the 1917 Revolution, Krupskaya was at the forefront of the political scene. From 1922 to 1925, she was aligned with Stalin, Zinoviev and Kamenev against Trotsky's Left Opposition. Later, she disagreed with Stalin. She was deputy education commissar from 1929 to 1939. She had a strong influence over the Soviet educational system and the development of Soviet librarianship.