Chronicles - Letters from Lenin.

                                        
  Для  начала  -  два  вполне пристойных
дамских эпиграфа: Надежда Крупская - Ма-
рии  Ильиничне  Ульяновой:  "Все  же мне
жалко,  что  я не мужчина, я бы в десять
раз больше шлялась" (1899).             
  Инесса  Арманд  (19О7):  "Меня  хотели
послать еще на 1ОО верст к северу, в де-
ревню  Койду.  Но  во-первых, там совсем
нет  политиков , а во-вторых, там, гово-
рят,  вся  деревня заражена сифилисом, а
мне это не очень улыбается".            
  Впрочем,  можно следом пустить еще два
ladies' epigraph, but not quite
not decent:                          
Galina Serebryakova about the nights Karla Mar-
ksa  and Jenny von Westphalen: "Surrounding him
care, Jenny patiently wrote under the wild
Karl's friend. And Karl with his filial trust
I gave her my thoughts wholeheartedly. These were
happy moments of complete unity. Slu-
Sometimes they worked together until dawn.
But only the people who lived behind the wall complained
rested on the fact that their nights “didn’t
Conversations and the creaking of brittle feathers grow
ev"(in the ZhZL series).                      
Inessa Armand - Clare Zetkin. "Today
I washed my jabots and lace ones myself
collars.  You will scold me for
my frivolity, but laundresses spoil so much, and
I have beautiful lace that I don't
I would like to see them torn. I am all of this
I washed it this morning, and now I
you need to iron them. Ah, happy friend, I
I'm sure you never do
economy, and I even suspect that you are not
you know how to iron.  And tell me frankly,
Clara, can you iron? Be clean
cordial, and in your next letteradmit that you don't know how to do it at all
iron!" (January 1915).                
                                        
 Well, now to the point. That is, to the chosen
places from the private and business census
ki Ilyich from the time he taught-
to write, and until (1922) the time when
he forgot how to write.                    
  In 1895 he was still walking around Tiergarth.
well, swimming in the Spree. Having visited France,
reports: "Paris is a huge city, because
spread out in a row."                      
 But already in 1996, Ilyich was placed on
just in case to the preliminary house
conclusions in St. Petersburg:          
 "Literary classes for prisoners
are being decided. I deliberately inquired about this from
prosecutor. He confirmed to me that
restrictions on the number of skipped books
no."                                   
 From there he writes to his sister:          
 "I received supplies from you yesterday, (...)
a lot of food (...) tea, for example, I could
I would like to open a trade successfully, but I think
that they wouldn’t allow it, because under con-
smoking with a local shop, victory remains
would undoubtedly follow me.             
  I have everything I need here,
and even beyond what is necessary. Its mine-
I get cold water andhere: I have
taking it from the pharmacy on the same day as
I say."                                  
Just one request: "It would be nice to get
read standing in my clothes drawer
cabinet oval box with enema
pipe" (1896).                        
 And then, of course, Shushenskoye.      
 "In Siberia, in general, in the villages it is very
it is very difficult to find a servant, and in the summer
simply impossible" (1897).              
  "Back in Krasnoyarsk I began to compose
verses: In Shusha, at the foot of the Sayan... but
nothing further than the first verse, unfortunately
no, I didn’t make it up.”                       
 His younger brother, Dmitry Ulyanov,
I also ended up in prison, and here are some tips
from Shushenskoye his older brother gives him:    
 "And Mitya?  Firstly, does he comply
diet in prison?  Go ahead, no. And there, on-
my, it's necessary. And secondly, for
Does he like gymnastics? Also, ve-
Probably not. Also necessary. I'm at the end
I know it at least from my own experience and I will say,
which is with great pleasure and benefit
I did gymnastics before bedtime.
It used to be that you warmed up so much that you warmed up
even. I can recommend him and am satisfied
but a convenient gymnastic technique (albeit
ridiculous) - 5O prostrations"
(1898). And, moreover, the expectation of the bride Nadezh-
dy Konstantinovna and future mother-in-law Eliza-
Veta Vasilievna. Finally they arrive. Here
how he reports this arrival to his
to mother:                                
 "I found that Nadezhda Kons-na looks
unsatisfactory.  About me Eliza-
Veta Vasilievna said: “Eh, he tore you apart -
lo!" - the review, as you can see, is such that
it’s better not to" (1898).                
 "Nadya and I started swimming."         
 And when the swimming seasons ended -
"I skate with great diligence
Diem and got Nadya addicted to it" (1898).
 Europe after Shushensky, of course,
dog shit.  "Stupid people - the Czechs and
nemchura" (Munich, 19OO).  "We have already carried
How many days have we been stuck in this damned Zhe-
neve.  A disgusting hole, but nothing can be done
barking" (19O8).  "Paris is a bad place"
(191O).                                 
 Brilliant maxims like: "I'm
I don’t find anything funny in flirting
with religion, but I find a lot of disgusting
go" (19O9).                             
  "We all ride bicycles with Nadya
ride" (19O9)."I was traveling from Juvisy, and
a car crushed my bike (I installed
sang jump off). The public helped me
write the number, gave witnesses. I found out
car owner (Viscount, damn him
take it) and now I’m suing him through a lawyer
kata.  (...) I hope to win." (Paris,
191O).                                  
 "The weather is so good that I...
I'm hoping to pick up a bike again, fortunately
I won the case and should soon receive
extract money from the owner of the car" (Pa-
rig, 191O). "I don't believe there will be a war"
(Krakow, 1912). "What about the female organ-
Let Nadezhda Konstantinovna write"
(Krakow, 1914).                         
 And precious additions in letters to Na-
Dezhda Konstantinovna:                   
 "We celebrated the New Year together with Volo-
dey, sitting over plates of yogurt
"shay" (January 1914).                     
  "We're going to hire servants so that we don't
there was a lot of fuss with the farm and it is possible
it would be nice to go for long walks"
(Krakow, 1914).                         
  "Today Volodya rode a bicycle
quite far away, only his tire has burst
zero" (Krakow, summer 1914).              
 About his friend Maxim Gorky Ilyich
always remembers: "Gorky got nervous
and became limp" (191O).  "Gorky has always been
archly spinelessa person." Or:
"Poor Gorky! What a pity that he was sra-
You're welcome!"  And a little later:  "And this
Gorky! Oh, calf!"                   
 However, the war began. Escape from Kra-
kova.  And "sitting" in neutral Swiss-
riy, comrade Shlyapnikov: "The slogan of peace is
philistine, priestly slogan" (17 ok-
September 1914).                       
 And to dear Inessa Armand: "...Even by-
flight connection and passion are more poetic than
kisses without love are vulgar and vulgar
spouses." So you write. And so
Are you trying to write in a brochure?  Is it logical
opposition?  Kisses without love
vulgar spouses are dirty. I agree. They need
to contrast...what?... It seemed
would it be, kisses with love? And you are the opposite
you say “fleeting” (why is it fleeting-
new) “passion” (why not love?). You-
walks, logically, as if kissing without love
vi (fleeting) are contrasted in
loveless marital kisses."          
  Strange.  Isn't it better to contrast
bourgeois-intelligentsia-peasant    
marriage without love proletarian marriage with love
Bowie" (January 24, 1915).                
And to her:"Demand for "freedom of love"
I advisethrow it away completely. It comes out really
certainly not proletarian, but bourgeois
requirement. It's not about what you want
subjective understanding of this. The point is
objective logic of class relations in
affairs of love" (January 17, 1915).        
 And again to her: " If you really want to
those fleeting connections - passion can
It may be dirty, it may also be clean"(
January 24, 1915). "It's raining again. On-
I hope the heavenly office will pour out all
extra water for your arrival, and then  
the weather will be fine" (June 4, 1915). "
I shake your hand tightly, my dear.
friend."                                 
 And the need to constantly print
their next brochures with the next
theses.  More than two years later, already
being the leader of the Bolshevik ruler
government, he will give such orders
nia: "Requisition ZOOOOO buckets of wine and
alcohol in wine warehouses. Is there a bu-
swab from the Military Revolutionary Committee
one so that alcohol and wine do not spill out, but
Were they immediately sold to Scandinavia?
Write it immediately "(November 9, 1917).A
while he is not a leader, comrade. Karpinsky:     
 " Dear comrade! We are terribly provided
stricken by the lack of news from you and cor-  
rector (of my brochure). Is it reallytypesetter
started drinking again? "(February 2, 1915).      
 Tov Zinoviev: "Do you remember your last name
Koba?  Hello, Ulyanov." (3 August
1915).                                  
 Comrade.  Karpinsky: " Big request:
find out Koba's last name" (November 9, 1915).
 That's it.  February revolution in Russia.
Lenin: " Nerves are on edge; it is strictly necessary  
jump, jump." We're afraid that
leaving damned Switzerland not soon
will succeed." "We need a separate carriage for
revolutionaries "." I can wear a wig   
". "It would be nice to try the Germans' pro-
launch - a carriage to Copenhagen." "Poche-  
why not? I can't do this.  
And Troyanovsky and Rubakin and K' - they can. Oh
If only I could teach this bastard!" (
March 1917).                             
Inessa Armand:  "You say, maybe
It may be that the Germans will not give us a carriage. Yes-
let's bet that they'll give it." "No
Are there any fools in Geneva for this purpose? " (
March 19, 1917).                         
  "The German government is loyal oh-
hurt the extraterritoriality of our car-
on. Hello, Ulyanov!" (April 14, 1917).
 In letters post-volley, post-Auro-
Rovskikh - there is nothingtriumphant.  
On the contrary: "Republic" is in danger
tee. Urgent action is needed." For example,
such:                                 
 " It is necessary to prohibit Antonov from calling
himself Antonov - Ovseenko. He must
just call yourself comrade.  Ovseenko "( 14
March 1918).                            
  "Arrests that must be made
dened according to the instructions of comrade. Peters, have  
extremely important and must
be produced with great energy."  
 Comrade. Zinoviev in Petrograd:           
 " Comrade.  Zinoviev!  Only today we
learned in the Central Committee that in St. Petersburg the workers  
they want to respond to the murder of Volodarsky
mass terror and that you kept them.
I strongly protest! We compromise
ourselves: we threaten even in the resolutions of the Council of Deputies  
mass terror, and when it comes down to it, tor-
We mollify the revolutionary initiative of the masses,   
quite correct.                      
  This is impossible! We need to encourage energy
the rage and mass character of terror! "(26  
November 1918).                          
 Comrade.  To Stalin in Tsaritsyn: " Be mad-
be merciful against the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries and inform
more often." "Everywhere we must suppress the insecurity
spare these pitiful and hysterical adventures  
Rists" (July 7, 1918).                
 Comrade. Sokolnikov:                    
 "I'm afraid you're mistaken;
changing the severity.  But if you are absolutely
are sure that there is no strength for the ferocious and demonic
merciless reprisal, then telegraph "(
September 24, 1918).                      
 To the Penza Provincial Executive Committee: " Necessary
carry out merciless mass terror
against kulaks, priests and white guards -
tsev. Doubtful ones locked in concentration
tion camp outside the city. Telegraph-
those about execution." (August 9, 1918).  
 Comrade Fedorov, Chairman of Nizhny Novgorod-
gubernia executive committee:                     
 "The White Guards are clearly preparing in Nizhny -
Russian uprising.  We must exert all our strength,
immediately bring about mass terror, extermination
lie down and take out hundreds of prostitutes,
soldering soldiers, former officers and
etc.                                    
  Not a minute of delay" (August 9
1918).                                
  "...be exemplary - merciless" 
 Comrade Shlyapnikov, to Astrakhan:          
 " Lean as hard as you can to catch
and shoot the Astrakhan bribe takers and
speculators.   With this bastard it is necessary
straighten out so that for all the years
remembered" (December 12, 1918).         
 Telegram to Saratov, comrade.  Pikes:
 "Shoot without asking anyone and
not allowing idiotic red tape" ( 22  
August 1918).                          
 Comrade. Stalin in Petrograd: " All the situation
new White Guard offensive on
Petrograd makes one assume  
personality in our rear, and maybe on
the very front, organized by the traitor-
stva.  Only this can explain the
fall / Yudenich / from a relatively un-
impressive forces, swift   
moving forward.                     
  Please pay close attention to
this circumstance, take emergency  
measures to uncover conspiracies" (May 27
1919).                                  
  "I warn the chairmen for this
I will arrest provincial executive committees and
fight and shoot them" (20 May 1919).
 Comrade.  Zinoviev: "You stabbed me!"
(7 August 1919).                      
 To the fuel department of the Moscow Soviet of Deputies:
" Dear comrades. It is possible and should be mobile
lize the Moscow population  
but it’s enough to pull it out of the forest with your hands
a certain amount of firewood (per cube, say,
per adult male).                  
  If not acceptedheroic me-
ry, I will personally hold discussions in the Council
rons and in the Central Committee not only the arrests of all responsible
officials, but also executions. Intolerant
inactivity and negligence.           
  With communist greetings, Lenin"
(June 18, 192O).                      
To the Presidium of the Moscow Workers' Council
and Red Army deputies: "Dear  
comrades!  I am forced in good conscience to say,
that your resolution is so political  
illiterate and so stupid that it causes
nausea. Only capricious people do this   
beautiful young ladies and stupid Russian intellectuals
Ligents.                                
  Sorry for the frank expression
your opinion and accept the communist  
hello from the one who hopes that you
they will teach you a lesson in prison for inaction" ( 12  
October 1918).                        
 To Gleb Krzhizhanovsky: " Mobilize
all without exception engineers, electrical
niks, all of whom graduated in physics and mathematics. fa-
cultets, etc. Responsibility: not per week
less than 2 lectures. Train at least 1O-
and (SO-i) man to electricity. Use
a thread is a bonus. And failure to comply is a prison.
"(December 192O).                    
 Comrade Chicherin: " Let Stalin talk
speaks frankly with the Turkish delegation."
 Receives a denunciation of doctors commissioning
wounded red soldiers, when they were still "
quite capable of fighting":              
 "...organize secret supervision and surveillance
ku for the behavior of these doctors, so that  
expose them by collecting witnesses and documents
cops, and then bring him to trial" (2O   
November 1918).                           
 In response to the complaint of M.F. Andreeva regarding
regarding the arrests of the intelligentsia: "   
It is impossible not to arrest, as a warning
conspiracy, all this near-cadet
public.  It would be criminal not to arrest her.
It is better that tens and hundreds of intellectuals
Comrade sat there for days and weeks. To her - to her
better" (September 18, 1919).            
Maxim Gorky about the same: "Korolenko
after all, he’s almost a Menshevik. Pathetic bourgeois 
captivated by bourgeois prejudices."
No, such “talents” are guilty of sin.  
spend a week in prison." Intellectual
The global strength of workers and peasants is growing
and are growing stronger in the struggle to overthrow the bourgeois
juisie and its accomplices, intellectuals,
lackeys of capital who imagine themselves to be the brains of
tions. In fact, this is not a brain, but shit" ( 15
September 1919).                         
 Comrade Peasant: " Brochure printed
tana on too luxuriouspaper.By
mine must be paid for this waste of luxury
paper and printing media for the court,
expel someone from service and arrest someone
follows "(September 2, 192O).           
  "A stupid person or an editorial saboteur
did you tease her? "                          
 Comrade. Stalin in Kharkov:               
 "Threaten to shoot this slob,
who, being in charge of communications, does not know how to
beat the full serviceability of the telephone
connections with me" (February 16, 192O).     
 Comrade Kamenev: "In my opinion, we need a sec-
express circular against slanderers, bro-
making slanderous accusations under   
kind of "criticism" (March 5, 1921).     
 Smolny, Zinoviev: " Famous
physiologist Pavlov asks to go abroad. From-
it’s unlikely to let Pavlov go abroad
rationally, since before he had expressed
was in the sense that, being truthful
first person, will not be able to, in case
the emergence of relevant conversations,
not to speak out against the Soviet regime  
and communism in Russia.                  
  In view of this, it would be desirable, in the form
exceptions, provide him with excess
tive ration" (June 25, 192O).          
To Kamenev and Stalin: "The danger is that
withwe will not be able to become Siberian peasants
get along, is extremely large and formidable, and
Comrade  Chupkaev is undoubtedly weak, despite everyone
his good qualities - he is completely
unfamiliar with military affairs" (March 9
1921).                                
 Schmidt, Trotsky, Tsuryupa, Shlyapnik-
Vu, Rykov, Tomsky: "I ask you to co-
take a meeting of people's commissars - about health improvement -
research of factories and plants by reducing
number of eaters" (April 2, 1921).
To the Council of Labor and Defense: "Shake up-
the Moscow garrison, reducing the number
quality and increasing quality."           
 Comrade.  Bryukhanov: " Start now
campaign of merciless arrests for negligence
nie (...).  NKprod must establish
provinces and districts of responsible persons,
to know who to imprison" (May 25
1921).                                  
 Comrade . Peobrazhensky: " That he reacts
tzioner, I readily admit. But they need to be changed
what to expose? Convict on the exact fact,
action, statement. Then we'll put you in jail. It is necessary
develop techniques for catching specialists and punishing
niya them" (April 19, 1921).           
 Very cute. To V.Molotov:             
" I propose to fire Abramovichimmediately .  
  Fedorovsky to provide explanations,
how could he recruit Abramovich.
Fedorovsky should be punished for this approximately"
(1O June 1921).                      
 And jokes: " Comrade. Tsuryupa! Don’t capture
whether Elena Fedorovna Razmir-
HIV?  Krylenko is very concerned about her pain
laziness. It is difficult to recover here, and the Germans
will be straightened out.  In my opinion, she should be arrested
and send them stage by stage to the German sa-
nathium.  Hello!  Lenin" (April 7
1921).                                  
 And no joke: "If after the release of the
there is no secular book in the library, it is necessary,
so that you (and we) with absolute accuracy
knew who to put in prison" (Comrade Litkensu,
May 17, 1921).                           
 Comrade . Gorbunov: " After all, there are a number of post-
SRT findings on the impact of Hydropeat.
Apparently they have been forgotten.  This is a disgrace! It is necessary
find the culprits and bring them to justice" (
10 February 1922).                       
 Comrade.  Kamenev: " Why is this delay-
moose? // meaning the printing of Lenin
skiy "Theses on Foreign Trade" //
After all, I gave a deadline of 2-3 days! For Christ's sake,
would you put someone in prison for red tape -
something!.. Your Lenin" (February 11
1922).   "Our houses are dirty.
/.../It is necessary to indicate 10 times more accurately and completely
arrest those responsible and put them in prison
mercilessly" (August 8, 1921).         
  " Demand fast
mailing list "Nakaza STO", otherwise I will send them
I'm planting."                                 
  "Call Belenky and tell him that
I'm angry." And to Bryukhanov and Potyaev:        
  "If you quarrel again, you'll both
we'll drive you away and put you in prison" (August 1921).      
  "The order for water was slow
turbines!  In which we have a terrible lack -  
tatok!  This is the height of ugliness and shamelessness
goodness! Be sure to find the culprits that-
If only we could make these scoundrels rot in
prison" (September 13, 1921).           
  "If you still have traces in Baku (
even small ones) harmful views and
prejudices (among workers and intellectuals
gentov), write to me immediately. Do you undertake
You yourself break these prejudices and
fight loyalty or need help? "  
(April 2, 1921).                     
  Either a fool or a malicious saboteur
I might have missed this book. Please investigate
tell me and name all those responsible
for editing and producing this book  
persons" (August 7, 1921).              
 About Prokopovich and Kuskova: " To newspapers
we will give a directive to start tomorrow on 100
nude frets and with all their mightridicule and
poison at least once a week
within 2 months."                  
 To the People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraphs: " I appeal
Your serious attention to the disgrace with
my phone from the village of Gorki. Posy-
The faces you call are wise, they make no sense
some special devices. Either  
they are completely fools, or very smart sa-
nerds."  Poor Professor Tikhvin -
sky, manager of Petrograd laboratories
tories of the Main Petroleum Committee. Od-
Ilyich’s phrase was enough: "  
Tikhvinsky was not arrested by chance: chemistry
and counter-revolution do not exclude each other   
friend "(September 1921). Shot in
1921.                              
  In the Main Directorate of the Coal Industry
lennosti: " There are some doubts
in the advisability of using cutters  
cars  The production effect that
who expects from the use of cutting ma-
Shin Comrade Pyatakov is clearly exaggerated. Kir-
which is better and cheaper" (August 1921).  
To Kiselev's commission: "I strongly
against any waste of potatoes on alcohol.
Alcohol can and should be made from peat.
We need this production of alcohol from peat
develop" (September 11, 1921). This reminds us of a business note from
August 26, 1919: "Report to the Scientific
food institute that in three months
they must provide accurate and complete
data on the practical success of production
sugar from sawdust." Well, that's okay. Actually
I’m amazed at how the People’s Commissar’s muzzle stretched out
enlightenment of Anatoly Lunacharsky, when
he received the following dispatches from the leader: "Everything
I advise you to put theaters in a coffin" (Av. 26)
gusta 1921).                            
 Or telegrams:  "What questions do you
recognize as the most important, and which ones are shock-
mi!  I ask for a short answer" (April 8
1921).                                  
For the Politburo of the Central Committee of the RCP(b): "Learned from Ka-
Menev that the Council of People's Commissars unanimously accepted
completely indecent proposal Luna-
Charsky about preserving the Bolshoi Opera and
Ballet" (January 12, 1922).               
 The poet Mayakov also causes irritation
Sky and People's Commissariat of Justice.    
  Comrade Bogdanov: "We still don't know how to speak
but to judge for filthy red tape, for this
the entire People's Commissariat of Justice must be hanged on
sniffy ropes. And I have not yet lost confidence
Yes, that all of us will someday be punished for this
businesshanged" (December 23, 1921).       
 Comrade.  Sokolnikov: "Isn't he sleeping with us?
NKUST?  Here we need a number of exemplary processes
owls using the most severe punishments.
NKYUST doesn’t seem to understand what’s new
economic policy requires new
ways, new cruelty of punishment. With commu-
nistic greetings. Lenin" (February 11
1922).                                  
 The expulsion of professors begins.       
  Kamenev and Stalin: "Dismiss from MVTU
2O-CHO professors. They are fooling us." (21
February 1922).                          
 F.E. Dzerzhinsky: "On the issue of expulsion
ke writers and professors abroad.
We need to prepare this more carefully. Oblige
members of the Politburo devote 2-3 hours in non-
I divide it into viewing a number of publications and books.
Collect systematic information about political
technical experience, work and literary
activities of professors and writers.
Entrust all this to a sensible, educated
mu and neat man in the GPU.        
  Not all employees of "New Russia" -
candidates for deportation abroad. Other
St. Petersburg magazine "Economist" case. This is
in my opinion, a clear center of the White Guards. B
No. 3 printed on the cover is a list of employees
nicknames All these are obvious counter-revolutionaries,
collaborators of the Entente,organizing it
spies, servants, student molesters
beds.  We need to arrange things in such a way that
catch and trap these pests
constantly and systematically expel
border.                                
  Please show this in secret, no
disclosing, to members of the Politburo with return.
To you and me." (May 19, 1922).              
 And comrade.  Krzhizhanovsky, who was
1O-SO person was entrusted to train electrical
honor, got overextended and also wanted to go to Ev-
ropa.                                   
  Comrade  To Stalin: "I ask you to immediately order-
Ask NKIndel to request an entry visa
to Germany Gleb Maximilianovich Krzhi-
Zhanovsky and his wife Zinaida Pavlovna
Krzhizhanovskaya.                          
  We are talking about the treatment of a hernia.            
  With communist greetings.  Lenin"
(April 25, 1922).  And Comrade Ioffe is obliged
treat your neurotic non-
arc, which is this.     
  Comrade Ioffe: "First of all, you are mistaken,
repeating (repeatedly) that the Central Committee is me.
This can only be written if you are able to
great nervous irritation and
fatigue.                            
  Why be so nervous about what to write?
completely impossible, completely un-
possible phrase that the Central Committee is me?This
overwork. Take some serious rest. Obdu-
Maybe it’s not better abroad. You need to-
to be treated completely." (March 17, 1921).