Lenin Collected Works/Volume 34

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Preface by Progress Publishers

The thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth volumes contain Lenin's correspondence with organisations and persons—letters, tel egrams and notes—during the period from 1895 to 1922.

The documents in these volumes comprise a considerable part of Lenin's correspondence and form a valuable sup plement to his writings published in the preceding volumes of the Collected Works. These documents reflect the immense and varied activity of Lenin in building up the Bolshevik Party, a party of a new type, his irreconcilable struggle against opportunists of all shades, his struggle for the proletarian revolution, for the dictatorship of the proletariat, his leadership of the world's first Soviet socialist state.

Volume 34 includes letters of Lenin written in the period from November 1895 to November 1911.

The letters of 1895-1901 reflect Lenin's activities in building up the Social-Democratic Labour Party in Russia, his struggle against Narodism, “legal Marxism” and Econo mism. The letters addressed to G. V. Plekhanov, Lydia Knipovich, N. E. Bauman and others show liow Lenin's plan for the creation of the first all-Russia newspaper of the rev olutionary Marxists—Iskra—was carried out; they re veal Lenin's leading role in Iskra, and his struggle within the editorial board of the newspaper.

A considerable part of the volume consists of the letters of 1901-04. A group of letters of this period, addressed to G. V. Plekhanov, deal with questions concerning the drafting of the revolutionary programme of the proletarian par ty. In his correspondence with local committees—those of Kharkov and Nizhni-Novgorod, the St. Petersburg organi sation (letters to 1. V. Babushkin and others), and the Organising Committee for convening the Second Party Con gress—Lenin calls on the Social-Democratic organisations in Russia to unite on the basis of the programmatic and organisational principles of Iskra, and gives precise direc tives for developing Party work and preparing for the Party Congress. In a number of letters written after the Second Congress Lenin exposes the splitting activities of the Mensheviks, wages a relentless struggle against certain demoralised Bolsheviks (Krasin, Noskov, Galperin) who had gone over to the Mensheviks and helped them gain a majority in the Central Committee. These are his letters to the Central Committee, to the Siberian Committee, to N. Y. Vilonov, A. M. Stopani, Bozalia Zemlyachka and others.

The letters to the Caucasian Union Committee reflect Lenin's leadership of the Bolshevik organisations in the Caucasus.

The letters of the period of the first Russian revolution (1905-07) reflect Lenin's struggle for the convocation of the Third Party Congress, for the implementation of its decisions, and for the tactical principles of Bolshevism. Included here are letters to the Central Committee, S. I. Gusev, Rozalia Zemlyaclika and others.

The letters of the period of Stolypin reaction reveal Lenin's struggle against liquidationism, Trotskyism, otzovism and ultimatumism, conciliation, and distortions of the theoret ical principles of the revolutionary Marxist Party. This volume includes a letter to G. Y. Zinoviev in which Lenin brands Trotsky as a despicable careerist and factionalist. A number of letters published in this volume expose the international revisionists who supported the Russian Men shevik opportunists.

An important place in Lenin's correspondence of 1908-li is occupied by his letters to Maxim Gorky.

The letters in this volume depict Lenin's struggle to create a Marxist revolutionary party, to rally the Party's forces and make the Bolsheviks an independent party, a party of a new type, a party of Leninism, a Bolshevik party.

The following letters, which have previously appeared in various publications, are included in Lenin's Collected Works for the first time: to the Editorial Board of Iskra, February 26, 1904; to M. K. Vladimirov, August 15, 1904; to the Caucasian Union Committee, December 20, 1904; to the St. Petersburg organisation of the RSDLP, Octo ber-December 1904; Letter to a Comrade in Russia, January 6, 1905; five letters to A. V. Lunacharsky, 1905, 1907 and 1908; to Maxim Gorky, February 7, 1908; to P. Yushkevich, November 10, 1908; two letters to A. I. Lyubimov, August and September 1909; a letter to G. Y. Zinoviev, August 24, 1909; draft of a letter to the “Trustees”, February-March 1910; to N. G. Poletayev, December 7, 1910; to A. Rykov, February 25, 1911.

Published for the first time is the letter in this volume to G. D. Leiteisen, July 24, 1902, in which Lenin notes the union of Russian Social-Democratic organisations around Iskra.

• *

The letters in volumes 34 and 35 are arranged in chrono logical order; those sent from Russia are dated according to the old style, those sent from abroad are dated according to the new style. Where Lenin's manuscript is undated, the editors have given the date at the end of the letter. Each letter has a serial number and it is stated to whom and where it was sent, the date of writing and the address of the sender.

Besides brief notes, each volume of the letters is provided with an index of deciphered pseudonyms, nicknames and initials.

 

1895

1. P. B. AXELROD. Beginning of November	20
2. P. B. AXELROD. Middle of November	23

1897

3. P. B. AXELROD. August 16

24

1898

4. A. N. POTRESOV. September 2

25

1899

5. A. N. POTRESOV. January 26	28
6. A. N. POTRESOV. April 27	32
7. A. N. POTRESOV. June 27	38

1900

8. NADEZHDA KRUPSKAYA. August, Prior to 24	44
9. ADDRESSEE UNIDENTIFIED. September 5	48
10. APOLLINARIA YAKUBOVA. October 26	51

1901

11. G. V. PLEKHANOV. January 30	55
12. P. B. AXELROD. March 20	58
13. P. B. AXELROD. April 25	60
14. N. E. BAUMAN. May 24	65
15. P. B. AXELROD. May 25	67
16. LYDIA KNIPOVICH. May 28	70
17. THE ISKRA PROMOTION GROUP. June 5	71
18. L. Y. GALPERIN. Between June 18 and 22	72
19. N. E. BAUMAN. June 25 or 26	73
20. G. V. PLEKHANOV. July 7	74
21. S. O. TSEDERBAUM. Second Half of July	76
22. G. V. PLEKHANOV. July 25	80
23. P. B. AXELROD. July 26	83
24. G. V. PLEKHANOV. July 30	85
25. G. V. PLEKHANOV. October 21	87
26. G. V. PLEKHANOV. November 2	88
27. THE ISKRA ORGANISATIONS IN RUSSIA. December, Prior to 18	90
28. INNA SMIDOVICH. December 18	92

1902

29. L. I. GOLDMAN. January 3	93
30. G. V. PLEKHANOV. February 7	94
31. G. V. PLEKHANOV. April 4	96
32. P. B. AXELROD. May 3	99
33. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. May 6	101
34. G. V. PLEKHANOV. May 14	103
35. G. V. PLEKHANOV. June 23	104
36. G. D. LEITEISEN. July 24	106
37. P. G. SMIDOVICH. August 2	108
38. V. A. NOSKOV. August 4	110
39. E. Y. LEVIN. August 22	114
40. V. P. KRASNUKHA AND YELENA STASOVA. September 24	116
41. P. A. KRASIKOV. November 11	118
42. E. Y. LEVIN. Not Earlier Than December 11	120
43. G. V. PLEKHANOV. December 14	123
44. V. I. LAVROV AND YELENA STASOVA. December 27	126
45. F. V. LENGNIK. December 27	128

1903

46. I. V. BABUSHKIN. January 6	129
47. YELENA STASOVA. January 15	131
48. THE KHARKOV COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP January 15	133
49. YELENA STASOVA. January 16	135
50. I. V. BABUSHKIN. January 16	136
51. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. January 27	137
52. THE UNION OF RUSSIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS ABROAD. February 4 or5	139
53. Y. O. MARTOV. February 5	141
54. THE NIZHNI-NOVGOROD COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP. Prior to February 2.3	144
55. THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE WITH THE TEXT OF NADEZHDA KRUPSKAYA'S LETTER. March 5 or 6	146
56. THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE. Between March 6 and 9	148
57. G. V. PLEKHANOV. March 15	150
58. THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE. March .31	152
59. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. April 3	153
60. THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE. April 6	154
61. YEKATERINA ALEXANDROVA. Later Than May 22	156
62. ALEXANDRA KALMYKOVA. September 7	160
63. A. N. POTRESOV. September 13	164
64. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. Between September 10 and 14	167
65. ALEXANDRA KALMYKOVA. September 30	168
66. THE ODESSA COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 1	171
67. Y. O. MARTOV. October 6	173
68. G. D. LEITEISEN. October 10	175
69. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. October 20	177
70. THE CAUCASIAN UNION COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 20	179
71. THE DON COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP. October	181
72. THE MINING AND METALLURGICAL WORKERS' UNION. October	182
73. G. V. PLEKHANOV. November 1	184
74. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. November 4	186
75. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP November 4	187
76. V. A. NOSKOV AND G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. November 6	188
77. G. V. PLEKHANOV. November 6	189
78. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. November 8	191
79. M. N. LYADOV. November 10	193
80. G. V. PLEKHANOV. November 18	199
81. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP December 10	200
82. THE ISKRA EDITORIAL BOARD. December 12	202
83. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. December 18	204
84. N. Y. VILONOV. Between December 17 and 22	207
85. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP December 22	211
86. THE EDITORS OF ISKRA. December 24-27	213
87. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP December 30	215

1904

88. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP January 2	218
89. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. January 4	220
90. THE ISKRA EDITORIAL BOARD. January 8	223
91. G. V. PLEKHANOV, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY COUNCIL. January 23	224
92. G. V. PLEKHANOV, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY COUNCIL. January 27	226
93. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP January 31	227
94. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. Between February 2 and 7	229
95. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE PPS. February 7	231
96. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP February	232
97. THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF ISKRA. February 26	234
98. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP March 13	235
99. F. V. LENGNIK. May 26	237
100. G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. Not Later Than May 26	238
101. L. B. KRASIN. Not Earlier Than May 26	240
102. YELENA STASOVA AND F. V. LENGNIK. June 19	242
103. Y. O. MARTOV, SECRETARY OF THE PARTY COUNCIL. August 10	244
104. M. K. VLADIMIROV. August 15	245
105. THE ISKRA EDITORIAL BOARD. August 24	248
106. TO MEMBERS OF THE MAJORITY COMMITTEES AND ALL ACTIVE SUPPORTERS OF THE MAJORITY IN RUSSIA WITH THE TEXT OF A LETTER TO LYDIA FOTIYEVA. About August 28	250
107. V. A. NOSKOV. August 30	251
108. V. A. NOSKOV. August 30 or 31	252
109. V. A. NOSKOV. September 2	253
110. Y. O. MARTOV, SECRETARY OF THE PARTY COUNCIL. September 2	254
111. Y. O. MARTOV, SECRETARY OF THE PARTY COUNCIL. September 7	256
112. PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTHERN COMMITTEES AND TO THE SOUTHERN BUREAU OF THE CC, RSDLP Later Than October 5	257
113. THE MAJORITY COMMITTEES. Later Than October 5	258
114. THE SIBERIAN COMMITTEE. October 30	259
115. A. M. STOPANI. Noveniber 10	264
116. A. A. BOGDANOV. November 21	266
117. NADEZHDA KRUPSKAYA. December 3	268
118. A. A. BOGDANOV, ROZALIA ZEMLYACHKA AND M. M. LITVINOV. December 3	271
119. M. M. LITVINOV. December 8	274
120. ROZALIA ZEMLYACHKA. December 10	277
121. THE CAUCASIAN UNION COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP Later Than December 12	280
122. THE CAUCASIAN UNION COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP December 20	281
123. MARIA ESSEN. December 24	282
124. ROZALIA ZEMLYACHKA. December 26	283
125. A. I. YERAMASOV. Between December 23, 1904 and Janua ry 4,1905	285
126. THE ST. PETERSBURG ORGANISATION OF THE RSDLP October-December	286

1905

127. A COMRADE IN RUSSIA. January 6	287
128. ROZALIA ZEMLYACHKA. Beginning of January	291
129. THE SECRETARY OF THE MAJORITY COMMITTEES' BUREAU. January 29	293
130. AUGUST BEBEL. February 8	295
131. S. I. GUSEV. February 15	296
132. S. I. GUSEV. February 25	298
133. S. I. GUSEV. Beginning of March	299
134. S. I. GUSEV. March 11	302
135. S. I. GUSEV. March 16	304
136. THE ODESSA COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP March 25	307
137. S. I. GUSEV. April 4	308
138. OLGA VINOGRADOVA. April 8	310
139. THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST BUREAU. July 8	312
140. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP July 11	314
141. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP July 12	317
142. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP July 28	320
143. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. August 2	323
144. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP August 14	326
145. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. Between August 15 and 19	328
146. P. N. LEPESHINSKY. August 29	330
147. P. N. LEPESHINSKY. August 29	333
148. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. End of August	334
149. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP September 7	336
150. P. A. KRASIKOV. September 14	338
151. S. I. GUSEV. September 20	342
152. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 3	344
153. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 3	345
154. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 5	348
155. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 8	350
156. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. October 11	352
157. S. I. GUSEV. October 13	355
158. MARIA ESSEN. October 26	360
159. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RSDLP October 27	362
160. G. V. PLEKHANOV. End of October	363
161. MOTYA AND KOSTYA, MEMBERS OF THE ODESSA ORGANISATION OF THE RSDLP (MAJORITY). End of October-Beginning of November	367

1907

162. MAXIM GORKY. August 14	369
163. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. Between November 2 and 11	370

1908

164. MAXIM GORKY. January 9	372
165. MAXIM GORKY AND MARIA ANDREYEVA. January 15	373
166. THEODORE ROTHSTEIN. January 29	375
167. MAXIM GORKY. February 2	377
168. MAXIM GORKY. February 7	379
169. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. February 13	383
170. MAXIM GORKY. February 13	385
171. MAXIM GORKY. March 16	387
172. MAXIM GORKY. March 24	388
173. MAXIM GORKY. First Half of April	391
174. A. V. LUNACHARSKY. April 16	392
175. MAXIM GORKY. April 16	393
176. MAXIM GORKY. April 19	394
177. V. V. VOROVSKY. July 1	395
178. P. YUSHKEVICH. November 10	396

1909

179. ROSA LUXEMBURG. May 18	397
180. A. I. LYUBIMOV. August 18	398
181. G. Y. ZINOVIEV. August 24	399
182. A. I. LYUBIMOV. Beginning of September	401
183. MAXIM GORKY. November 16	403
184. MAXIM GORKY. November, Not Earlier Than 20	405
185. I. I. SKVORTSOV-STEPANOV. December 2	407

1910

186. DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE “TRUSTEES”. February-Early March	411
187. N. Y. VILONOV. March 27	414
188. G. V. PLEKHANOV. March 29	416
189. N. Y. VILONOV. April 7	417
190. MAXIM GORKY. April 11	419
191. N. A. SEMASHKO. October 4	423
192. JULIAN MARCHLEWSKI. October 7	424
193. G. L. SHKLOVSKY. October 14	430
194. MAXIM GORKY. November 14	432
195. MAXIM GORKY. November 22	434
196. N. G. POLETAYEV. December 7	436

1911

197. MAXIM GORKY. January 3	437
198. A. RYKOV. February 25	441
199. MAXIM GORKY. May 27	446
200. ANTONIN NĚMEC. November 1	448