Letter to Avel Yenukidze, February 13, 1922

From Marxists-en
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Comrade Yenukidze:

From talks and reports here in Moscow, I conclude that there is something like slackness in the Presidium of the All-Russia CEC and its work. This is not surprising, because all its members are loaded with 20 jobs, as is the practice in our “Oblomov”[1] republic.

This tends to strengthen the influence of men like Larin. He is a good fellow—as poet, as journalist, as lecturer. But we are fools to appoint him to legislative work, thereby spoiling and ruining both him and the job.

For Christ’s sake, keep a stricter watch over him. Keep Larin in check. If he has already got somewhere, do not believe any of his plans or projects—do not let any pass without a triple check-up.

See that there is not the usual chaos, when efforts are made to get something through the Presidium of the All-Russia CEC (by means of half-truths) in circumvention of the CPC and the State Planning Commission.

Keep both your eyes peeled, and inform me (or Stalin with Kamenev) in good time.

Two other points:

1) Stalin’s flat. Well, when? What red tape!

2) Lalayants. How is he? If he is going to Siberia, I must give him a letter and arrange a place for him in the car through Sklyansky and Fomin.

Regards,

Yours,

Lenin

P.S. I have just sent you a paper about flats for Strumilin and Ramzin. Please do your Lest about this, get it done, and write me.[2]

Yours,

Lenin

  1. The sluggish hero of A. I. Goncharov’s novel of the same name.— Ed.
  2. The following day, February 14, 1922, A. S. Yenukidze informed Lenin that the flat for J. V. Stalin was ready, and that he had issued another written order to A. D. Metelev, the All-Russia C.E.C. house manager, about flats for S. G. Strumilin and L. K. Ramzin. Yenukidze wrote that housing and food arrangements had been made for I. Kh Lalayants, who intended to go and fetch his family at the end of March (after the Party Congress). Yenukidze also asked Lenin to see him about the work of the Presidium of the All-Russia C.E.C. Yenukidze later reported that he had written to V. V. Fomin at the People’s Commissariat for Railways about carriage arrangements for Lalayants.
    On the first page of Yenukidze’s letter, Lenin wrote: “To Fotieva p. 3”, and on the third page—“check up fulfilment of § 3”, in which he underscored with a double line the words “about flats for Strumilin and Ramzin” (Central Party Archives of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism of the CPSU Central Committee),