Letter to Gleb Krzhizhanovsky, May 6, 1902

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Krzhizhanovsky, Gleb Maximilianovich (1872-1959)—veteran leading member of the Communist Party, well-known Soviet scientist, power engineer, joined the revolutionary movement in 1893. In December 1895 he was arrested and exiled to Siberia for three years. Upon his return in 1901 be settled in Samara, where he helped to organise an Iskra centre. In the autumn of 1902 he was elected to the Organising Committee for convening the Second Congress of the RSDLP At the Congress, in his absence, he was elected to the Central Committee. Took an active part in the revolution of 1905-07. p. 101

May 6

We received the letter. Wood, apparently, has been taken. It is essential that Claire should save himself and therefore should go underground without delay. The meeting with Sasha (Wood managed to write to us about it) led to the appointment of a committee for convening a congress in five months’ time.

Our main task now is to prepare for it, i.e., to ensure that our own reliable people penetrate into the largest possible number of committees and try to undermine the Southern Central Committee of the southern committees (=whirligig). This “whirligig”, which is manipulated by a Genosse (someone has even accused him of being an agent provocateur, but that has not been verified yet), is the main obstacle (besides St. Petersburg). Hence the immediate task—that both Kurtz and Embryon join the committees at once. Next, that their example in one form or another is followed by Claire and Brodyagin. This is the main task, for otherwise we shall inevitably be ousted; subordinate everything else to this task, bear in mind the major significance of the Second Congress! Adapt... to this end and think about an attack on the centre, Ivanovo and others, the Urals and the South. The formal aspect is now acquiring special significance.

Brodyagin suspects provocation. There cannot be any here, we are already in London. It is very likely that many threads have been picked up from some of our arrested people—that explains everything. Look after yourself as you would the apple of your eye—for the sake of the “main task”. If we (i.e., you) do not cope with it—it will be a great calamity.

Forward this letter to Brodyagin immediately and tell him to write to us without fail and more frequently; all his letters have arrived safely.

If it is confirmed that Wood has gone under, we must meet Claire or Brodyagin as soon as possible or correspond in great detail, if there are good addresses (?) for sending you all the details about Sasha (send an address for the bookbinding as quickly as possible).

Arrange the passport yourself, do not rely on us. Shouldn’t Claire and Brodyagin change passports, since the former is already known to everyone?

Who will be the delegate from Moscow? Is he absolutely reliable? Has he a good successor? And so: again and again: join the committees. Is Nizhni reliable?