Letter to Iosif Dubrovinsky, April 23, 1909

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Author(s) Lenin
Written 23 April 1909


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First published in 1964 in Collected Works, Fifth (Russian) Ed., Vol. 47. Sent from Paris to Davos (Switzerland). Printed from the original.
Source: Lenin Collected Works, Progress Publishers, 1977, Moscow, Volume 43, pages 203-204a.
Keywords : Iosif Dubrovinsky, Letter

23/IV. 09

Dear Friend,

Pokrovsky is staying with us. A philistine of the first water. “Of course otzovism is stupid, of course it’s syndicalism, but for moral considerations I and probably Stepanov too shall be for Maximov.” All sorts of wicked people, don’t you see, are bullying the crystal-pure scoundrels! These “moral” philistines begin to show how “moral” they are as soon as you start speaking in their presence about the historical task of uniting the Marxist elements in the group to save the group and the Social-Democratic Party!

It was the opposition that invited this sorry moraliser—we didn’t invite him, knowing that the general meeting was being postponed.[1]

The news from Lindov and Orlovsky is so far not encouraging: the former is supposed to be ill, the latter can come only to Petersburg. But my letters addressed direct to them have not yet been answered. We shall wait for their reply.

It looks as if Vlasov is now deciding the future: if he goes with the stupids, the philistines and Machists, then, evidently, there will be a split and a stubborn struggle. If he goes with us, then perhaps it will be possible to con fine things to the dropping out of a couple of philistines who are nil in the Party.

That blackguard Nikitich has gone to the S.R.s with a lot of gossip and made mischief! Just like those “moral” parasites: to go to another party to complain and lie about one, s own. At the “trial” the S.R.s, obviously informed by Nikitich, are behaving insolently, they say.[2] We’ll hold this against Nikitich, we won’t forget it!

I know nothing about the “Yuri-Nikitich” incident.[3] I thought you would be able to tell me about it. In my opinion, you yourself right now ought to write to Yuri, respective[4] invite him to come to you, and obtain guarantees from him, or better still have the remainder transferred to a safe place.

Domov+Bogdanov+Marat are now pressing on the B.C. to set the date of the plenary meeting for the end of May or the beginning of June. Actually it can only be held later.

Take your cure seriously, obey the doctors in everything, so as to be a little better by the time of the plenum at least. Please give up the idea of running away from the sanatorium: we are terribly short of people, and if you don’t recover your health (and have no illusions, that is not easy, it will require curing yourself seriously!), we may go under.

Try to start and keep up the most regular correspondence with Lyubich: this is imperative for we may have to call him out in an emergency. Be sure to arrange direct correspondence with him.

Best regards,

N. Lenin

  1. ↑ A reference to a meeting of the enlarged Editorial Board of Proletary.—Ed.
  2. ↑ Evidently the reference is to the M. M. Litvinov inquiry in which representatives of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party were also involved (see this volume, Document 146).
  3. ↑ What the “Yuri-Nikitich” incident was about has not been established. Yuri was the pseudonym of D. S. Grozhan, who toward the end of 1907, on instructions from L. B. Krasin, arranged a private loan to the Party treasury. The incident may have been connected with delay in payment of the debt.
  4. ↑ Or.—Ed.
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