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Special pages :
Letter to Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova, October 5, 1893
Source: Lenin Collected Works, Progress Publishers, 1977, Moscow, Volume 37, pages 65a-66.
Ulyanova, Maria Alexandrovna (1835–1916)—mother of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, daughter of A.D. Blank, a doctor, who held advanced views. A well-educated woman, she spoke several languages and was an accomplished musician. Study at home enabled her to qualify as a schoolteacher in 1863. She possessed rare talents as an educationalist and devoted herself entirely to her family and children. Having a strong character and great will power, she shared her children’s ideas and brought them up to be honest, industrious and sympathetic towards the needs of the people. She was a warm supporter of her children in their revolutionary struggle and endured the misfortunes that came upon her family with courage and fortitude. Her children’s attitude to her was one of love and affection and Lenin always displayed exceptional consideration for her. She is buried in Volkov Cemetery in Leningrad.
October 5
Yesterday, Mother dearest, I received your letter of October 2. At long last I have found myself a good room, or so it seems; there are no other lodgers and the landlady has a small family; the door between my room and their drawing-room is papered over, so that sounds are faint. The room is clean and light. There is a good entrance. Since, in addition, it is not far from the centre (only some 15 minutes’ walk from the library) I am, quite satisfied.
I saw Tillo yesterday and today. He did not get the ticket and, unfortunately, cannot get it because the person he was counting on is not here. Incidentally, he says that when his own position in the provisional railway administration is more secure, perhaps he will be able to. That, it seems, will not be soon.
I went to Volkov Cemetery soon after my arrival— everything, the cross and wreath, is intact.[1]
Your loving,
V. Ulyanov
Please send me some money, mine is nearly at an end.[2] I have been informed from Samara that the fee for the Grafov case (the Kazan case that I conducted in Samara) has been promised for November. That will give me 70 rubles (if the promise is fulfilled, and what chance there is of that, I don’t know). I have been promised a job in a consulting lawyer’s office here, but when that will be arranged (and whether it will be arranged) I do not know.
Write and tell me about the state of your finances; did you get anything from Auntie? Did you get the September rent from Krushvits? Is there much left of the deposit (500 rubles) after moving and settling down?[3]
I am now, for the first time in St. Petersburg, keeping a cash-book to see how much I actually spend. It turned out that for the month August 28 to September 27 I spent altogether 54 rubles 30 kopeks, not including payment for things (about 10 rubles) and expenses for a court case (also about 10 rubles) which I shall probably conduct. It is true that part of this 54 rubles was spent on things that do not have to be bought every month (galoshes, clothes, books, an abacus, etc.), but even discounting that (16 rubles), the expenditure is still excessive—38 rubles in a month. Obviously I have not been living carefully; in one month I have spent a ruble and 36 kopeks on the horse trams, for instance. When I get used to the place I shall probably spend less.
- ↑ One of Lenin’s younger sisters, Olga Ilyinichna Ulyanova (1871- 1891) is buried in Volkov Cemetery, Leningrad. She was a talented and industrious girl with a strong character. In 1887 she graduated from secondary school with a gold medal and entered the Higher Courses for Women (Bestuzhev’s) in St. Petersburg. She died of enteric at the age of 19.
- ↑ I shall have to pay 10 rubles when I am appointed assistant, which should be soon.—Lenin
- ↑ The money referred to is what Lenin’s mother should have received from Kokushkino and Alakayevka.
Kokushkino—a village 40 versts from Kazan in which A. D. Blank, Lenin’s maternal grandfather, owned some land, a house and a separate cottage. When he died, this property was inherited by his daughters, and Lenin’s mother’s share was under the control of her sister, L. A. Ponomaryova.
Lenin was exiled to the village of Kokushkino for his participation in the student disturbances in December 1887. The cottage, in which Lenin lived during his exile, has been restored and is now a Lenin Museum.
Alakayevka—a village some 50 versts from Samara (now Kuibyshev) near which Lenin’s mother acquired a farmhouse; the Ulyanov family lived there every summer from 1889 to 1893. When the family moved to Moscow from Samara the farmhouse was rented to Krushvits, mentioned by Lenin in this letter.