Letter to Mark Yelizarov, February 28, 1899

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February 28, 1899

Mark,

I received your letter of February 8. Your chess game came in very handy. The people from Minusinsk were here at the time as visitors and as they are now enthusiastic chess players we had some exceedingly tough battles. We analysed your game, too. Judging by that, you have begun to play much better. You must have given much thought to each move and (perhaps?) consulted your neighbours. Otherwise, you know, I shall now be afraid to play against a man who has defeated Lasker!

With regard to the “forces of the true believers” arrayed against me for my article on the “heritage”—I await with interest something in the press about this. The fundamental question of “support” is, in my opinion, a very important one (in connection with the question of “economics” and extra-economic relations. By the way, do the forces connect the two issues?). It would be very useful and very interesting to talk on this subject to people who do not limit themselves to Gvozdyov’s theories (have you read his book about kulaks? I think it is very, very weak ). We shall wait a while.

I read your remarks on the “markets” with great interest. We shall see what sort of impression they produce as a whole—what the critics say, especially those who are to our way of thinking. It is now impossible to correct the book (except in individual passages, of course), that is, it is impossible to change its general character, its laconic style (as it is there are about 500 pages! More would be absolutely impossible!)—masses of figures, tables, etc., and a narrow subject. Only one correction would have been possible here—to divide the book into two parts or two volumes and spend a year or two on reworking each of them. For various reasons I found this plan not very suitable. The question of foreign markets is touched upon in general terms only in Chapter VIII, in one § and in connection with the problem of the border regions of Russia. In general I had to reject the examination of the foreign market completely.

I have not heard anything at all about your plans to leave your job. Which school of engineering do you think of entering? A higher school? How many years is the course and what rights does the diploma give you? Are you thinking of becoming an engineer-technologist? Will you be excused a year or two, i.e., not have to take the first part of the course, since you are a graduate of a mathematical faculty?

All the best,

V. U.

Regards from Nadya and Y.V.