The Youth Abroad and the Russian Revolution

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The letter from an out-of-the-way place, calling upon all to return to Russia from abroad (Proletary, No. 19) has evoked a reply from Comrade “Revolutionary”, writing to Proletary from Berne. Comrade “Revolutionary” insists on, importance of theory in the movement, the need to study, and the like. We of course fully agree with him in the matter, and that was just the sense of our reservation regarding the above-mentioned letter.[1] Comrade “Revolutionary” advises the Party to organise at some place, for example in Geneva, something in the nature of a university, for the youth to be able to engage in serious studies. There have been many such plans, but their implementation meets with too many practical difficulties.

  1. No. 19 of Proletary, October 3 (September 20), 1905 published “An Open Letter to Comrades Abroad” from a group of Social-Democrats working in Kazan, Simbirsk and Nizhni-Novgorod gubernias. The letter described the difficult conditions of under ground work in Russia and the shortage of Party forces, and called upon the youth to remain in Russia to work there. The letter was accompanied by the following editorial note: “We are publishing this statement by ’comrades from out-of-the-way places’ so as to enable them to express in our columns their frame of mind and their opinion of Party work. While we do not share the author’s too extreme opinion regarding the uselessness of ’studies’ abroad we do however think it necessary more often to remind our comrades abroad and the Party as a whole of the out-of-the-way places in Russia.” It has not been established who used the pseudonym of “Revolutionary”.