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Bolshevik leadership Correspondence. 1912-1927
Collection of documents 1996.
Compiled by: A.V.Kvashonkin, L.P.Kosheleva, L.A.Rogovaya, O.V.Khlevnyuk.No. 2
J. V. Stalin to G. E. Zinoviev
December 1913
In your letter dated 9/XI [you] write that you will send me my "debt" in small parts 1 . I would like you to send them as soon as possible, in whatever small parts. (If you have money, send it directly to me in Kostino). I say this because money is desperately needed 2 . Everything would be fine if it were not for the disease, but this damned disease that requires care (i.e. money) unbalances and patience. I'm waiting. As soon as I receive the German books, I will supplement the articles and send them in a revised form ...
Your Ios[if] 3
RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 2. D. 89. L. 2. Autograph.
Notes:
1 . We are talking about royalties for Stalin's publications. In 1912-1913. Stalin worked on a series of articles on the national question. The largest of them, "Marxism and the National Question", was written in Vienna and first printed under the signature "K. Stalin" in No. 3-5 of the journal "Prosveshcheniye" under the title "The National Question and Social Democracy". This work, which included a number of smaller articles on the national question, was published in a separate pamphlet in 1914 by the Priboy publishing house (Petersburg). In a letter to Malinovsky (November 1913), Stalin noted: “Zinoviev writes to me that articles on the “national question” will be published as a separate pamphlet [...] I hope that you, in which case, will stand up for me and get a fee .. .” (Medvedev R.A. On Stalin and Stalinism. M., 1990. S. 25-26).
2. Stalin raised this problem in his letters from exile more than once. In the same (see note 1) letter to Malinovsky, he wrote: “Hello friend! It's embarrassing to write, but I have to. I don't think I've ever experienced such a terrible situation. All the money came out, some kind of suspicious cough began due to the intensified frosts (37 degrees of cold), the general condition is painful, there are no stocks of bread, sugar, meat, or kerosene (all the money was spent on regular expenses and clothes with shoes) . And without supplies, everything is expensive here: rye bread 4 1/2 k[op.] a pound, kerosene 15 kopecks, meat 18 kopecks, sugar 25 kop.] We need milk, we need firewood, but ... money, no money, friend. I don't know how I'll spend the winter in this state... I don't have rich relatives or acquaintances, I positively have no one to turn to, and I turn to you, Yes, not only to you - and to Petrovsky, and to Badaev. My request is that if the social-democratic faction still has a “fund of the repressive,” let it, the faction, or better, the faction’s bureau give me the only help of at least 60 rubles. Pass on my request to Chkhetsdze and tell him that I also ask him to take my request to heart, I ask him not only as a countryman, but mainly as the chairman of the faction. If there is no other such fund, then perhaps all of you together will come up with something suitable. I understand that all of you, and especially you - there is no time, there is no time, but, damn it, there is no one else to turn to, but I don’t want to die here without even writing one letter to you. This matter must be arranged today and the money sent by telegraph, because to wait further means to starve, and I’m already exhausted and sick, you know my address: Turukhansk region of the Yenisei province, the village of Kostino, Iosif Dzhugashvili [...] ) not that 20, not that 25 rubles. I inform you that I have not received them yet and probably will not receive them until spring. For all his stay in the Turukhansk exile, he received only 44 rubles. from abroad and 25 p. from Petrovsky. I didn’t get anything else” (ibid.). from abroad and 25 p. from Petrovsky. I didn’t get anything else” (ibid.). from abroad and 25 p. from Petrovsky. I didn’t get anything else” (ibid.).
3 . Postcard address: “Austria (Galicia) Krakau. Ulica Lubomirskiego No. 35. An Herm Radomilski. Osterreich. Mogils [ka] 10". A piece of a postcard with a date in the upper left corner has been torn out. On the copy in the upper left corner are two postscripts by Stalin: “1913 From the Turukhansk Territory” and “T. Orakhelashvili. Institute of Lenin. Return to IMEL this nonsense written in 1913 from Kostino (Turukh[an] Territory) by I[osif] St[alin].”
Number 3
I. V. Stalin - R. V. Malinovsky
April 10 [1914]
From Joseph from Turukhansk 1
10.IV.
Hello Friend!
No. 1 of Rabotnitsy 2 and one No. of Puti Pravdy 3 with your Duma speech received. Thank you, friend, especially for the speech. I salute you all, especially you and Badaev, for your successful speech in the Duma on the question of the press! 4I am glad from the bottom of my heart that your speeches will be discussed at meetings of workers. In my opinion, this is the only correct method of work, which has been so well mastered by the collective of St. Petersburg Marxists. This should be done on every question that concerns the workers. In general, the soul rejoices at the sight of how skillfully, how skillfully the faction and the St. Petersburg collective use all and every legal opportunity. Press organs, political and professional, growing like mushrooms; successful performances by members of the faction and their frequent trips (very necessary and useful); the regular intervention of the St. Petersburg collective in all matters of proletarian actions; growth of Pravda's prestige 5, except for St. Petersburg, still in the provinces; a colossal increase in donations to Pravda, and, along with this, the mournful howl in every sense of the decaying group of liquidators - a picture of magnificent eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!...
I also read your article in Pravda on the tasks of the opposition. Both your behavior (the speech in Pravda and not in Sovremennik 6 ) and the article itself are impeccable. So them, the Shchukin sons from Sovremennik, - beat, friend! ...
One of my St. Petersburg friends writes to me that there are terribly few literary workers in St. Petersburg. If this is true, write - I will tell I. Stalin to write more often. Still help. He has already sent to Prosveshchenie 7 a long article on "cultural-national] autonomy." If he receives the necessary books from Russia (and he will receive them, for he subscribed to them), he will write and send an equally long article (5 feuilletons) for Pravda under the title "On the Foundations of Marxism." There will also be (for Enlightenment) an article on the Organizational Side of the National Question. If necessary, he will write and send to Pravda a popular article on the national question, which is completely accessible to the workers. You just write, order.
Then a request: I have not received Pravda since January. Tell them to send. Maybe at the old address. Issues of Pravda accidentally fall into my hands, and without a newspaper it is very difficult here.
The other day I sent you a letter. You must have received it and scold me. Well scold me if you think I deserved...
Hi Stephanie.
Kisses guys.
Shake your hand.
Joseph.
Tur[Wuhan] region
PS We have "new trends": the new governor transferred me to the far north 8 and confiscated the money received in my name (60 rubles in total). Live brother...
Someone, it turns out, is spreading rumors that I will not stay in exile until the end of my term. Nonsense! I declare to you and I swear by the dog that I will remain in exile until the end of my term (until 1917) 9 . Once I thought about leaving, but now I have abandoned this idea, finally abandoned it. There are many reasons, and if you want, I will someday write in detail about them.
Joseph.
PS I read L. Martov's article on the opposition , 10 where he tries to whitewash the liquidators by casting a shadow on your Bolshevik physiognomy. I swear by the dog, friend, such a juggler and conjurer, such a buffoon and comedian as L. Martov, is difficult to find in all our socialist literature. It is bad, bad business for the liquidators if they have to play the famous hero Gleb Uspensky, a pitiful buffoon and "pyro-hydro-technician" who was engaged in "decapitation of the head and other parts of the body." Needless to say, the answer to L. Martov's article can only be a mockery.
Well, all the best. Joseph].
RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 5394. L. 6-8. Autograph.
Notes:
1 . This letter was found by Petrovsky in his personal archive and sent to Stalin with an accompanying note: “Comrade. Stalin, at the request of Comrade Poskrebyshev, to return the materials and extracts of the Central Committee to the Central Committee, digging through my archive, I found your letter, I consider it my duty to return it to you. I am sending you a similar, apparently coordinated letter from Comrade Sverdlov, Ya. M. G. Petrovsky. 17/VІІІ 39 Moscow” (RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 5394. L. 5).
The letter was sent from the Turukhansk region to St. Petersburg.
2 . "Rabotnitsa" - a legal women's magazine, an organ of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), was published in St. Petersburg from February to June 1914.
3 . Put' Pravdy was one of the titles of the legal Bolshevik newspaper Pravda (since 1917 the Central Organ of the RSDLP(b)) in 1914.
4 . We are talking about the article "For freedom of the press", published in No. 29 of the newspaper "Put' Pravdy" on March 6, 1914. The article was devoted to the speeches of Badaev and Malinovsky about the workers' press at a meeting of the State Duma on March 5, 1914 ("The Way of Truth". No. 29. March 6, 1914).
5 . "True" - See note 3.
6 . Sovremennik is a literary and political journal around which the Menshevik Liquidators, Socialist-Revolutionaries, People's Socialists, and Left Liberals were grouped. Published in St. Petersburg in 1911-1914.
7 . Enlightenment is a theoretical legal journal of the Bolsheviks. Published in St. Petersburg.
8 . We are talking about the transfer of Stalin to the village of Kureika, Yenisei province, Turukhansk region.
9 . Stalin returned to Petersburg from exile in the spring of 1917.
10 . We are talking about Martov's article against the Bolsheviks in March 1914 in No. 3 of the Nasha Zarya magazine.
No. 4
I. V. Stalin - O. E. Alliluyeva
November 25 [1915]
25/XI
For Olga Evgenievna 1
I am very, very grateful to you, dear Olga Evgenievna, for your kind and pure feelings for me. I will never forget your caring attitude towards me! I am waiting for the moment when I will be released from exile and, having arrived in St. Petersburg, I personally thank you, as well as Sergey, for everything. After all, I only have two years left.
I've received the parcel. Thanks to. I ask only one thing - do not spend more on me: you yourself need the money. I will also be pleased if you send open letters from time to time with views of nature and so on. In this accursed land, nature is ugly to the point of ugliness - a river in summer, snow in winter, that's all that nature gives here - and I foolishly yearned for views of nature, even on paper.
My regards guys and girls. I wish them all the best.
I live like before. I feel good. Quite healthy - must be accustomed to the local nature. And our nature is harsh: three weeks ago, the frost reached 45 degrees.
Until the next letter.
Yours, Joseph
RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 55 L. 1-2. Autograph.
Notes:
1 . The letter was written in exile, in the village of Kureika, Yenisei province, Turukhansk region, and sent to St. Petersburg. O. E. Alliluyeva is the wife of a worker, a member of the Bolshevik Party S. Ya. Alliluyev. The youngest daughter of the Alliluyevs, Nadezhda, became Stalin's wife in the spring of 1918.
No. 5
S. Spandaryan, I. V. Stalin - V. I. Lenin
February 27 [1915]
27/II
Hello, dear Vladimir Ilyich! one
Now Joseph is visiting me and I wanted to send you our greetings. How do you live? What are you doing? What is the mood? Write what you can. We want a living word. We will be expecting a letter from you.
Suren
Greetings to Nadezhda Konstantinovna 2 and Grigory 3 , and in general to all friends.
My greetings to you, dear Ilyich, warm, warm greetings! Greetings to Zinoviev, greetings to Nadezhda Konstantinovna! How are you, how is your health? I live as before, I chew bread, I live half the term. It's boring, but there's nothing you can do about it. And how are your affairs? Yours must be more fun... I recently read Kropotkin's articles4 - an old fool, completely out of his mind. I also read Plekhanov's article in Rech 5 - an incorrigible old babbler! Ehma... And what about the liquidators with their deputies, agents of a free economic society? There is no one to beat them, damn me! Do they really go unpunished? Rejoice us and tell us that soon there will be an organ where they will be whipped in the face, yes, in order, but tirelessly 6 .
If you decide to write, write to the following address: Tur[ukhan] region (Yenisei province), Monastyrskoye village, Suren Spandaryan.
Your Koba
Timothy asks to convey his sour greetings to Ged, Samba and Vandervelde in their glorious, hehe, ministerial posts 7 .
RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 53. L. 1-3. Autographs. "Proletarian Revolution". 1936. No. 7. S. 167.
Notes:
1 . The letter was written from Turukhansk exile during the period of Stalin's visit to Spandaryan, who was exiled there, and sent to Switzerland. Stalin had known Spandarian since 1907 through his work in the illegal Bolshevik newspaper Baku Proletary.
2 . Krupskaya.
3 . Zinoviev.
4 . Probably, we are talking about Kropotkin's article "Letters on Contemporary Events", published in the newspaper "Russian Vedomosti" in Nos. 206 and 229 of September 7 (20) and October 5 (15), 1914.
5 . Apparently, this refers to Plekhanov's Open Letter to the Editorial Office of the Rech newspaper, published on October 2 (15), 1914. Rech is the printed organ of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Russia.
6 . On November 1, 1914, in Geneva, after a significant break, No. 33 of the Bolshevik newspaper Sotsial-Demokrat, edited by Lenin, came out. By the time the letter was written, Stalin had not yet received any issues of the newspaper.
7 . European socialists who entered the governments of their countries.
No. 6
V. A. Karpinsky - V. I. Lenin
April 5, 1917
Dear comrades! I am sending you the first proclamation of the SRD printed here; Your ruling.
Yesterday, at a crowded meeting here of all organizations of political emigrants, a resolution was adopted rejecting the plan of our Central Committee; its adoption is made contingent on the agreement of the Synopsis 1 .
The speeches of the speakers were distinguished by comparative] moderation. There was no longer any talk of stigmatization, shame, etc. The duty of the internationalists to defend comrades traveling from slander was recognized. Of course, promises in this spirit from a certain sort of people are not particularly to be believed.
Note that the meeting voted for the plan if the SRH approved it. It was proposed to send Comrade. the Swiss to report the case to the SRD and telegraph a response in a conditional phrase. The trip will take a maximum of a week.
I am sharing this plan. In any case, we emphasize again and again (we even, relying on the consent of Comrade Lenin, discussed this here) that the SRD telegram should be sent through Stockholm before departure with the news that we are going through Germany. Of course, it will not reach, or if it does, there will be no answer. But we won't wait for it. It is important to have a certified document that you applied to the CRS prior to departure 2 .
Today we received a letter from Lunacharsky 3 in which he sets forth Grimm's protest. The Valerian (the dearest half of the couple called the “Forward Group”) 4 runs around the city in a rage and tells everyone that the Bolsheviks are intriguing, that Grimm has nothing to do with the plan, that he protests and exposes the Leninists, and so on. etc. We regret that yesterday at the meeting they did not tell this incident with Grimm in order to find out exactly who was intriguing. But I agreed with you not to talk about it if no one raises this incident.
It is now necessary that you, if possible, immediately notify us of what is the matter. We parted, not really knowing the real reasons for Grimm's "protest". It is clear that the person is unreliable. What he will throw out tomorrow is hard to say. By all means, all negotiations with him must be conducted, as before, with witnesses. It would be great if that Swiss comrade who will take us, on behalf of himself (let him call himself a certain pseudonym for the time being) sent us a piece of paper in two words, saying that the plan for Grimm's departure is technically carried out and the trip will take place in one from the next few days (something of that kind, to stop extremely unpleasant gossip that interferes with business). How to reconcile 1) Grimm's protest and 2) his conversation yesterday with Comrade Zinoviev, confirming his previous agreement. Write in detail.
I couldn't get the news in Petit Parisienne 5 . Perhaps this is a myth. They say that "Humanite" 6 prints - the news of thorough searches and strictness, interrogations, demands for papers, and so on. on the Finnish border. Tried to get this number, couldn't. This hole is Geneva!...
You cannot imagine what a mess is going on here. Only 14 people voted for our trip. Besides the comrades you know, there is one Left Bundist, one Left Bundovka would like to go, one old Vperyodist. Looking forward to more details about the trip.
Personal request. Yesterday, at the meeting, my report about the meeting of group representatives in Zurich, made on the basis of Lunacharsky's report to the four of us, was taken under suspicion. A delegate of the Central Committee for the evacuation of emigrants (Bagotsky is secretary) was here at yesterday's meeting and informed the meeting that this committee knew nothing about the Grimm-Leninists' plan, that the Central Committee had information that nothing would come of this plan, that Grimm had nothing to do with it. does not have, etc. So I ask you, all those who were present at the conversation with Lunacharsky, to write to me personally that Lunacharsky really said what I reported, namely: sign the enclosed letter. (I am very sorry that I am bothering you with this, but it is necessary. It is a pity that I also said about Lunacharsky's personal phrase: it failed. There is such a campaign against us!).
One comrade proposes to start a series of articles in the Swiss [press] press to clarify for the time being the actual impossibility for emigrants to get into Russia (without the slightest hint that Germany is the only way: on the contrary, as if this latter is excluded). Based only on rigorously verified facts. For the first article three: the embassy's telegram, the absence of any [any] answers regarding the return from the SRS, while there was a response to congratulations from the government already on the 5th day (one fact in Geneva), the closure of Nachalo 7 . Let me know how you feel about this. Purpose: to prepare public opinion for the adoption of the pill. Of course, only in the social [ic] press to publish. Give all verified facts and information with the addition of exact data, when, who, where stated, received, etc.
Yesterday I received a telegram from Russia with the following content:
“IN PETROGRAD THE BIG SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER NOVAYA LIFE WILL BE PUBLISHED IN PETROGRAD 8 . PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE, ARTICLES, DISPATCHES. REPLY BY TELEGRAPH TO GORKY AT THE ADDRESS: CHRONICLE, PETROGRAD. (Answer paid). "CHRONICLE" 9 ".
Before answering, I would like to know your opinion. It is clear that in any social[ial-]democratic] newspaper it is now not very possible to cooperate. Somewhere the news flashed that Gorky had either been appointed, or was about to be appointed minister of the arts. Shouldn't we first roll out an article against the Provisional Government, in general an article clearly formulating our point of view, and ask to be telegraphed whether it has been adopted? Or vice versa, until the nature of the newspaper is clarified, to correspond from abroad about the sabotage of the truth about the Russian revolution, about the attitude of the proletariat, the bourgeoisie, etc. towards it? Write as you think, as soon as possible.
Take all measures to ensure that all conversations with Grimm and other comrades and persons about the departure must be conducted in the presence of witnesses and best of all recorded. My impression is that none of them can be relied upon. Treason can [be] from anywhere, and we run the risk of remaining in the most ridiculous and ugly position, in a shameful position - we started an intrigue and were exposed.
It would be good to stock up, if possible, with formal data, documentary data and proof that the way through Germany is the only one. Take care of the telegram from the embassy. It would be good to verify and establish what Lunacharsky reported about the words of the French [comrade] minister in response to a request for departure (who went, when, who was at the same time, which minister, etc.), and about White’s words (to whom he spoke or wrote where, when, with whom, etc.) 10 .
Finally, the departing comrades are asked to report the hour of departure at least and, if possible, a day in advance .
It seems that's all for now. Yes, tomorrow in Lausanne there will be a congress of representatives of organizations from all cities on the issue of departure. It is necessary that you respond immediately by express, at least about the main thing: about Grimm (to what is written above). Our delegate should be able to explain what's going on. He should have, if possible, our formal categorical statement by a competent person, institution, that the departure is a matter finally decided and at the stage of practical implementation. It may be necessary to talk about it by phone or let us know the address of the congress so that we can send a letter there directly.
5.IV. 191712
RTSKHIDNI. F. 2. On. 5. D. 747. L. 1-2. Typewritten text. Photocopy.
Notes:
one. On March 6 (19), 1917, at a private meeting of representatives of Russian emigrant party centers in Bern (Switzerland), the question was raised about possible ways for the return of Russian political emigration to Russia. In the international military control lists of the Entente countries, most of the socialists - opponents of the war were listed as not being allowed to pass through the borders. As one of the options for returning, Martov put forward, and Lenin supported the project of exchanging Russian emigrants from Switzerland for Austro-German civilian prisoners interned in Russia. It was entrusted to the Swiss socialist, federal adviser Grimm, to find out the attitude of the German government to this plan. Citing neutrality, the Swiss government, according to Grimm, refused to mediate emigrants. Representatives of the German authorities in Bern agreed. As a result of the negotiations in Zurich, a new meeting of representatives of the party centers was held with the participation of Lenin. The latter insisted on the route through Germany as the only possible one. The author of the project, Martov, stated the need to obtain consent to travel from the Provisional Government or the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. Referring to the riskiness of the action without the sanction of the Russian competent institution, Grimm supported him. Opinions were divided. On March 18 (31), 1917, signed by Lenin and Zinoviev, a special resolution of the Foreign Collegium of the Central Committee of the RSDLP was adopted from 6 points, drawn up as a decision in response to Grimm's proposal (Lenin V. I. PSS. T. 31. P. 83 -84). The decision stated that the entire risk of the action was covered by the authority of the latter. Grimm in a sharp letter rejected this statement of the Collegium Abroad (Letter to A.V. Lunacharsky to the group "Forward" // Literary heritage. V. I. Lenin and A. V. Lunacharsky. Correspondence. Reports. The documents. M., 1971. S. 638-641). Lenin, declaring that it was impossible to delay the departure, authorized the secretary of the Swiss Social Democratic Party, Fr. Platten to complete negotiations with the German government as soon as possible. Lenin's position was criticized at several meetings of the Central Emigrant Committee (Bagotsky was the secretary of the Executive Council of this committee).
2 . On March 23 (April 5), 1917, the Executive Commission of the Central Emigrant Committee addressed the Russian Minister of Justice Kerensky and the Soviet of Workers' Deputies with a telegram requesting consent to travel through Germany. On the same day, a group of socialists (Akselrod, Astrov, Lunacharsky, Martov, and others) sent a telegram to the Soviet in Petrograd (addressed to Chkheidze, Gorky, Korolenko, and Kerensky), in which they supported the plan of the emigre committee.
3 . Obviously, we are talking about Lunacharsky’s letter “Forward to the group” dated March 21 (April 3), 1917, outlining the plan of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) on the way to move to Russia, Grimm’s protest, Lenin’s reaction to these events (Ibid. S. 638-642).
4 . The Vperyod group is a social democratic group that emerged after the revolution of 1905-1907. Among its participants are Bogdanov, Aleksinsky, Menzhinsky, Pokrovsky, Bazarov and others.
5 . The Petit Parisien is a daily French newspaper, Paris, 1876-1944.
6 . L'Humanite is a newspaper founded by Jaurès in 1904 as the organ of the French Socialist Party. During the First World War, the newspaper was in the hands of the right wing of the party.
7 . "Nachalo" - the newspaper of the RSDLP (Mensheviks), Paris, 1916-1917.
8. "New Life" ("Free Life") - a newspaper of a group of Menshevik internationalists and writers, from the circle of authors of the journal "Letopis", Petrograd - Moscow, 1917-1918.
9 . Chronicle is a literary, scientific and political journal founded by Gorky. Petrograd, 1915 - 1917
10 . Obviously, we are talking about responses to official requests from socialist emigrants (opponents of the war) by representatives of the French and British governments about the possibility of returning to Russia through the territory of their countries.
11 . Without waiting for the end of the negotiations, on March 27 (April 9), 1917, a group of emigrants led by Lenin and Zinoviev left for Russia through Germany and Sweden. All the conditions and circumstances of the departure were recorded and communicated to the representatives of the "Zimmerwald Left" Germany, France, Poland and Switzerland. On behalf of the Zimmerwalders and signed by them, a document was drawn up for the press, in which it was reported that the European socialists were aware of all the nuances of the state of negotiations on the possibility of the departure of Russian internationalists to Russia, as well as the reasons for choosing the route of this departure through Germany and Sweden. This report was published in the Swedish Left Social Democrat newspaper Politiken on April 15, 1917.
12 . At the end of the letter there is a note: "Letter to Lenin."