Stalin to Ordzhonikidzy

Bolshevik leadership Correspondence. 1912-1927
Collection of documents 1996.
Compiled by: A.V.Kvashonkin, L.P.Kosheleva, L.A.Rogovaya, O.V.Khlevnyuk.

Stalin Correspondences

I. V. Stalin - G. K. Ordzhonikidze

September 23, 1927

23/IX-27.

*HELLO SERGO! HELLO ZINA!

For a whole week I've been going to write to you, but nothing came of it, because I was very busy with work and did not improve my free time (Rykov and Molotov in the Crimea, Bukharin recently returned, but fled to the Crimea again and not today - he will return tomorrow, Rudzutak fell ill - as a result, the work of others fell on me, at least in part). Despite this, your letter today (received today) prompted and brought me * out of my stupor, in view of which I decided to spit on "everything" and answer with a letter.

*1) Regarding rationalization, you are right from beginning to end. We will certainly need a business trip from here for engineers and workers in general to America and Germany*. To skimp on this business is sinful and criminal. *If you draw Alyosha into this matter*, at least in the sense of literary help, *you will do very well*. First of all, we need literary help - otherwise you will not shake people up; first of all, we must explain (systematically explain) in the press the essence, nature, forms, benefits of rationalization, so that we can count on the support of the workers and then the masses. Without this, nothing will come of it.

2) The opposition not only did not calm down, but, on the contrary, intensified its factional work. As recently as two weeks ago, she concocted an entire pamphlet (“the platform of the Bolsheviks-Leninists,” as they call it), demanded that it be printed (it was September 3rd) and that discussion be opened immediately. This is, in fact, a new program for a new party. We refused and banned its distribution until the consideration of this issue by the next plenum. The “Platform” and the response of the Political Bureau and the Presidium of the Central Control Commission were sent to all members of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission 1. However, the opposition distributes it illegally... . On September 12, the GPU was looking for military conspirators and came across a certain Shcherbakov (non-party, the son of a manufacturer), who turned out to have an illegal opposition printing house (Mrachkovsky and other oppositionists were directly involved). Some of the small (unknown to anyone or little known) oppositionists were searched, and non-party (intellectuals) were arrested. Two days later we received a brazen letter from Preobrazhensky, Serebryakov, and Sharov, in which they admit that they are "organizers of a printing house" and "demand the release of those arrested" (only non-Party people were arrested) 2 . It turned out something like "Myasnikov's group" or "Working Truth" 3 . On behalf of the PB and the Presidium of the Central Control Commission, we issued a "notice on the disclosure of illegal typ[ography] of the Trotskyites"4 and decided to expel from the party “all oppositional trifles” connected with the printing house, postponing for the time being the question of Preobrazhensky and the other two ... 5 That's how things are with us. And this case has not yet been reflected in the newspapers. What do you say to that?

3) When will you arrive? It would be nice if you could get rid of your appendix.

4) I am sending you a minimum of materials on the intra-Party struggle.

Get well as soon as possible.

Hi Alyosha.

Your Koba.

23/IX-27.

RTSKHIDNI. F. 558. On. 1. D. 3345. L. 1-3. Autograph.

Notes:

On September 8, 1927, at a joint meeting of the Politburo and the Presidium of the Central Control Commission of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, it was decided to send out the platform of the opposition and the resolution of the Politburo and the Presidium of the Central Control Commission regarding this platform to all members and candidates of the Central Committee and the Central Control Commission "under a personal receipt with the obligation to deal with these documents along with the cipher and return to the Secretariat of the Central Committee within a week after receiving them ”(RTsKhIDNI. F. 17. Op. 3. D. 650. L. 1).

On September 19, 1927, the Politburo submitted the application of Preobrazhensky, Serebryakov and Sharov for consideration to the Central Control Commission (Ibid. D. 652. L. 6).

3 See Document No. 175.

4 The draft notice on the disclosure of the “illegal anti-Party printing press of the Trotskyist opposition” was approved by the Politburo on September 22, 1927 (Ibid., L. 1).

On October 13, 1927, the Politburo approved the decision of the Presidium of the Central Control Commission on the expulsion from the CPSU(b) of Preobrazhensky, Serebryakov and Sharov (Ibid. D. 655. L. 7, 42).

* Text enclosed in asterisks is in Georgian. Translation by I. Kvaratskhelia.