V. I.

Lenin

488

To:   G. Y. ZINOVIEV

23/XII.

Comrade Zinoviev, Your letter of 20/XII received.

About Petrograd, arrange everything with Trotsky. It is
evidently necessary to preserve and restore all defence
installations (I hear they are already stealing barbed wire,
etc.), and to devise a system of weekly mobilisations (
either “alerts” or musters ), in order to keep Petrograd in a
state of preparedness. This must be carefully thought out.

Food supply is at a complete standstill because of transport. Repairs to locomotives and trucks!!

About shale, it is splendid that you have already started. But I was surprised at your writing about the
transport of shale. Shale does not stand transport (unless it is
for gas: shale is said to yield more gas than coal does), and
electricity should be laid on locally and a distillation plant
set up on the spot to obtain oil from shale. That is what I
have been told here. And I thought that Petrograd with all
its resources could cope both with the task of electrification
and of distillation.

Greetings, Lenin

N.B. Cannot blockhouses be erected for the defence of
Petrograd? I am sending you and Trotsky a report on this
subject.

Why are there not more sleigh-cars? There are said to be
over 100 tracks?

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