V. I.

Lenin

133

To:   HIS MOTHER

September 1, 1901

Mother dearest, We recently received your letter to Nadya with a letter
from Manyasha enclosed. It was very sad to learn that our
people’s affairs are in such a sorry state! I just don’t know
what to advise, my dear. Please don’t worry too much—the
prosecutor’s office is probably making so much trouble by way of a last attempt to work up a “case” out of nothing,
and when these attempts fail they will have to grant a release. It might help to go to St. Petersburg, if your health
permits, and complain of something so unheard of as no interrogation for six months. That constitutes such a
definite and obvious illegal act that it is the best thing to
submit a complaint about it. In any case, Petersburg would send an inquiry to Moscow and cause the
latter to abandon a little of its provincial high-handedness
(that was what happened when Mitya was arrested). That is the argument in favour of a trip to St. Petersburg. There
is, of course, also an argument against it—the outcome is
doubtful and it will cause you a great deal of anxiety. You are in the best position to decide whether it is
worth while undertaking anything of the sort, and you have
probably discussed it with acquaintances. You should also
complain of the refusal to allow Mitya to see
Manyasha, [1] because that is something very much out of the ordinary.

As far as concerns Anyuta, I shall not, of course, write
to her about what you have told me, so as not to upset her
too much. I hope I shall soon—perhaps in a few weeks—be
seeing her and will try to reassure her a little.

When you have some spare time, my dear, please write and tell me how you are keeping, whether you are quite
well and what you are thinking of doing in the autumn.
Are you moving to Moscow or will you remain in Podolsk for the time being? When is M.V.
leaving? [2] When you see Manyasha and Mark again, give them best regards from
all of us. Now summer has passed—summer is the worst time to be in prison—and after the interrogation they
will probably realise a little more clearly how trivial the
whole affair is.

I embrace you again and again, my dear, and wish you good health and vigour. You remember, when I was locked
up, you imagined the case to be more serious and dangerous
than it was, and, of course, Manyasha’s and Mark’s case
bears no comparison with mine! They are probably being held a long time, partly because so many people have been
arrested and the case has not yet been properly sorted out—
anything so absurd would, of course, be impossible in St.
Petersburg.

I again kiss you, Yours,

V. Ul

Life here goes on as usual; Yelizaveta Vasilyevna is rather
poorly, there is influenza about again. Nadya seems to be
quite at home by now and is used to this way of life.

---
Notes:
[1]
The visit was not permitted on the ground that Dmitry Ulyanov
had shortly before been arraigned on a political charge.

[2]
This refers to M. V. Zvorykina, a school friend of Maria
Ulyanova’s. She had at one time stayed with Lenin’s mother in
Podolsk.