V. I. Lenin

Source: en:CW/CW45; ru:PSS/v52; ru:LS/v20;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

TO KAMENEV AND STALIN

I request you to pay attention to Dzerzhinsky’s reports on Siberia. The danger that our people will be unable to get on with the Siberian peasants is extremely great and grave. Chutskayev, for all his good qualities, is undoubtedly weak, and is quite unfamiliar with military affairs; at the slightest aggravation of the situation a catastrophe may threaten there. I think that the question of sending Iv. N. Smirnov to Siberia not later than the beginning of the summer must be discussed.

He will, of course, offer extremely strong resistance, but if no other candidate is found who knows both Siberia and military affairs and is capable of not losing his head in a difficult situation, I think it will be absolutely inevitable to send Smirnov. 147

March 9, 1921.  
Lenin