V. I.

Lenin

To the Gubernia Executive Committee, Penza
A copy for Yevgenia Bogdanovna Bosch

Your telegram received. [1] Essential to organise a reinforced guard of selected and reliable people, to carry out
a campaign of ruthless mass terror against the kulaks, priests and whiteguards; suspects to be shut up in a
detention camp outside the city. Get the office working. [2]
Telegraph fulfilment.

Lenin
Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars

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Notes:
[1]
A reference to the report of the chairman of the Penza Gubernia
Party Committee, Yevgenia Bosch, on the state of affairs in the
gubernia.

On August 5, 1918, a kulak revolt broke out in Kuchkino
Volost, of Penza Uyezd, and soon spread to neighbouring volosts.
By means of deceit and coercion, the kulaks managed to recruit
many middle and even poor peasants. It was stamped out in Penza
Uyezd on August 8, but the situation in the gubernia remained
tense. A Left S.R. revolt started in the uyezd centre of Chembar
on the night of August 18. The Penza leaders did not take
sufficiently vigorous action to suppress the counter-revolutionary revolts.
Lenin sent several telegrams to Penza demanding resolute measures
in fighting the kulaks.

[2]
A reference to the Board for the Issue of State Papers which
printed banknotes and stamps. It was evacuated from Petrograd to
Penza.