V. I.

Lenin

Coded

Personal from Lenin to Maria Petrovna

Dear Comrade, I was extremely glad to learn from our mutual friends
(particularly from Zver —I don’t know whether you knew her by the same nickname) that you are alive and have
taken up a political stand in solidarity with us. We were
acquainted and saw each other so long ago (at Samara in
1892–93) that it would be difficult for us to renew our
friendship without the help of new friends. And I should very
much like to renew it. For this purpose I am sending you,
taking advantage of the address I have, a detailed letter
about our affairs, and earnestly ask you to reply personally
and as soon as you can. It is quite impossible to work together unless there is regular correspondence, but up to
now Saratov has been in the habit of keeping a stubborn
silence for months at a time. Please see that all this is changed
now, and begin to write us yourself as circumstantially
as possible. Without detailed letters from you personally it
will be impossible to get a clear picture either of your
personal activity in the cause or of Saratov conditions in
general. Please make yourself spend 2 or 3 hours a week
on this.

I send you very best greetings and good wishes.

Lenin