V. I.

Lenin

106

To:   HIS MOTHER

May 5, 1900

Your letter of the 2nd with Manyasha’s postscript, I received only today, Mother dearest. I do not know why
the letter was delayed (you expected me to receive it on
the 3rd or not later than the 4th); it is postmarked “Mail
train 2nd” and “Pskov 4th”, so there does not seem to have
been any real delay; the letter arrived in Pskov on the 4th
and was delivered this morning. A letter is not likely to
reach me as quickly from Podolsk as from Moscow.

There is no need for you to worry about me, Mother dearest. My health is much better, I gave up taking the mineral
water a long time ago and have never felt any desire or need
to return to it. Yesterday I received a certificate from the
local Chief of Police to the effect that he has no objection
to my making a journey abroad; today I paid the stamp duty (ten rubles) and in two hours’ time I shall receive my
passport. And so I shall be moving to warmer parts in summer; I cannot leave here immediately because there are
some matters I must settle with editors and with certain
publishers of translations and also wind up some financial
affairs (I hope, by the way, to get a few coppers from
Filippov; if I get none, either from him or Popova, I will
write and ask you to send me something). I must, moreover,
wait here for an answer to my request to the Department
for permission to live in Ufa for six weeks on account of
my wife’s illness. I submitted the request on April 20 and
there should be an answer in about a week. I shall definitely
visit Nadya, but I still do not know whether I shall be able
to live with her for six weeks or whether (which is the more
probable) I shall have to make do with a shorter period.
In any case the receipt of the passport (I have to receive it here in Pskov, my last place of residence) does not restrict
me because the law says that I may go abroad any time within three months on a passport issued in the interior
gubernias, so that I shall not be late even if I leave Russia
on August 5. I am therefore leaving here between the 15th
and the 20th, as I wrote you before; I shall try to leave
earlier, of course. Please write and tell me what to do with
my things; shall I leave them in Moscow (is Mark there and
what is his address? will he be in Moscow long? does he visit
you often?) or bring them straight to Podolsk (I don’t know
if that will be convenient; I suppose I shall have to take
everything with me, including books), and I should like
Manyasha to write me in detail how to find you in Podolsk.

I embrace you and send regards to all.

Yours,

V. U.

I shall be seeing you soon!

Nadya writes that her health is improving.

I have just received my passport from the Chancellory of the Governor and have enquired about my request to go
to Ufa; now it turns out that I have been refused! That is
something I certainly did not expect and am now quite at a loss what to do!

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