To Moscow. To Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova.

Bakhmetyevskaya Street, Sharonov House.

Russia. Moscow
26/XII. 00.

Dear Mama! You will probably receive this letter shortly before the holidays. My congratulations and wishes that you spend them more cheerfully: perhaps Mitya will come at this time and you will gather together — at least those of you who are in Russia. Anya and I thought of getting together too, but it did not work out. Here it is already Weihnachten* — everywhere Christbaume,** in the streets these days there was unusual liveliness. I went to Vienna a few days ago and enjoyed the ride after several weeks of confinement205. But only an unpleasant winter — without snow. In essence, there is not even a winter at all, but rather some wretched autumn, dampness everywhere. It is good that it is not cold, and I manage perfectly well without a winter coat, but it is unpleasant somehow without snow. The slush becomes tiresome and you recall with pleasure a real Russian winter, sleigh roads, frosty clean air. I am spending my first winter abroad, the first winter that is not at all like a winter, and I cannot say that I am very satisfied, although occasionally there are magnificent days like those we have in our good late autumn.

I live as before, rather alone and..., unfortunately, rather chaotically. I hope to arrange my studies more systematically, but somehow it does not work out. Well, from spring onwards it will certainly go differently, and I will get "into the groove." After wandering about Russia and Europe following my Shushenskoye confinement, I am now longing again for peaceful scholarly work, and only the unfamiliarity of my foreign surroundings prevents me from getting down to it properly.

Are you quite well, my dear? Are you missing Anyuta very much? How is Manya's affair progressing? By the way, I forgot to tell her that I received the Pushkin — thank you very much, and I also received her letter of 6. XII. I have not replied until now because a trip prevented it, and then I was very busy.

I embrace you firmly, my dear, and send warmest greetings to all our people.

Your V. U.

Sent from Munich

First published in 1929 "Proletarskaya Revolyutsiya" No. 11

Printed from the manuscript