V. I.

Lenin

128

To:   HIS SISTER MARIA [2]

May 19, 1901

I have decided to write you a few lines, dear Manyasha,
or you will be thinking I have turned into a real pig. I have
been forgetting my obligations surprisingly often since I
have been here. It is true that now Nadya and Y.V. have
arrived we are much more comfortable; we have our own apartment and I am beginning to work more regularly, but
there is still more than enough bother.

How are you? I hope you have got yourself into a more correct regime for that is so important in solitary confinement.
I have just written a letter to Mark in which I described in
exceptional detail how best to establish a “regime”; as
regards mental work, I particularly recommended translations, especially both ways —first do a written translation
from the foreign language into Russian, then translate it back from Russian into the foreign language. My own
experience has taught me that this is the most rational
way of learning a language. On the physical side I have
strongly recommended him, and I repeat it to you, to do
gymnastics every day and rub himself down with a wet towel. In solitary confinement this is absolutely essential.
I saw from one of your letters that Mother sent on to me
that you have found some ways of employing your time.
I hope this will enable you to forget, even if only occasionally, your surroundings, and that the passage of time (which
usually passes quickly in prison unless conditions are particularly bad) will be even less noticeable. I also advise
you to arrange your work on the books you have in such a way as to vary it; I remember quite well that a change of reading or work—from translation to reading, from
writing to gymnastics, from serious reading to fiction—helps
a great deal. Sometimes a change of mood for the worse—
one’s mood changes so easily in prison—is due simply to
fatigue from monotonous impressions or monotonous work,
and a change of occupation is often enough to bring one
back to normal and calm one’s nerves. I remember that after dinner, for recreation in the evening, I read fiction
regelmässig , [1] and never enjoyed it anywhere as much as
I did in prison. The main thing is never to forget the obligatory daily gymnastics. Force yourself to go through
several dozen (no allowances!) movements of all kinds!
This is very important. Well, good-bye for now. Many kisses; I wish you good health and vigour.

Yours,

Vlad. Ulyanov