V. I.

Lenin

45

To:   F. V. LENGNIK [2]

December 27

We have received the letter about the coup d’état [1] and are replying at once. We
are astounded that Zarin could allow such a scandal! There you have the fruits
of his mistake in not joining the Committee!—a step we were insisting on
long ago. We shall not publish anything about the statement for the time being,
for we have received neither the statement nor the letter against it. Commence
hostilities by all means, make Zarin join, drew up a minute of the break (or
the number of votes pro and contra ), and issue a local leaflet
on the causes of the split (or divergence). There is no sense in publishing the
statement without such official documents about each of your steps. Be sure to
put on record each step of the Rabocheye Dyelo supporters and of yours
against them, and do not yield one iota. They must be shown up as being against
the Organising Committee, whilst you are for it. It is on the basis of
recognition (or non-recognition) of the Organising Committee that decisive
battle should promptly be given everywhere ; convey this most
insistently to Zarin and his immediate Genossen .

And so, let Zarin display redoubled energy and fight for Kiev—that is his
prime duty.

The literature is in Russia and should soon be in your hands. You must
send not less than two poods to our people in St. Petersburg, without fail .

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Notes:
[1]
This refers to the capture of the Kiev Committee by the Economists,
supporters of Rabocheye Dyelo .— Ed .

[2]
Lengnik, Friedrich Wilhelmovich (1873-1936)—a professional
revolutionary, Bolshevik, joined the Social-Democratic movement in 1893. In
1896 was arrested in connection with the activities of the St. Petersburg
League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class and exiled to
Eastern Siberia. On his return from exile joined the Iskra
organisation; at the Pskov meeting of the Organising Committee for
convening the Second Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. (November 1902) was elected
a member of the O.C. At the Congress was elected, in his absence, to the
Central Committee and Council of the Party. In 1903-04 took an active part
in the fight against the Mensheviks abroad.