V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v47;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

Pass this on to Gusev from Lenin personally.

4. IV. 05.

Dear Friend, You wrote yourself that surveillance has begun on you. Moreover, I have gathered here information from Petersburgers recently arrived from the scene of action, which fully confirms this fact. There can be no doubt about it.

From my own experience and that of many comrades, I know that one of the hardest things for a revolutionary is precisely to leave a dangerous place in time. Always, just when it becomes necessary to abandon work in a given place, it becomes especially interesting and especially needed: always, absolutely always it seems so to the person working. Therefore I consider it my duty to demand of you in the most insistent manner that you leave Petersburg for a time. This is absolutely necessary.

No excuses, no considerations of the cause should delay this step. The harm from an inevitable arrest would be enormous. The harm from departure is negligible and apparent: put young assistants forward for a time, a month or two, to fill the higher posts, and rest assured that despite a very brief loss to the cause, on the whole and in general the cause will gain tremendously. The youth will learn through more responsible work; we will soon correct their possible mistakes. Meanwhile, an arrest will ruin our most important chances for setting up central work. Once again: I insistently advise you to leave immediately for the provinces for a month. There is plenty of work everywhere, and general direction is needed everywhere. If you want to (and you must want to), departure can always be arranged.

I am not writing about the agreement of 12. III. 05. There is no point in quarrelling. Evidently, it could not be done otherwise.

The question now is to energetically prepare the congress and increase the number of delegates. As for money, do not get carried away and take care of it: it will be even more needed after the congress.