V. I.

Lenin

171

To:   HIS SISTER ANNA

November 8, 1908

Dear Anyuta, Today I received postcards from you and Mother with
the new address. Did you get my letter addressed to
Presnya, 44,4? I am afraid to send a big manuscript to your
private address or any other except that of some publisher .
If you can find me such an address, I will send the manuscript immediately . In the meantime I shall await an answer
to this letter. Incidentally, if the censor turns out to be
very strict the word “ popovshchina ” can everywhere be
changed to “fideism” with a footnote to explain it ( Fideism
is a doctrine which substitutes faith for knowledge, or
which generally attaches significance to faith). [1] This is
for emergencies—it is to explain the nature of the concessions I am making.

All the best, many kisses for Mother.

Yours,

V. Ulyanov

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Notes:
[1]
In the first edition of Lenin’s Materialism and Empirio-criticism. Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy the word “fideism”
was used instead of popovshchina , a derogatory Russian term
for “clericalism”, although “popovshchina” remained unchanged
in a number of places. Lenin also suggested changing the word
to “Shamanism”; his sister Anna, in a letter dated January 27,
1909, replied by saying, “’Shamanism’ has come too late. Anyway,
is it any better?” The explanatory note was given in the Preface