V. I.

Lenin

1910

200

To:   HIS SISTER MARIA

Her Excellency Maria Ilyinichna Ulyanova, Davydov’s House, Apt. 4, Bozheninsky Street, Devichye Polye, Moscow, Russia

January 2, 1910

Dear Manyasha, Today I received Mother’s letter (to Nadya and me)
with your postscript. I am very, very glad that you have
made quite good arrangements and that Mother is pleased
that there is no housekeeping for her to do. Let us hope
that the end of winter will not disappoint us. Up to now
the winter here has been more like spring than winter.
Today, for instance, has been a real spring day, sunny,
dry and warm, and Nadya and I took advantage of it for a
wonderful morning excursion to the Bois de Boulogne. In
general we have made good use of the holidays—we have been to museums, the theatre and the Musée Grévin , [2]
which gave us much pleasure. This evening I intend to go
to an estaminet to listen to a “ goguette révolutionnaire ” [1] by “songsters” (an unhappy translation of chansonniers ),
I am sorry I did not make use of my jawing with Frenchmen
in summer to study French pronunciation systematically —
now that I have got some books on phonetics I can see how
weak I am.

Please read the enclosed letter and pass it on to Fyodor
Odessky—he did not give me any other address. You ought
to read the letter to know what I want. I have received
the Moscow City Statistics, for which I am grateful. Please
send me the three issues of Moscow City Statistics on the
elections to the First, Second and Third Dumas. I have also received a letter about statistics from Ryazan—it
is splendid that I shall probably be getting help from many
people.

All the best, do not run around so much, rest more and keep well. Regards to Mitya. I embrace and kiss Mother.
Happy New Year !

Yours,

V. U.

---
Notes:
[1]
A revolutionary entertainment (Fr.).— Ed .

[2]
Musée Grévin —a waxworks containing the very lifelike and
authentically dressed effigies of historical personages.