V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:LS/v13;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

V. I. LENIN — G. L. SHKLOVSKY
IN BERNE*

[October 14, 1910, Paris]

Dear Comrade,

Many thanks for your letter and the news about Plekhanov’s agitation.¹ We now extremely, extremely value all such reports, which enable us to judge accurately the mood of the Social-Democrats abroad. I am also thinking of going to Switzerland to give a lecture (Geneva, Lausanne, Berne, Zurich).² I don’t know whether the trip will pay its way.

As regards a bloc with Plekhanov, in my opinion you are quite right that we should be for a bloc. Since 1909 I have been wholly in favour of rapprochement with the Plekhanovites. And now even more so. Only with the Plekhanovites can and must we build the party—it is high time to wash our hands of the Vperyodists and the Golosites. It is a mistake to think that the Plekhanovites are weak, “cipher” (as is sometimes said), and so forth. That is an impression gained abroad. I am profoundly convinced that in Russia the majority of the workers are nine-tenths Plekhanovites. The whole history of Menshevism during the revolution is a guarantee that Plekhanovism is the best product (and therefore the most viable) of the proletarian trend among the Mensheviks.

Plekhanov and I spoke in Copenhagen about publishing a popular newspaper. It is essential (Trotsky has clearly turned to the liquidators, to supporting the Golosites, to wrecking the party bloc of the Bolsheviks and the Plekhanovites). Plekhanov and I are fully agreed that nothing can be done with Trotsky. We shall either set up a popular newspaper attached to the Central Organ, or separately from the group of Bolsheviks. Plekhanov promised to collaborate. Money will be needed—we have a very small amount. I count on all kinds of assistance from you.

We are struggling to set up a magazine in Russia (à la Vozrozhdeniye³ and Zhizn⁴). There is no contact, no secretary, no one through whom to arrange it—all our people are failing. A calamity! But the magazine is essential.

I shake your hand,

Yours,
Lenin