V. I. Lenin

An Unfinished Autobiography {2}

Comrades! The Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’
Deputies has transmitted to me your letter of April 24, 1917. In it you ask
about my origin, where I had been, whether I had been exiled and what
for. In what manner I returned to Russia and what is my activity at the
present time, i.e., whether it (this activity) is doing you good or harm.

Ireply to all these questions, except the last one, because it is for
you to judge whether or not my activity is doing you any good.

Myname is Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov.

Iwas born in Simbirsk on April 10, 1870. In the spring of 1887, my
elder brother Alexander was executed by Alexander III for an attempt on his
life (March 1, 1887). In December 1887, I was arrested for the first time
and expelled from Kazan University for students’ disturbances; I was then
banished from Kazan.

In December 1895, I was arrested for the second time for
Social-Democratic propaganda among the workers of
St. Petersburg.... {1}

---
Notes:
{1}
Here the MS. breaks off.— Ed .

{2}
This is an unfinished reply to the letter of the soldiers’ committee of
the 8th Horse Artillery Battery (army in the field) sent to the Petrograd
Soviet. It was dated April 24 (May 7), 1917, that is, the period when the
bourgeois and after it the petty-bourgeois press started a slander campaign against Lenin and the other members of the
Bolshevik Party who had returned to Russia from Switzerland via Germany.

Thesoldiers’ letter said: “In view of the fact that there is much
friction over Lenin among the soldiers of the battery, please let us have
the earliest possible reply. What is his origin? Where had he been? If he
had been in exile, what for? How did he return to Russia and what is he
doing at present, that is, are his acts doing us good or harm? In short, we
should like to be convinced by your letter, so as to stop our arguments,
lose no more time and be able to prove our point to other comrades as
well” ( Pravda No. 86 of April 16, 1927).

Theletter was passed on to Lenin.

p. 430