Date: 1922-04-07
Source: ru:LS/v35

LENIN COLLECTION
The state was sustained by a moderate, unassuming middle ground (aurea mediocritas), by meticulous bookkeeping, by the absence of extremes, by the punctuality prescribed in military regulations (Genauigkeit im Exerzierreglement), by a certain homegrown vulgarity, and by the “church ordinance” (Kirchenverordnung).
It’s disgusting (это отврати тельно).
LETTERS TO G. K. ORDJONIKIDZE

April 7, 1922
Comrade Sergo! After speaking with Belenky about the topic of our conversation yesterday, please jot down a few words for me—just enough to let me know that we’ve reached a full understanding and that there will be no “misunderstandings.”
My nerves are still sore, and the headaches persist. To truly put treatment into practice, one must make rest truly restful.
Given how busy you are, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to personally carry out what we discussed yesterday—and frankly, it wouldn’t be rational for you to take on such a task yourself. Instead, find someone who is both diligent and attentive to detail, and entrust the work to them (and, incidentally, it will be far more pleasant for me to reprimand *them* rather than you).
Around May 7, I’ll be expecting to receive from you a detailed map and comprehensive information about a suitable location—or perhaps several suitable locations—along with data on elevation above sea level, degree of isolation, and so forth; also, descriptions of these places and of the counties or gubernias where they are situated.
To be frank, I harbor an extraordinary amount of distrust toward the “peripheries”; indeed, it is precisely this distrust—and my frayed nerves—that lead me to fear that, instead of effective treatment, we may end up with nothing more than some kind of “anecdote.” Even here, just outside Moscow, I’ve seen how, after a flurry of promises, all that remained were “anecdotes,” leaving us with only one option: to depart from the designated spot back to Moscow and wait there until the “anecdotes” were finally resolved. But from near Tiflis or from near Novorossiysk, there’s no way to simply “return to Moscow.” To be honest, I’m wary of further travel: I fear that, instead of soothing my nerves, we might only end up with exhaustion, trivialities, endless hustle and bustle, and petty quarrels—rather than any real relief.

1922
Find someone who pays close attention to the smallest details and ask them to proceed with even greater care.
Yours, Lenin
P.S. Don’t forget to double-check the cipher with Stalin at the Central Committee. Also, consider appointing a secretary specifically tasked with decoding messages and handling minor “written” assignments.
2.4 8Ö
April 17, 1922 – Comrade Sergo! I’m sending you a few more brief notes.
These have been provided to me by a doctor who has personally visited the site and enjoys complete trust: Abastumani, he says, is entirely unsuitable—after all, it resembles a “tomb,” a narrow, sunken basin; it’s utterly unfit for nervous patients; there are no proper walking paths—aside from steep, treacherous slopes, and Nadezhda Konstantinovna simply cannot afford to climb such terrain. Borjomi, on the other hand, is highly suitable, as it offers flat, easy walking trails—something absolutely essential for Nadezhda Konstantinovna.
Moreover, Borjomi boasts an ideal elevation, whereas Abastumani lies at an excessively high altitude, exceeding 1,000 meters. That’s simply not advisable. Our doctor especially cautions against traveling too early—after all, cold weather and heavy rains are likely to persist well into mid-June. As for the latter concern, I’m not quite as worried, provided the house is properly insulated and heated; under those conditions, cold and rain pose little real threat.
Best regards. Yours, Lenin
P.S. Of course, individual homes situated at appropriate altitudes can prove perfectly suitable in a wide variety of locations.
'i2 ‘203
RESOLUTION BASED ON AN EXCERPT FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES*
April 7, 1922
I request that you procure this issue of The Times for me, once it arrives.
Lenin
*
The dispatch received from Hanover included an excerpt from a report published in The New York Times titled “What About Lenin?”: Dr. Klemperer, a renowned specialist who had been summoned to Moscow for consultation and has now returned, told his colleagues: “Lenin is a man of robust physical constitution, a tireless worker…”