Text by F.A.Sergeyev

Tov. Lenin

Don't pull the strings too tightly, Lev Borisovich's attempt1* to impose Antonov on us by all means will cause a conflict like never before; the Ukrainian CEKA, the Government, the Party, the masses, the command staff, as well as you and the chief commander2* are against Antonov, but Lev Borisovich is stubborn; there is only one way out - to remove Antonov, if you don't remove him, he will be removed without you, then bring us to the Party court. Yesterday's joint meeting of the CEK and the government decided to demand once again, clearly for the last time, his removal1.

From the CECA of Ukraine, the provisional government, on behalf of Artem.

We are waiting at the apparatus for a reply.

Lenin's text

Kharkov. Artem

I will inquire again now, but it seems to me that Antonov's removal has been decided. Give me the address where I will send a telegram to you in an hour if it turns out that the matter is not quite settled.

Lenin.

Text by F.A. Sergeev

Our address: Kharkov, railway station, Southern telegraph. To Artem. We accept your instructions [for] urgent fulfillment.

Artem.

Lenin's text

Kharkov. To Artem.

I have just learned that the final decision of our CEK is as follows: You can appoint anyone but Voroshilov as commander, on the condition that the actual commander-in-chief is Glagolev. Please pay serious attention to the Kharkov Locomotive Works. We must at all costs put it into operation in three shifts, for otherwise we cannot save our transport2.

Lenin.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 8179 - telegraph form.

1*L.B.Kameneva

2*I.I.Vatsetis

1The Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic decreed on January 4, 1919. V.A.Antonov-Ovseenko was appointed commander of the Ukrainian Front, and V.P.Glagolev was appointed chief of staff of the Ukrainian Front. On January 18, 1919, V.I.Lenin, Y.M.Sverdlov, I.V.Stalin and A.Z.Kamensky received a message about the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine to appoint F.A.Sergeev (Artem) as Chairman of the Government of Ukraine and the Revolutionary Military Council of Ukraine consisting of M.L.Rukhimovich, K.E.Voroshilov and V.I.Mezhlauk. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine once again protested against the appointment of Antonov-Ovseenko as commander of the Ukrainian Front, nevertheless Antonov-Ovseenko remained in this position until June 15, 1919. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine agreed with the appointment of Glagolev. On the letterhead of the message there is Lenin's resolution: "To Sverdlov immediately" (RCCHIDNI, f. 2, op. 1, d. 8331).

G.I.Petrovsky was elected Chairman of the All-Ukrainian CEC at the III Congress of Soviets of Ukraine (March 6-10, 1919).

See also doc. 163.

2The Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense on January 27, 1919, having heard the question of sending workers to Kharkov, decided: "a) To demand from the engineers sent to Kharkov a report on the state of the locomotive plant in Kharkov, b) To oblige them to immediately put the plant into operation, at least on the former scale" (RCCHIDNI, f. 19, op. 3, d. 15, l. 2).