V. I.

Lenin

309

To:   G. Y. ZINOVIEV [1]

Comrade Zinoviev, Read this yourself and show it to Comrade Badayev.
He must be strictly reproved: one more instance of non-fulfilment of directives from the centre—and we shall
prosecute him. This is no joke.

Get him to sign that he has read this.

Lenin

26/IV.

P.S. Return the enclosed material and this letter.

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Notes:
[1]
Lenin’s instruction to Zinoviev was written on a letter from V. N.
Yakovleva, a member of the Board of the People’s Commissariat
for Food, replying to an inquiry of Lenin’s concerning a request
by the Petrograd Co-operative of Ukrainian Citizens for their
rationed food products to be turned over to them. The letter stated
that, at the request of the Ukrainian Soviet Government, the
People’s Commissariat for Food, byway of exception, had
permitted this co-operative to import from the Ukraine a small amount
of rationed food products, but that A. Y. Badayev, Food
Commissar of the Petrograd Labour Commune, had prevented it.
Yakovleva wrote that this was not the first case of failure on the part of
Badayev to comply with the instructions of the People’s
Commissariat for Food.

On this subject see also this volume, Document 318.