1919
ON THE ERECTION OF A MONUMENT TO KARL MARX IN MOSCOW
4637
RESOLUTION ON A LETTER FROM A. V. LUNACHARSKY
December 24, 1919

Dear Vladimir Ilyich, In one of our conversations you reproached me for the fact that we still do not have a good monument to K. Marx in Moscow. I must note that in Petrograd, opposite the Smolny, there exists a rather fine monument to Marx, made by the well-known sculptor Matveev, however, in a non-durable material.

If the Petrograd Executive Committee is satisfied with this figure of Marx, then I will petition for it to be cast in cement, if it proves impossible to use bronze for this purpose.

I agree that it is necessary to begin construction of a monument to Marx in Moscow. I know that in the first competition, grandiose projects were submitted with the reconstruction of entire squares. Of course, we cannot think about this now, and the matter can only concern a beautiful, substantial monumental figure of Marx in one of the squares.

The competitions we have announced up to now have always led to misunderstandings and have not yielded sufficient results. In Moscow there is a sculptor quite suited for a direct commission to create a statue of Marx. This is the author of the magnificent granite monument to Dostoevsky, already erected by the Moscow Soviet on Tsvetnoj Boulevard—the artist Merkurov...

I very much ask you, dear Vladimir Ilyich, to answer me on this note of mine by telephone... In case of your agreement, Merkurov could begin work immediately, and the monument could be erected by May 1st*.

*On December 30, the Council of People's Commissars adopted the following resolution: "Recognizing in principle the necessity of erecting by May 1, 1920, a monument to Marx on Y. M. Sverdlov Square, instruct the Commission at the SNK to clarify the question in detail in the most urgent order, submit a project for the monument and a project for appropriate measures and an estimate for approval by the SNK" (Protocol No. 337, Item 7).

TO THE MOSCOW SOVIET

Give your conclusion in writing or by telephone.

LENINIST COLLECTION
4985
NOTE TO A. V. LUNACHARSKY
April 19, 1920

To Comrade Lunacharsky and the Small Soviet

Sculptor S. Merkurov finds it deeply unjust and incorrect that the cancellation of the commission given to him by the Council of People's Commissars (December 30, 1919) took place
(1) without a personal summons, (2) without written notification to him and without presentation to him of a copy of the Council of People's Commissars' resolution cancelling the commission.

Therefore, Merkurov insists that by April 15, 1920 (the deadline given by the Council of People's Commissars' resolution of February 23, 1920, to Aleshin and his collective), Merkurov be given the right to present once more a new project*.

Chairman of the SNK
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

*The preliminary sketch project for the monument submitted by sculptor Merkurov was not approved by V. I. Lenin, and on February 23, 1920, the Small Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution transferring the commission to sculptor Aleshin: "Approve in principle the project for a monument to Karl Marx submitted by sculptor Aleshin. Propose to Comrade Aleshin to develop the monument in detail with the participation of a collective of sculptors by means of and under the general control of the Department of Fine Arts of the People's Commissariat of Enlightenment. Propose to him to execute the monument in granite and bronze. A report on the progress of preparatory work to be submitted by April 15 of the current year, by which date propose to submit the project in final form with an indication of the deadline for completion of work on the erection of the monument" (Protocol No. 426, Item 17).

On April 20, 1920, the Small Council of People's Commissars, having discussed Lunacharsky's report on the progress of preparatory work on the erection of the monument to Karl Marx, resolved:

"Allocate to the People's Commissariat of Enlightenment for the May Day Commission at the Moscow Department of Public Education for expenses related to the solemn laying of the cornerstone of the monument to Karl Marx 800,000 rubles" (Protocol No. 458, Item 2).