V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:PSS/v51; en:CW/CW44;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

February 14, 1920

To Comrades Sereda and Tsyurupa
Copies to: All-Russia Central Council of Trade Unions
People’s Commissariat for State Control
People’s Commissariat for Trade
Supreme Council of National Economy

I draw your special attention to the extremely sensible article by Comrade

Y. Preobrazhensky in *Pravda* No. of February 11, “Don’t Lose Time”.

It is necessary to adopt his proposal 138 and immediately

1) draft a decree
a) on the compulsory organisation of the land economy of towns (all towns);
b) on measures for its expansion and development; c) set tasks (in greater detail) in this sphere for 1920, etc.;

2) step up the purchase of seeds in Denmark and abroad generally;

3) intensify agitation and workers’ control in accordance with the measures under § 1.

Please send me a brief summary of what is already being done (if possible,
one that could also be used for the press—we shall publish it in *Economic Life* if we cannot get it into *Pravda* or *Izvestia*).

In connection with this, a more vigorous and more systematic struggle must be started against suburban bag-trading by enlisting the urban workers for the (detailed) registration of sowing, stocks, surpluses and collection of food products in the suburban areas, and for assisting the agencies of the People’s Commissariat for Food to extract them. I request the People’s Commissariat for Food to inform me what measures are being taken.

Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars,
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)