ORDER TO THE SECRETARY AND TELEGRAM ON BEHALF OF THE CC RKP(b) COMMISSION

May 22, 1920

Order to the Secretary

Request information on the matter of organizing the People's Commissariat of Ways of Communication from Comrades Sverdlov, Rozengolts*, Fomin, Shchukin, Kolegaev, Paufler, Ganetsky*, Kirsanov, Pyatnitsky, Amosov, Nikolsky, Ivan Mezhlauk (Yekaterininskaya Railway) in Yekaterinoslav, Natsarenus* (Rostov-on-Don) of the People's Commissariat of the Vladikavkaz Railway, Barichkin*, his authorized representative, and Smilga and Rykov in Baku*.

Telegram

Given that Comrade Trotsky, who was temporarily entrusted with the leadership of the Narkompos, has raised in the Central Committee the question of the necessity to transition from temporary to permanent and stable organization of the Narkompos as soon as possible, placing at its head a person with the best possible technical preparation, the name of Comrade Lomonosov was put forward in the Central Committee.

Considering the extreme importance of such an appointment, the Central Committee decided to collect opinions on this candidacy from the most responsible party workers in the railway department, as well as from other departments, since they have worked with Comrade Lomonosov.

Therefore, your opinion is expected by direct wire in cipher immediately. Do not name the candidate by name, but simply as "the candidate."

On behalf of the commission created by the Central Committee.

Lenin.

Fund 2, op. 1, f. 14068 - original.

*Further marked by V.I. Lenin: "in cipher."

*Further marked by V.I. Lenin: "in cipher through the Cheka."

*Further marked by V.I. Lenin: "in cipher."

*In the margin, V.I. Lenin added: "to Peters in cipher" and "Old Siberian."

1At the meeting of the Politburo of the CC RKP(b) on May 22, 1920, the issue "on the organization of the Narkompos and the appointment of Comrade Lomonosov" was discussed, proposed by L.D. Trotsky; it was decided: "To form a commission consisting of Comrades Lenin, Tomsky, and Krestinsky for a detailed examination of the issue of the organization of the Narkompos. The commission is to be given the shortest possible time for work" (RGASPI, f. 17, op. 3, d. 81, l. 2). The publication of the telegram by V.I. Lenin began the work of the commission.

Simultaneously, V.I. Lenin sent a note to Yu.V. Lomonosov, asking him to provide on May 22 or 23: "1) his party record up to 1905, in 1905, and later; 2) technical experience — years and place of work briefly; 3) names of party (and prominent non-party) workers with whom you have come into contact in your work (year and place) in both fields" (Lenin Collection XXXVII, p. 209).

Lomonosov was appointed a member of the Collegium of the Narkompos by the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR on December 2, 1919 (see: Decrees of the Soviet Power, vol. VI, p. 529).

At the meeting of the Politburo of the CC RKP(b) on May 25, 1920, the Narkompos was instructed to use Lomonosov "for the acceptance of locomotives received from abroad" (RGASPI, f. 17, op. 3, d. 82, l. 3). On June 8, the Politburo decided to send Lomonosov to Sweden to settle issues with orders for locomotives. On June 15, the Politburo of the CC RKP(b), having considered the issue of providing Lomonosov with funds for the acceptance of locomotives, resolved: "To instruct the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade to urgently conduct the necessary credit for the acceptance of locomotives, charging it to the account of the 300 million rubles allocated to Comrade Krasin" (ibid., d. 88, l. 1).

On the same day, the Politburo approved Trotsky's proposal to appoint V.M. Sverdlov as his deputy in the Narkompos.

See also doc. 229.