**RECORDS OF ASSESSMENTS OF YU.V. LOMONOSOV**

May 24-25, 1920

List of those summoned for a conversation with V.I. Lenin

Monday, May 24, 1920

11:00 AM                         12:00 PM

Fomin                              +Kirsanov

Alferov                            Rudzutak

Ganetsky                         10. Burago

Paufler                           Amosov

11:30 AM                        12:30 PM

5. Milutin                        Krzhizhanovsky

+Sverdlov                      13. +Ishchenko1*

Nikolsky                        Chubar2*

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Others who know:

Karpov knows that he helped the Bolsheviks...

Larin

Pravdin

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S.M. Petukhov, non-party member, a highly respectable person. Engineer-technologist.

{in the Technical Administration of the People's Commissariat of Food. Assistant to the Head of the Technical Administration.

[ Conscientious ]

Gekevich, recently became a party member. I have known him since 1918. A devoted and conscientious person. He was non-party. And he knows his job.

In the People's Commissariat of Ways of Communication through V.M. Sverdlov3*. May 24, 1920

Fomin. Lomonosov "attached himself"... "Invaluable" for transport. A pompous and arbitrary person.

Shchukin — a thoughtful and serious person, observed in work on the ground — disorganized, incompetent.

Does not follow the Soviet line.

Taking Trotsky would be a mistake.

The staff of the private railway companies are even worse than the white guards... united. They hate [the Bolsheviks]. There is definitely a connection between them.

"There may be such tendencies" (against the breakup of private railway companies).

Borisov — a typical bureaucrat. I have not studied him in detail. Works well. Took the right line. Lomonosov's reorganization ruined the transport. Borisov is against the reorganization.

I do not think that preserving private railway companies would make their restoration easier.

Shchukin and Arzhanov told about oil: Lomonosov supported the worst (Denikin) crowd.

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Alferov: (knew him for 3 months). Would be suitable for the role of Chairman of the Committee of State Construction. His administrative abilities need correction. Knows the business well, but is weak in selecting people. Worked sincerely and selflessly, in my opinion.

[ Known for engaging in fisticuffs on the Nikolaevskaya Railway. With a sword, tricorne. ]

In the South, there is resentment (Pavlovich) against Lomonosov,

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Ganetsky: knew and saw him for 3 weeks. Lomonosov — a poor organizer. Dangerous to put in charge. Specialist in traction, locomotives. Pompous, like the old management. The collapse — his fault. After October 1917, a "servile" telegram to the Duma members: a copy exists.

Personally engaged in whipping workers before.

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Paufler: negative impression: saw him 3 times (on business). Rumors say he is not one of us. Accidentally got in. L.P. Serebryakov has known him for a long time and in a good light. The impression is mixed. "Polite-arrogant" with subordinates. Wife4* from the court ladies: specialists hate Lomonosov for switching sides (from the whites to the reds) or for not bringing many of his former acquaintances. (I have been observing railway specialists for about 2.5 months). "How did he get to 'you', the Bolsheviks?" — specialists are furious.

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Milutin. + An energetic person.

- "adventurous qualities." Aspired to a ministerial post even during the Tsarist era.

- "somewhat tactless."

Definitely pressured the specialists. Dismissed those who needed to be dismissed. A good commissar is needed for him.

His candidacy is suitable — if within these parameters: a commissar and supervision.

He boasts about "bombs" together with Krasin. Lomonosov participated in organizing an escape. Was with Larin at the conference from the Bolsheviks in Ekaterinoslav (1905-1906).

[ Alferov often pursues a policy against the union; Lomonosov supported Alferov. ]

There are rumors that he was a Black Hundred member in 1908-9. It is said that he had icons in the train — from third-rate sources.

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Sverdlov. Not suitable. Not an administrator. Professor and traction specialist. Knows the business. Not a narrow specialist. Judging by the Vladikavkaz Railway. Observed him earlier as well...

Borisov is the best administrator... Borisov is a bureaucrat to the core. Borisov manages absolutely everything. Hardly capable of following discipline.

Specialists consider him a good professor, a bad administrator. Impossible character: unbalanced.

Was the head of traction on the Nikolaevskaya Railway (ruined the business, according to Vonifatiev).

Engineer5*; was the head of traction on the Nikolaevskaya Railway before Lomonosov

[ Earlier on the Tashkent, it seems on the South-Western. He is 46-47 years old. ]

From the first trip, there was only confusion. From the second, no results either.

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Nikolsky: In 1903-12, I knew him (he was a student) in Kharkov at the Institute of Ways of Communication — and as an engineer in Elets, I was an assistant to the head of traction in 1913 — and he was an inspector of traction (supervised). A great theorist, but a poor practitioner... (Met once, but talked for a long time).

Behaved in a commanding manner. "Raised the stick" — and, like by a wave of a wand, the engineers knew what to do.

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Kirsanov: Heard from technicians — [ quite prominent, non-party ] that he is a decisive person and can achieve a lot.

It seems to me that he will not stand on ceremony with the specialists. He is not loved for his demanding nature (in the past). The majority of accountants and engineers thought that Lomonosov was superior to Borisov.

He built 200,000 trains* — unsuccessfully; he smashed hundreds of wagons. He loves experiments. (Unreliable reviews from engineers). A "bold" man.

(Kirsanov) ((continuation))*

Sverdlov promoted Vygulsky (who was supported only by Sverdlov). Lomonosov flattened him. Lomonosov does not spare his own.

Workers and minor clerks have a poor opinion of him. There were no acts of cruelty: neither beatings nor brawls.

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Rudzutak: Arzhanov is a despot. I have never heard anything bad about Lomonosov.

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Burago: As the head of the State Construction Committee, he was unsuccessful. A bureaucrat. It is impossible to approach him and have a conversation. His approach is "old-fashioned." We were against him.

{There were two versions:                      In 1912-3, I was an assistant engineer. He was in

{1) a bully;    }                   Bologoye in the laboratory. Lomonosov's attitude toward subordinates

{2) or decent.}                  was (1) desirable, (2) personal — treated capable people poorly; there were no reports of rudeness, at that time I knew nothing.

Now there is a rumor that he was a member of the Union of St. Michael the Archangel.

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Amosov: I have encountered him twice: at the council of economic soviets and in the People's Commissariat of Railways (he spoke weakly: "work" and that's all)

(Lomonosov caused a blockage in Orel: Nikolsky reported this)

At meetings, he was seen as a "good-natured old man," but he is treated as a bureaucrat.

(Arzhanov was criticized three times, Lomonosov once — at the All-Russian Railway Congress, 1919)

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Krzhizhanovsky: I am against him.

"A two-sided" person.

In Kiev in 1905: a progressive, radical young professor. During the sappers' uprising, he helped selflessly.

Among the progressive engineering community, there is a negative attitude due to his association with Rukhlov.

I have heard extremely unpleasant information about him: his involvement in the Rukhlov Ministry (-1915). Rukhlov was a reactionary. Under this system, Lomonosov held on and received general's ranks. It was said that he was a proponent of a reactionary policy.

Upon returning from America, he joined the State Construction Committee. I realized that he pursued a harsh policy against me out of a desire for "absolute power." His experience in the SCC was "negative" in an administrative sense. He conducted a "general's" policy.

About Borisov (a former tsarist official): during (the very difficult) Denikin offensive, would you (Borisov) go into service? Borisov stated that he would serve, but "let this cup pass from me."

(Krzhizhanovsky ((continuation))*). There were rumors that he treated subordinates roughly and in a general's manner...

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Ishchenko: One must be able to distinguish him from the Rukhlovites (able to distinguish the specialists). Now, Rukhlovites are sitting around Borisov.

Currently, there is a lack of authority; perhaps under him, it will be firmer.

We have had little interaction.

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Pravdin: In 1908, I worked illegally for the party. He took me in.

He considered himself a social democrat: closer to the Mensheviks.

In 1917, I met him in St. Petersburg. (With Bublikov, they caught Ivanov, who was going to save the tsar). He was associated with the New Life movement, argued against the Bolsheviks. (The Cadets did not allow him to become a minister, they were afraid of him. To get rid of him, they sent him to America).

Railway: he was a "terror." Ruthless with drunks and thieves. Otherwise, he was demanding but paid well. He had a special love for locomotives.

He set up the Tashkent railway; mercilessly dismissed the Tashkent workers.

He increased train traffic to 60,000, and tried up to 210,000, on the South.

Whether he was a Rukhlovite (?), I do not know.

A fairly experienced practitioner, especially in locomotive matters.

There was some careerism, but it did not succeed. He fought with the Black Hundreds, for example, with Ivanovsky.

He works a lot, from 6-7 in the morning.

He told me that one should present oneself in white trousers, a tricorne, and so on.

Is his wife a former lady-in-waiting? His wife was in the party, was a student, a Jewess. "Raissa Izrailevna." I knew her personally before him, through the party. She went with him to America.

13 - Rudzutak = 12

Two main groups: a and b

{Fomin                { reconstruction. Oil} a       {Ganetsky            {Krumin}

{Sverdlov           {oil. [Vonifatiev]

+ Krzhizhanovsky]   {Paufler's review of L.P.Serebryakov

{Paufler              { Will bring in specialists    } b       {Milutin              {Specialists are against him }

{Kirsanov

+ ? weak, undefined, little-known, unschliessig*]]

{Alferov                    — +

{Krzhizhanovsky        (a)(6) Rukhlovite?

?       {Nikolsky               — +

{Burago                        — +

{Amosov                       — (little known)

{Ishchenko                     +  (little known)

||weak||

release of Trotsky from the People's Commissariat of Railways appointment of Lomonosov as acting for Krasin — Sverdlov

1)   request to withdraw the ultimatum

2)   appointment of Lomonosov as chief*.

L. P. Serebryakov. 25.V. 1920. Bolshevik, party member*:

1906, a beginning engineer*, 1911, Tashkent Railway, head of traction service, ((not a Rukhlovite))

made the railway profitable. It generated 1/3 million in revenue

Was one of the best administrators, indeed as a traction specialist.

showed promise as an administrator. Operated according to Taylor's system.

Careerism exists. Considered suitable for the position of chief*.

*Footnote markers and editorial notes preserved as in the original.

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Fund 2, op. 1, file 14079 - autograph.

1* The list appears to have been written by V.V. Fomin; the following entries are by V.I. Lenin.

2* The surname was written by V.I. Lenin and then crossed out.

3* On the reverse side of the sheet with the list, V.I. Lenin wrote a telephone number: "3.06.49. Larin."

4* Lomonosova R.I.

5* This refers to Vonifatiev.

6* As in the document.

7* The entries continued on a new page.

8* Continuation of the entries on a new page.

9* In the manuscript, next to this word, there is a footnote by V.I. Lenin: "x=had conflicts."

10* "Indecisive" — German.

11* In the manuscript, next to this word, there is a footnote by V.I. Lenin: "nominated as a candidate for the congress."

12* In the manuscript, next to this word, there is a footnote by V.I. Lenin: "nominated as a candidate for the congress."

13* The following was crossed out by V.I. Lenin: "1908."

14* As in the manuscript.

1 See also doc. 228.