V. I.

Lenin

632

To:   THE PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIAT FOR HEALTH [2]

According to information in my possession you have in storage film for cinema work that is not being used.

In view of the acute need of the Cinema Department of the People’s Commissariat for Education and a series of
urgent works in hand of great agitational importance, please
turn over at least part of your store to the Cinema
Department of the People’s Commissariat for
Education. [1]

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

---
Notes:
[1]
Lydia Fotieva added to this document the words: “On the
instruction of V. I., please report fulfilment.
L. Fotieva .”— Ed.

[2]
Written in connection with a letter from the Cinema Department
of the People’s Commissariat for Education, which reported that
the fulfilment of Lenin’s directive—for making a motion picture of
“The Trial of the Kolchak Ministers”—was being held up owing
to the absence of film.

Lenin sent similar letters to Centrosoyuz, the Moscow
Extraordinary Commission, the People’s Commissariat for Military
Affairs and the Vecheka. On July 9 a reply was received from the
Vecheka addressed to the secretary of the Council of People’s
Commissars, Lydia Fotieva, reading: “Dear Comrade Fotieva,
please tell Vladimir Ilyich that there is no cinema film , in the
Vecheka, other than shot films of a counter-revolutionary nature
which cannot be used. Apparently, someone who did not know