V. I.

Lenin

96

CERTIFICATE TO A. R. SHAPOSHNIKOV

This is to certify that Alexei Romanovich
Shaposhnikov , peasant of Beketovo Village, Bulgakovo Volost, Ufa
Uyezd, Ufa Gubernia, was summoned by me to Moscow for discussion of and consultation on an important matter
relating to the peasant economy. [2]

In his explanations and replies, citizen A. R. Shaposhnikov has been honest and scrupulous.

All Soviet authorities of the R.S.F.S.R. are hereby requested to help citizen A. R. Shaposhnikov in every
possible way to return to peaceful labour in his domicile.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin) [1]

Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars

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Notes:
[1]
The certificate is also signed by G.P.C. secretary Lydia
Fotieva.— Ed.

[2]
In connection with preparations to switch from the surplus-food
requisitioning to the tax in kind, Lenin was collecting and
studying peasant opinion on ways to boost agriculture. In early
March 1921, on his invitation, Moscow was visited by peasants
A. R. Shaposhnikov, T. G. Kondrov and I. G. Kondrov, who had talks with Lenin, M. I. Kalinin and A. D. Tsyurupa, and
attended a sitting of the All-Russia C.E.C. which approved the
substitution of the tax in kind for surplus-food requisitioning.
Upon their return home, the peasants reported on their trip and
meeting with Lenin to the gubernia non-Party peasant conference at Ufa. The conference sent Tsyurupa a telegram declaring
that they “noted with satisfaction the promulgation of new land
tenure laws” (Central Party Archives of the Institute of
Marxism-Leninism of the C.P.S.U. Central Committee).