V. I.

Lenin

283

To:   M. P. PAVLOVICH [1]

Comrade Pavlovich
People’s Commissariat of Nationalities

May 31, 1921

Comrade Pavlovich, I have arranged for publication of a school atlas (in
Petrograd). [2]

It would be extremely important to include maps of imperialism.

Would you not undertake this?

For example:

(1) colonial possessions 1876–1914–1921, adding or specially shading off semi-colonial countries (Turkey, Persia,
China, and so forth).

(2) Brief statistics of colonies and semi-colonies.

(3) Map of financial dependencies. For example, for each
country ± with a figure (millions or milliards of francs) of
how much this country owes, and how much it is owed; also comparatively for 1876–1914–1921 ( if 1876 be taken as the culminating point of pre–
monopoly capitalism).

(4) Railways of the world, with a note, in each country,
showing to whom most of them belong (British, French, North America, etc.).

Will this prove too much of a mixture? Convenient forms can be found, with what matters, what predominates
noted very briefly.

(5) The main sources of those raw materials over which there is a struggle (oil, ores, etc.)—also with notes (% or
millions of francs belong to such-and-such a country).

We must without fail include maps of this kind in the textbooks , of course with a brief explanatory text.

A statistical assistant can be given you for the auxiliary
work.

Please reply whether you undertake this, how and when.

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

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Notes:
[1]
Pavlovich, M. P. (Veltman, M. L. ) (1871–1929)—Social– Democrat, Menshevik. He became a Communist after 1917, and from
1921 was a member of the Collegium of the Commissariat for
Affairs of Nationalities.

[2]
Reference is to the preparations for the publication of the Vsemirny geografichesky atlas (Geographical Atlas of the World),
launched on Lenin’s initiative. The project was not realised.