V. I.

Lenin

Draft Decision for the Politbureau of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) on The Free Sale of Books from Moscow Warehouse Stocks [1]

1.) Stock-taking of books in Moscow warehouses to be carried out jointly by the Moscow Soviet and the Chief Committee for
Political Education;

2) The C.C.P.E. to be allowed to take such books from store
as are needed for libraries, Moscow’s interests being fully observed in the
distribution of these books; to ensure that these interests are duly
observed, the C.C.P.E. is obliged to satisfy the requirements of the Moscow
Gubernia Committee for Political Education, which has the right to appeal
against its decisions in the course of three days

3) Pornography and books on religious subjects shall not be
released for free sale, and shall be turned over to the Paper Industry Board as wastepaper.

4) The sale of foreign books shall be freely
permitted.

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Notes:
[1]
Lenin’s motion was adopted by the Politbureau on September 13,
1921. Point 4 was crossed out by Lenin and not included in the decision of
the Politbureau.

The question of book sales was re-examined by the
Politbureau at its meeting on October 15, at which it confirmed its
decision of September 13 and outlined concrete practical, measures for its
implementation; special attention was given to measures for preventing all
kinds of anti-Soviet literature from getting into the book trade