Date: 1919
Source: ru:PSS/v52; en:CW/CW35; ru:PSS/v51
Source: CW vol 52

25/II.

Comrade Krzhihanovsky!

On the matter of the General Planning Commission.

(1) The composition of it in general - we will agree after your arrival. This is not difficult.

(2) The CEC has decided for now to keep Larin. The danger from him is greatest, for by his character this person disrupts any work, seizes power, overturns all chairmen, dismisses specialists, speaks out (without the slightest right to do so) on behalf of the "party," etc.

You have the heavy task of subordinating, disciplining, and moderating Larin.

Remember: as soon as he "starts" to break out of the framework, run to me (or send me a letter). Otherwise, Larin will overturn the entire General Planning Commission.

(3) You need to create a very strong presidium in the General Planning Commission (definitely without Larin), so that organizers and firm (capable of giving a full rebuff to Larin and steadfastly carrying out the heavy work) people help you and relieve you of administrative work (it was pointed out at the CEC that you are, in fact, not an administrator). The presidium, perhaps two of your assistants, one secretary, etc. You should be the "soul" of the matter and the ideological leader (especially to repel, drive away tactless communists capable of dismissing specialists)... Your task is to identify, select, and assign capable organizers, administrators (like Osadchy, etc.) - to give the Central Committee of the RCP the opportunity, material for evaluation, material for their assessment.

(4) "GOELRO" as GOELRO, I think, you should restore as a subcommission of the General Planning Commission. You will also be the chairman of this subcommission.

(5) You will have to form a whole series of subcommissions: we need to talk about this when you have a plan for them.

(6) A subcommission for studying, checking, and "coordinating," harmonizing, making proposals for changes to current economic plans (for 1921 at the present time) must be of exceptional importance.

Larin must definitely be included in this subcommission, but 1) not as chairman or deputy chairman or secretary; 2) balanced, say, by Sereda, as an example of balance, non-fantasticness, no fuss.

(7) I propose to consider such a plan (I consider it extremely important): to oblige several members of the General Planning Commission to systematically submit reports and articles either to this commission or to the subcommission under § 6 on the implementation of current economic plans by various departments (and in different provinces, districts, clusters, enterprises, etc.) and on comparing this implementation over different years for publication in "Economic Life." (I consider it extremely important that Larin, as well as Sereda, Popov, Strumilin, be formally obliged to monitor facts and figures about the actual implementation of our economic plans and publish them chronically in "Economic Life" for public criticism and verification. It is possible to assign two or three specialists to this work. It is essential that each person individually be responsible for studying and verifying, and that two people, independently of each other, work on each part of this work for mutual verification and testing of different methods of analysis, summary, etc.).

Think about all this, and we will talk more than once after your arrival.

Greetings! Lenin

In 1924 in the book: G. M. Krzhihanovsky. "Barter and Planning Work." Moscow

Fully published in 1928 in the book "Notes of the Institute of Lenin," III

Written on February 25, 1921

First published partially

Printed from the manuscript