Copy to Comrade Tsyrupa

Copy to the Council of People's Commissars Affairs Administration

I draw attention to the exceptional importance of the works on the investigation of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly. Comrade Krzhizhanovsky informed me that, according to the engineers with whom he spoke, it is almost proven that we have there an unheard-of rich reserve of pure iron. Comrade Martens considers this already proven. In three weeks, he plans to go to the site. We need to discuss whether to send another engineer from Gosplan with him, one more familiar with Russian conditions and capable of verifying whether there is any kind of enthusiasm here 375.

In my opinion, no information about this should be published, and measures should be taken to ensure that nothing is said in the press, as there is a risk that otherwise interventionist plans may intensify. For the same reason, perhaps it would be better not to present Martens' report at the Council of People's Commissars or the STO, but to hear this report only by the two deputies, Bogdanov, and some members of the Central Committee.

If the report by Martens and the engineer who will go with him from Gosplan confirms the seriousness of this

* See the current volume, document 44. Ed.

To G. M. KRZHIZHANOVSKY. APRIL 6, 1922 matter, it is necessary to achieve the fastest possible progress of the work, not to stint on the necessary gold allocations, and to establish special supervision to ensure that the acquisition of necessary equipment from abroad (diamond, drilling, etc.) is carried out with maximum speed. I am very afraid that this matter will be carried out without sufficient energy. However, according to both Krzhizhanovsky and Martens, we have here almost certainly an unprecedented wealth in the world, which is capable of turning the entire metallurgy industry around*.

Lenin

Dictated over the phone

April 5, 1922