The Unknown Lenin: From the Secret Archive

232 Pages·1999·4.19 MB·English

by  Richard Pipes

ANNALS OF COMMUNISM
Each volume in the series Annals of Communism will publish selected and previ­
ously inaccessible documents from former Soviet state and party archives in the
framework of a narrative text that focuses on a particular topic in the history of
Soviet and international communism. Separate English and Russian editions will be
prepared. Russian and American scholars work together to prepare the documents
for each volume. Documents are chosen not for their support of any single inter­
pretation but for their particular historical importance or their general value in
deepening understanding and facilitating discussion. The volumes are designed to be
useful to students, scholars, and interested general readers.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, ANNALS OF COMMUNISM
Jonathan Brent, Yale University Press
AMERICAN EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Ivo Banac, Yale University Czeslaw Milosz, University of California
Jeffrey Burds, University of Rochester at Berkeley
William Chase, University of Pittsburgh Norman Naimark, Stanford University
Victor Erlich, Yale University General William Odom, Hudson Institute
Fridrikh I. Firsov, Yale University Daniel Orlovsky, Southern Methodist
Sheila Fitzpatrick, University of Chicago University
Gregory Freeze, Brandeis University Mark D. Steinberg, Yale University
J. Arch Getty, University of California Mark von Hagen, Columbia University
at Riverside Piotr Wandycz, Yale University
Robert L. Jackson, Yale University
Leon Lipson, Yale University
RUSSIAN EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
K. M. Anderson, Russian Center for the S. V. Mironenko, State Archive of the
Preservation and Study of Documents Russian Federation (GARF)
of Recent History (RTsKhIDNI) O. V. Naumov, Russian Center for the
N. N. Bolkhovitinov, Russian Academy Preservation and Study of Documents
of Sciences of Recent History (RTsKhIDNI)
A. O. Chubarian, Russian Academy R. G. Pikhoia, State Archival Service
of Sciences of the Russian Federation
V. P. Danilov, Russian Academy of Sciences A. N. Sakharov, Russian Academy
V. P. Kozlov, State Archival Service of the of Sciences
Russian Federation T. T. Timofeev, Russian Academy
N. S. Lebedeva, Russian Academy of Sciences
of Sciences Ye. A. Tiurina, Russian State Archive
V. S. Lelchuk, Russian Academy of Sciences of the Economy (RGAE)
General D. A. Volkogonov, adviser to the
president of the Russian Federation
(deceased)
SERIES COORDINATOR, MOSCOW
N. P. Yakovlev
The
Unknown Lenin
From the Secret Archive
Edited by Richard Pipes
With the assistance of David Brandenberger
Basic translation of Russian documents by
Catherine A. Fitzpatrick
Yale University Press
New Haven and London
This volume has been prepared with the active support of the
Russian Center for the Preservation and Study of Documents of
Recent History (RTsKhIDNI) of the State Archival Service of
Russia in the framework of an agreement concluded between
RTsKhIDNI and Yale University Press. Yury A. Buranov of
RTsKhIDNI provided valuable assistance in the preparation of
this volume. I. N. Seleznyova aided in the research.
Copyright © 1996 by Yale University.
All rights reserved.
Documents that are held by RTsKhIDNI are used by permission.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form
(beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except
by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.
Basic translation by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick.
Designed by James J. Johnson and set in Sabon and Melior types by The Composing Room of
Michigan, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America by Vail-Ballou Press, Binghamton, New York.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lenin, Vladimir Il’ich, 1870-1924.
The unknown Lenin: From the secret archive / edited by Richard Pipes, with the
assistance of David Brandenberger; Russian documents translated by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick,
p. cm. — (Annals of communism)
Includes index.
ISBN 0-300-06919-7 (alk. paper)
1. Lenin, Vladimir Il’ich, 1870-1924—Archives. 2. Heads of state—Soviet Union—
Archives. 3. Soviet Union—Politics and government—1917-1936—Sources. I. Pipes,
Richard. II. Brandenberger, David. III. Catherine A. Fitzpatrick. IV. Title. V. Series.
DK254.L3A254 1996
947.084'!—dczo 96-8415
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on
Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Yale University Press gratefully acknowledges the financial
support given for this publication by the
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Historical Research Foundation
William T. Morris Foundation
John M. Olin Foundation
Open Society Institute

Contents
List of Illustrations xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Acknowledgments by Yury A. Buranov xv
Works Frequently Cited xvii
Political and Governmental Organizations xviii
Note on the Documents xix
Introduction i
Lenin: A Biographical Sketch 14
From the Secret Archive
1. Patent of Nobility 1 2 December 1886 19
2. Transfer of Shmit Funds 21 February 1909 20
3. Draft Resolution November 1909 22
4. Shmit Legacy Receipt 13 November 1909 24
5. Telegram to Badaev 23 or 24 May 1914 25
6. Letter to Armand 7 June 1914 26
7. Letter to Armand Before 6 July 1914 27
8. Letter to Armand 16 July 1914 27
9. Letter to Armand Before 25 July 1914 27
10. Letter to Malinovsky 13 November 1915 31
11. Letter to Malinovsky 22 December 1915 31
12. Letter to Malinovsky 14 November 1916 32
vii
viii Contents
13. Letter to Armand 26 November 1916 33
14. Letter to Armand 12. January 1917 33
15. Letter to Armand 19 January 1917 34
16. Letter to Armand 22. January 1917 34
17. Deposition About Malinovsky 8 June 1917 35
18. Remarks at Central Committee Meeting 15 November 1917 41
19. Message to Yuriev 26 March 1918 43
20. Exchange with Yuriev 9—10 April 1918 44
21. Exchange with Unidentified Person 5 June 1918 46
22. Cable About Ex-Tsar 16 July 1918 47
23. Conversation with Krasin 11 August 1918 47
24. Letter to Penza Communists 11 August 1918 50
25. Letter to Berzin 14 August 1918 53
26. Exchange with Chicherin 19 August 1918 54
27. Letter to Vorovsky 21 August 1918 55
28. Memo to Krestinsky 3 or 4 September 1918 56
29. Letter to Berzin 15-20 October 1918 58
30. Letter to Berzin 18 October 1918 59
31. Exchange with Kursky 26 November 1918 60
32. Telegram to Zinoviev 7 January 1919 61
33. Letter to Rozhkov 29 January 1919 62
34. Minutes of Eighth Congress 23 March 1919 63
35. Draft re Printers’ Strike Before 28 April 1919 66
36. Trotsky’s Exchange with Central Committee 5 July 1919 67
37. Note to Klinger 9 August 1919 69
38. Telegram to Frunze 30 August 1919 69
39. Memo from Trotsky 1 October 1919 70
40. Letter to Eliava 16 October 1919 74
41. Telegram to Zinoviev and Others 17 October 1919 75
42. Policy in the Ukraine Before 21 November 1919 76
43. Telegram to Stalin 14 February 1920 78
44. Telegram to Stalin 17 March 1920 78
45. Exchange with Chicherin 6 April 1920 79
46. Telegram to Atkarsk 20 April 1920 81
47. Note to Trotsky 7 May 1920 82
48. Notes on Finnish Communists 18 June 1920 83
49. Note to Politburo 24 June 1920 84
50. Telegram to Terek 25—30 June 1920 84
51. Letter from Chicherin ioJulyi92o 85
52. Telegram to Unshlikht 15 July 1920 88
53. Draft Resolution of RKP(b) Plenum Before 17 July 1920 89
54. Telegram to Stalin 23 July 1920 90
55. Telegram to Smilga 4 August 1920 92
Contents ix
5 6. Exchange on Armenia Before 9 August 1920 92
57. Note to Chicherin 21 August 1920 93
58. Draft of Politburo Resolution 21 August 1920 94
59. Report on Polish War 20 September 1920 95
60. Directives to Ioffe and Berzin 2 October 1920 116
61. Report on Pogroms 17-18 October 1920 116
62. Telegram to Stalin 18 November 1920 119
63. Dzerzhinsky’s Report on POWs November 1920 119
64* Resolution on Turkey Before 4 December 1920 121
65. Draft of Politburo Resolution 26 January 1921 122
66. Remarks at Tenth Congress 13 March 1921 123
67. Telegram to Tsaritsyn 25 March 1921 125
68. Exchange on Weapons Purchases 18 May 1921 125
69. Exchange with Litvinov 29 June 1921 126
70. Telegram to Siberia 2 July 1921 127
71. Report on Pogroms 6 July 1921 128
72. Note to Chicherin 25 July 1921 129
73. Telegram on Food Supply 30 July 1921 130
74. Letter to Chicherin 6 August 1921 132
75. Note to Molotov 23 August 1921 133
76. Letter to Berzin 8 September 1921 134
77. Note to Unshlikht 21 September 1921 135
78. Note from Trotsky 4 October 1921 136
79. Telegram to Tsaritsyn 4 October 1921 136
80. Remarks on Weapons Purchases 21 October 1921 137
81. Remarks About Kamenev 1 December 1921 138
82. Letter to Krestinsky 28 January 1922 138
83. Letter to Molotov 30 January 1922 140
84. Letter to Molotov 31 January 1922 141
85. Letter to Sokolnikov 4 February 1922 142
86. Letter to Stalin and Kamenev 4 February 1922 142
87. Note to Sokolnikov After 4 February 1922 144
88. Letter to Chicherin 10 February 1922 144
89. Request to Pharmacy 13 February 1922 146
90. Note to Kamenev 20 February 1922 146
91. Exchange with Molotov 6-7 March 1922 147
92. Trotsky’s Memorandum 10 March 1922 148
93. Exchange with Trotsky 11 and 12 March 1922 150
94. Letter on Events in Shuia 19 March 1922 152
95. Note to Gorbunov 21 March 1922 156
96. Exchange with Kamenev After 4 April 1922 157
97. Request to Pharmacy 6 April 1922 158
98. Telegram to Chicherin 17 April 1922 159
x Contents
99. Telegram from Politburo 17 April 1922 160
100. Telegram to Chicherin 25 April 1922 161
101. Letter from Trotsky 28 April 1922 162
102. Letter to Stalin 19 May 1922 163
103. Note to Politburo 22 May 1922 164
104. Letter to Stalin 15 June 1922 165
105. Note to Stalin 7 July 1922 165
106. Note to Kamenev mid-July 1922 166
107. Letter to Stalin 17 July 1922 168
108. Letter to Stalin and Kamenev 28 August 1922 170
109. Letter to Stalin 11 September 1922 171
no. Note to Unshlikht 17 September 1922 174
h i. Letter to Radek 28 October 1922 174
112. Note to Zinoviev October-December 1922 175
113. Letter to Stalin 13 December 1922 176
Appendix
1 a. Memo from Marchlewski 26 October 1919 179
2A. Telegram from Frunze 24 August 1920 181
3A. Telegram from Artuzov November 1920 182
4A. Telegrams from Trotsky 4 October 1921 183
5a. Message from Chicherin 30 January 1922 184
6a. Chicherin’s First Telegram 15 April 1922 185
7A. Chiqherin’s Second Telegram 15 April 1922 186
8a. Resokition About Lenin 18 December 1922 188
9A. Instructions After Lenin’s Death 22 January 1924 188
List of Document and Illustration Credits 191
Index 197