Written: Written July 1, 1908
Published:
First published in 1924.
Sent from Geneva to Odessa.
Printed from the typewritten copy found in police record.
Source:
Lenin
Collected Works,
Progress Publishers,
1974,
Moscow,
Volume 34,
page 395.
Translated: Clemens Dutt
Transcription\Markup:
D. Moros
Public Domain:
Lenin Internet Archive
(2005).
You may freely copy, distribute,
display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
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Dear friend,
Thanks for your letter. Both your “suspicions” are wrong. I was not suffering from nerves, but our position is difficult. A split with Bogdanov is imminent. The true cause is offence at the sharp criticism of his philosophical views at lectures (not at all in the newspaper). Now Bogdanov is hunting out every kind of difference of opinion. Together with Alexinsky, who is kicking up a terrible row and with whom I have been compelled to break off all relations, he has dragged the boycott out into the light of day.
They are trying to bring about a split on empirio-monistic and boycott grounds. The storm will burst very soon. A fight at the coming conference is inevitable. A split is highly probable. I shall leave the faction as soon as the policy of the “Left” and of true “boycottism” gets the up per hand. I invited you, thinking that your speedy arrival would help to pacify. In August (new style) we are nevertheless counting on you without fail as a participant in the conference. Be sure to arrange things so as to be able to travel abroad. We shall send money for the journey to all the Bolsheviks. Issue the slogan locally: mandates to be given only to local, and only to active Party workers. We earnestly request you to write for our newspaper. We can now pay for articles and will pay regularly.
All the best.
Do you know of any publisher who would handle the work on philosophy I am writing?[2]
[1] Vorovsky, Vatslav Vatslavovich (1871–1923)—a prominent member of the Bolshevik Party, journalist and literary critic. Joined the revolutionary movement in 1890. In 1902 he emigrated abroad and became a contributor to Lenin’s Iskra. In 1905 co-editor with Lenin on the newspapers Vperyod and Proletary, delegate to the Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. From the end of 1905 worked in the St. Petersburg organisation of the Bolsheviks and on the Bolshevik newspaper Novaya Zhizn. In 1906 a delegate to the Fourth (Unity) Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. In 1907 headed the Bolshevik Organisation in Odessa. Was arrested and exiled for his revolutionary activities. After the October Revolution held leading diplomatic posts.
[2] Lenin is referring to his book Materialism and Empirio-criticism. Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy^^(see Vol. 14 of this edition)^^.
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