V. I.   Lenin

131

To:   A. V. LUNACHARSKY^[1]

Written: Written earlier than March 25, 1917
Published: First published in 1934 in Lenin Miscellany XXVI. Sent from Zurich to Geneva. Printed from the original.
Source: Lenin Collected Works, Progress Publishers, [1976], Moscow, Volume 35, page 302.
Translated: Andrew Rothstein
Transcription\Markup: R. Cymbala
Public Domain: Lenin Internet Archive.   You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work, as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source. • README

Dear Comrade Anatoly Vasilyevich,

As regards a conference, my personal opinion (I am sending on your letter to Zinoviev) is that it is expedient now only between people who are ready to warn the proletariat not only against the Gvozdyov supporters,^[2] but also against the waverings of Chkheidze.

In this, I believe, is the essence of our inner-Party and, if one may use the term, near-Party situation.

It is just for this reason that I am not wasting time on a single conference with Martov and Co.

Independence and separateness of our Party, no rapprochement with other parties, are indispensable conditions for me. Without this one cannot help the proletariat to move through the democratic revolution to the commune, and I would not serve any other ends.

I personally would be for a conference with people and groups who agree on this basic point.

I should be very glad to have a talk with you, without any formal conferences, and should consider it valuable for myself personally (and for the cause).

With all my heart I congratulate you, too, and shake your hand, and send greetings as well from N. K. to you both.

With fraternal greetings,
Lenin

My address:
Wl. Uljanow. Spiegelgasse. 14^II (bei Kammerer). Zürich. I.

Notes

[1] This letter was written in reply to a letter from A. V. Lunacharsky, who was to visit Zurich in March 1917 and had suggested to Lenin that there should be a joint conference of Bolsheviks and Vperyod supporters. Lenin turned down the proposal.

[2] Gvozdyov (see also Note 288) was leader of the so-called “Workers’ Group” under the Central War Industries Committee, set up by the Russian bourgeoisie in 1915.