Written: 2 August, 1901. Letter sent from Munich to Podolsk
Published: 1929 in the journal Proletarshaya Revolyufsiya No. 11 Printed from the original.
Source: Lenin Collected Works, Progress Publishers, 1977, Moscow, Volume 37, pages 603-604.
Translated/Edited: George H. Hanna and Robert Daglish.
Transcription/Markup: D. Walters
Public Domain: Lenin Internet Archive 2008. You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as the source/editing/transcription/markup information noted above.
August 2
Dear Maria Alexandrovna,
We received your letter to Volodya yesterday. Unfortunately we see from it that nothing has changed, and I did not write to Manyasha the last time because I thought she would soon be with you. But good things always happen when you least expect them. Sometimes, when I have been away from home a long time and my thoughts have been occupied with something altogether different I find myself coming home with the idea that there simply must be a telegram waiting to say that our folks are with you …. Please, dearest, when you go to see Manyasha, give her many, many kisses from me and give M.T. my regards. I will write to Manyasha.
There are no changes here. Volodya is now working quite hard and I am glad for his sake; when he throws himself completely into some task he feels well and strong-that is one of his natural qualities; he is in very good health, there does not seem to be a trace of the catarrh left and no insomnia, either. Every day he takes a cold rub down and we go bathing almost every day, too. But Mother is always feeling poorly, first rheumatism, then general weakness, and then she catches cold.
In a week or so Volodya and I intend going to Switzerland for a short time to see Anyuta. I am very glad that Anyuta did not go to Rügen, as she originally intended, but to Lake Thun. It is probably better there. We are going for only a few days, but I am looking forward to the journey with pleasure-first, I want to see Anyuta, and second, I want to have a look at the mountains. I don’t know what these mountains are like, I have never seen them, except in pictures. While we are away, an acquaintance of ours is going to stay with Mother, so she will not be afraid of being alone. In the autumn Mother wants to go to St. Petersburg; I am trying to persuade her to spend the winter with us but do not know what she will decide. Summer is drawing to a close and I have not even noticed how it passed; it is as though there has been no summer. Summer is net a real summer in town.
Well, good-bye, dearest, I embrace you fondly and wish you health and strength. Give D.I. my regards and thank him for the book I received a long time ago. Mother sends regards to all.
Yours,
Nadya