Written: 16 July, 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 602-603.
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.
July 16, 1901
Dear Maria Alexandrovna,
Anyuta has sent us your letter to Volodya and also Manya’s letter. Why did they not give Manya my letter? Very odd! It would be a good thing if the rumours that she is shortly to be released came true …. When you see Manya, tell her that I send her my best regards and many, many kisses. I was greatly surprised at the place in your letter where you said that Volodya would know about your way of life from your letter to Mother. That letter must have gone astray because Mother has not received a letter from you and quite recently told me to ask whether you had received her letter. Mother is ill all the time, she has a cough and sleeps poorly. Today she went with us to the bathing place, and got terribly tired, though it is no wore than fifteen minutes’ walk. We go almost every day, the bathing here is excellent and, in general, although we live in a town the country is very near to us. It is a fine place in all respects. It is now quite warm, but not too hot to bear.
The time seems to pass awfully quickly. Somehow you scarcely notice how week after week goes by; it is not as if there was a lot to do, although it seems “you never do anything but are never without something to do”.
I am taking up German again, it’s a nuisance not to know the language; J have found a German woman who will give me lessons in exchange for Russian lessons. We’ll see how it goes. Volodya and I keep intending to go to a German theatre, but we are terribly inactive in this respect, we keep saying “we ought to go” and that is the end of it, for something else always intervenes. Anyuta is more active in that sphere. By the way, I have to admit that our present mood is not very suitable for it. To get the best out of a foreign country you have to go there when you are young and are interested in every little thing …. However, I am in general satisfied with our present way of life; at first it was a bit miserable, everything very alien, but now, as we are beginning to take part in the life of the local people, that feeling is disappearing. The only thing is that people in Russia are miserly with their letters. Well, I must stop. I embrace you fondly, my dear. Keep well and cheerful.
Mother sends regards to you and Dm. I. We are awaiting a letter from him. All the very, very best.
Yours,
Nadya