The Story of Lenin
Lenin’s Fight Against Bourgeois Legal Privileges
Lenin firmly opposed party and state officials enjoying any privileges. He always admonished everyone to be honest and serve the people by example, prioritizing the interests of the people everywhere, working diligently to serve the people, and not to abuse their authority for personal gain, nor to seek higher ranks or become “privileged persons standing above the masses.” Lenin condemned those who wanted to turn knowledge into a shield for protecting their own pockets as servants of the bourgeoisie, and he deeply hated state officials engaging in corruption, accepting bribes, and breaking the law.
In May 1918, Lenin wrote to the Judicial People’s Committee, suggesting:
“An urgent and swift bill must be introduced immediately to punish acts of bribery (bribery, bribing, collusion, and similar conduct).”
In 1921, a Red Army soldier wrote to Lenin in Moscow reporting that some officials in the Don River Province were abusing their authority for personal gain, causing dissatisfaction among workers and peasants. Lenin immediately forwarded a copy of the letter to the Central Secretary, proposing that several members of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and one or two students from Sverdlov University form a special committee to investigate in the Don River area, and severely punish those proven to have committed serious crimes on the spot. Lenin also instructed his secretary to quickly find the soldier who had written the letter, to meet him, comfort him, and tell him that although he was ill, Lenin would supervise the handling of the case.
In opposing class privileges and building socialist mutual relations among people, Lenin set a brilliant example for us. He appeared everywhere as an ordinary worker, faithfully implementing the policies and laws of the Party and the state, never abusing his power. Many touching stories circulated among the Soviet people reflect Lenin’s noble qualities and have profound educational significance for cadres and the masses.
Lenin never approved of receiving gifts. During the difficult years of the civil war, Lenin ate only the rations of black bread like the workers. Farmers, soldiers, and comrades from the provinces brought him some food—fruits, eggs, white flour—but Lenin always forwarded these to kindergartens, hospitals, and other needy comrades.
On August 22, 1919, the Moscow Soviet Grain Bureau sent samples of fruits produced by state farms. Lenin replied the next day, asking not to do this again, and only to inform him roughly about the distribution of fruits and other items from state farms, whether hospitals, sanatoriums, and children received them, and how much was distributed to each place.
Furthermore, in a letter to workers at the Klin Tsedol Wool Factory in November 1922, Lenin earnestly said:
“Do not send gifts to me,” and “Try to tell all workers.”
When the Soviet central government moved from Petrograd to Moscow, people advised Lenin to live in a comfortable, spacious house. He insisted on living in a house about the same size as the one he had during exile. The furnishings inside were extremely simple. When he moved to Gorky after the doctor’s advice, they wanted to arrange a detached house for him, but he refused and moved into a small side room.
To see how “our proletarians” lived there, Lenin often walked from the Kremlin to the Sokolniki district, where his wife was recovering. He did not take the same route each time, to observe the lives of the people more, and would return on foot, not by car, walking back to the Kremlin.
The Green Office
The great mentor of the proletariat, Lenin, said:
“To participate in the revolution rationally, consciously, and effectively, one must learn.”
Just understanding the background of “The State and Revolution” reveals how astonishing Lenin’s perseverance in learning and working was.
On July 7, 1917, the Provisional Government ordered Lenin’s arrest. The Central Committee decided to transfer Lenin to a safe place. On the night of July 9, Lenin shaved his forehead, trimmed his beard, put on a red-yellow coat, and a gray hat, disguising himself as a Finnish peasant. Under the cover of escorts, Lenin safely arrived at the Razliv station on the Russian-Finnish border, crossed Lake Razliv, and stayed in a hut made of branches and hay, sleeping on a straw bed. Beside the hut, in the bushes, he cleared a small space, placed two tree stumps—one as a table, the other as a stool—and called it “my green office.”
To escape the secret agents of the provisional government, Lenin disguised himself as a grass cutter, often going with the Yemelyanov family, who sheltered him, to cut grass. Once, a farmer asked Yemelyanov:
“Can I ask the Finnish man you hired to work? I’m not feeling well these days; could he help me for a couple of days?”
Yemelyanov quickly replied:
“No, he’s too tired these days, don’t let him go!”
The farmer had to leave. Lenin and Yemelyanov laughed heartily.
Despite the harsh environment, living and working conditions, Lenin never stopped learning and fighting. The classic Marxist literature and the immortal masterpiece “The State and Revolution” were written on the tree stump in this “green office.” Lenin read and wrote with great concentration, often forgetting fatigue and hunger, until someone came to bring him food, reminding him he had not eaten all day.
Today, the hut where revolutionary mentor Lenin once lived still remains intact. Next to it stands a granite monument inscribed:
“In July and August 1917, the leaders of the October Revolution, with world significance, hid in this hut built of branches to escape bourgeois persecution, and here wrote ‘The State and Revolution.’
Now, we have built a granite hut here in memory.
1927, workers of Lenin City.”
Serious Advice
The great mentor Lenin had a deep revolutionary friendship with Gorky. Gorky once said: “Lenin was a strict teacher and a ‘considerate’ friend to me.” And it was indeed so.
In 1907, when Gorky’s long novel “Mother” was just published, Lenin immediately gave high praise and support, calling it “a very timely book.”
During Gorky’s heroic struggle, he was attacked and persecuted by the bourgeoisie. In the face of enemy attacks, Gorky proved himself a proletarian fighter, fearless and persistent. However, after the victory of the October Revolution, the bourgeoisie, harboring deep hatred for the proletariat, surrounded Gorky with flattery, flattery, repentance, and pleas… Under such circumstances, Gorky, who once cheered for the revolutionary storm like a sea swallow, wavered.
Lenin was deeply distressed by Gorky’s change. One summer day in 1918, when Gorky arrived, Lenin sternly criticized his mistake. Gorky joked:
“Maybe I am old, and sometimes I think our cruelty might be unnecessary…”
Lenin angrily and indignantly said:
“That’s why I took a shot from an intellectual.”
Gorky was puzzled and confused by Lenin’s advice. Later, he went to Petrograd. In his small space of editing and translating works, in the nearby dark literary salons, he distanced himself from the fiery battles and vigorous class brothers, surrounded by a group of “resentful bourgeois intellectuals,” gradually disarming himself mentally. In a letter to Lenin, he expressed weariness with life, complained, and expressed admiration for bourgeois “brotherhood and equality,” deepening his divergence from communism.
On July 31, 1919, Lenin, busy as he was, wrote a long letter to Gorky, sternly pointing out:
“The whole country is tense and fighting against the bourgeoisie worldwide,”
and you “are trapped in the most unhealthy place,”
“wasting all your energy listening to the complaints of sick bourgeois intellectuals.”
He earnestly advised him to leave Petrograd, break out of the bourgeois reactionary encirclement, and
“go to the countryside or factories (or the front), observe how people are building life in new ways. With just ordinary observation, you can easily distinguish the decay of old things from the sprouting of new ones.”
Gorky corrected his mistake. In his later memoirs, he deliberately left this unforgettable page:
“What is written by the pen cannot be erased by an axe. Let readers know about my mistake and learn from it! Just as Lenin often taught: ‘Let’s learn from our mistakes!’”
More than half a century later, the serious advice and warm care Lenin gave Gorky to leave Petrograd are still deeply engraved in our memories and echo in our minds.
A Note
After the October Revolution succeeded, the Soviet government was still in extreme hardship. Lenin, as Chairman of the People’s Commissariat, worked day and night for the revolutionary cause, living very simply. Like the workers, he ate only black bread, and even butter was out of reach.
When the head of the General Affairs Department of the People’s Commissariat, Bluyevich, out of love for the leader, raised Lenin’s salary from 500 rubles to 800 rubles without approval, Lenin was very angry and firmly refused, considering it a “blatant violation of the law,” and gave Bluyevich a “serious warning.” Lenin’s idea was to uphold the laws of the People’s Commissariat and adhere to the wage principles of the Paris Commune, leading the effort to limit bourgeois legal privileges.
On May 23, 1918, Lenin wrote this note to Bluyevich:
“Since you have not obeyed my firm request to explain why my salary was increased from 500 rubles to 800 rubles starting March 1, 1918, and considering your blatant illegal act of increasing my salary without the approval of the Commissariat Secretary Nikolai Petrovich Gorbunov, which directly violated the law of November 23, 1917, of the People’s Commissariat, I hereby give you a serious warning.”
Lenin’s noble communist spirit and great actions set a shining example of limiting bourgeois legal privileges.
Verification
Shortly after the victory of the October Revolution, Lenin went to the Morningside Palace in Moscow for a meeting. The situation was complicated, the tasks were arduous, and Lenin was contemplating even while walking. He approached the guards in deep thought, not yet realizing he needed to show his pass. At that time, Lenin was dressed in a simple short coat, wearing a cap, and because Lenin’s image was rarely printed then, the guards did not recognize him.
Just as he was about to step through, the guard stopped him and said:
“Comrade, please wait a moment, let me see your pass.”
Lenin suddenly woke from his reflection. He said kindly:
“Oh, yes, I still need to see the pass. Sorry, comrade, I will find it for you now.”
At this moment, someone arriving for the meeting saw the guard stop Lenin and hurriedly shouted to the guard:
“This is Chairman Lenin of the People’s Commissariat! Do you still need to check?”
The guard replied:
“I have never seen Comrade Lenin before! Without a pass, no matter who it is, I cannot let him through.”
Hearing this, the man was very angry and shouted:
“Quickly let Comrade Lenin in!”
Lenin turned back and said:
“Don’t give orders to him, and don’t mumble at him. The guard is right; order and discipline should be the same for all, with no exceptions.”
While speaking, Lenin took out his pass from his pocket and handed it to the guard. The guard carefully looked and exclaimed:
“It’s really Comrade Lenin! Quickly, salute him,” and then said:
“Comrade Lenin, please forgive me for delaying you.”
Lenin replied:
“Comrade, you did right. Thank you for your diligent service.”
An Old Coat
Not long after the October Revolution, Lenin, like everyone else, lived a very hard life. He often wore that thin old coat, patched in several places, with torn cuffs. Comrades cared about Lenin’s health and advised him:
“Comrade Lenin, your coat is too thin, change it for a thicker one!”
Lenin smiled and said:
“Aren’t everyone wearing thin clothes? Some comrades don’t even have a torn coat!”
Once, workers from the Klin Tsedol Wool Factory sent Lenin a piece of fabric from their factory, along with a greeting letter:
“If you, our dear mentor and leader, could wear clothes woven by our own hands, how happy we would be! Please wear it, dear Lenin, for your health.”
Lenin received the gift and personally wrote back:
“Dear comrades!
Heartfelt thanks for your greetings and gift. I specifically tell you not to send gifts to me, and kindly ask you to tell all workers about this secret request.
Thank you very much, and greetings to you.
Your Lenin.”
By 1921, imperialist interference had failed, the White Guards had been eliminated, the famine was over, and people’s lives gradually improved. But Lenin still wore that old coat, with new patches sewn on, and the cuffs and hem worn smooth. Comrades who liked joking would see Lenin’s torn coat and say:
“Now Comrade Lenin can change to a new coat. Send that old coat to the Revolution Museum; it’s a fun exhibit.”
One comrade, unable to bear it, grabbed Lenin’s torn coat and said:
“Report to Chairman Lenin, please take it off immediately. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold!”
Lenin firmly held the comrade’s hand, looked at him kindly and seriously, and said:
“Yes, we have won, but we still need to build. We must put more resources into the country’s construction, expand our production, and strengthen our troops. Do you think that after the revolution, we should dress more nicely? Comrade, everything we do is for the happiness of the Soviet people. Wearing torn clothes doesn’t matter. Remember: our revolution is not for personal enjoyment!”
A Smoked Fish
Lenin was a revolutionary leader who shared hardships with the people. He worked from dawn to dusk on revolutionary tasks but did not think about taking care of himself. Shortly after the October Revolution, due to imperialist and White Guards’ sabotage, the people’s life was very difficult. When others gave him things, he always politely refused.
One day, a comrades responsible for fisheries came to talk with Lenin and brought a large smoked fish weighing about four or five jin (about 2-2.5 kg). After discussing work, he placed the fish on the table and said:
“Dear Comrade Lenin, to show our affection and for your health, please accept this fish!”
Lenin was very touched and said:
“Comrade, thank you for your concern. But I cannot accept your fish. The people are starving!”
The comrade repeatedly urged:
“Comrade Lenin, it’s not much; please accept it!”
Lenin had no choice but to say:
“Alright, leave it here.”
The comrade was very happy to hear Lenin agree. Just as he was about to say goodbye, Lenin turned around, pressed the electric bell.
A female secretary came in, and Lenin said to her:
“Please send this fish to the kindergarten!”
Then he turned back, shook hands with the comrade, and warmly said:
“On behalf of the children, I thank you for your gift!”
The comrade who brought the fish was stunned, unsure what to say.
Extra Bread
Once, Lenin’s housemaid, Fulong Chao Wa, went to the supply station to get bread. To take care of Lenin’s health, the baker gave her ten portions instead of eight. Fulong Chao Wa was very happy, thinking: Lenin works day and night and rarely eats; now he can eat more!
She happily went home. She brought tea and more bread than usual, standing nearby waiting, thinking: Today, with so much bread, Lenin must be happy.
Seeing so much bread, Lenin was a bit puzzled and asked her:
“Fulong Chao Wa, where did you get so much bread? Isn’t it only one-eighth of a pound per person?”
Fulong Chao Wa told Lenin:
“Comrade Lenin, it’s like this: the women at the supply station gave us ten portions.”
Lenin shook his head. Fulong Chao Wa continued:
“It’s okay; they have plenty of bread on their shelves. Eat it!”
Lenin seriously told her:
“Fulong Chao Wa, do you think they only take care of us, only care about what you care about?”
He then cut off a piece of the extra bread, handed it to her, and said:
“Quickly take this bread back, and don’t do this again in the future.”
Haircut
Lenin never demanded special treatment or privileges from others. One day, he went to the Kremlin barber shop for a haircut. There were only two barbers, but many waiting for a haircut.
As soon as Lenin entered, everyone greeted him. After greeting everyone, Lenin asked:
“Who is the last one?”
Then he queued up to wait his turn.
Everyone thought that Lenin, as the leader of the Party and the state, had many important matters to handle, and every minute was precious. They felt uneasy and urged Lenin:
“Comrade Lenin, don’t worry about the order, please go ahead and get your haircut.”
Lenin waved his hand and said:
“Thank you, comrades. You let me go first, that’s kind, but it’s not right. We should follow the order we set ourselves, and we must abide by it in all small matters of life.”
On a State Farm
One winter, Lenin went to a state farm for a vacation, choosing a small thatched hut to stay in.
Initially, the workers knew Lenin was coming and prepared a comfortable bed, beautiful quilts, and furniture. Lenin entered and firmly asked them to remove these things, saying:
“I don’t need these. I’ll sleep on a haystack. Sleeping on such a refined bed is uncomfortable.”
The workers moved the bed and furniture away, but they couldn’t bear to let Lenin sleep on the haystack, so they replaced it with an old willow bed.
Lenin arranged the room himself. After setting it up, he went to see the driver, Gil. How was the place?
At night, he chatted with the workers, asking how they lived and worked…
One day, a heavy snow fell. That night, Lenin took a broom and an iron shovel, went out onto the thick snow, and started shoveling. Soon, he cleared the snow around the hut and the workers’ dormitory.
The next morning, the workers got up and saw this, feeling very surprised:
“Who did this?”
After asking around, they finally learned it was Lenin.
Carrying Wood
On May 1, 1920, was the “Saturday Volunteer Labor Day” of the All-Union Soviet Republic.
Early in the morning, workers, officials, soldiers, officers, and students from all directions rushed to the Kremlin Square.
Just as the comrades lined up, a burst of laughter erupted:
“Lenin is here!”
Today, Lenin participated in “Saturday Volunteer Labor” as an ordinary worker.
Their work first involved moving wood. The logs were large and heavy, each requiring two people to carry, and some even needed four or five.
Lenin worked with a soldier. The strong young soldier often carried the smaller end of the log for Lenin, leaving the larger, heavier end for himself. But Lenin noticed this immediately and took the logs himself.
The soldier then said:
“I’m only twenty-eight, but you’re already fifty.”
Lenin placed the heavy end on his shoulder, smiled slightly, and said:
“Since I am older than you, then don’t argue with me.”
This time, three students from a military school and two workers, one of whom kept looking at Lenin and later said:
“Comrade Lenin, even without you! We can do this work; you have more important work to do!”
Lenin replied:
“For now, this work is the most important.”
He turned and went to carry the logs, not wanting to rest for a moment, walking faster and faster.
The comrades participating in the volunteer labor looked on with admiration. Despite the heavy and tiring work, everyone felt an indescribable happiness, and no one wanted to fall behind in the labor.
Repairing the Fireplace
Not long after the October Revolution, Lenin went to a village called Gork in the outskirts of Moscow. There was a very diligent stove repairer named Ivan. During the Tsarist era, he was a poor peasant, but after the October Revolution, he became a master of the Soviet state.
One evening, the repairer saw someone walking in the public pasture from afar. He was angry and shouted loudly:
“Hey! Who’s trespassing on the pasture? Who gave you the right to trample the grass at will?”
Lenin heard this, quietly stepped out of the pasture, walking toward Ivan while taking off his hat:
“Old man, please forgive me. I’ll walk the other way.”
The repairer saw that it was Comrade Lenin and hurriedly said:
“Comrade Lenin, it’s you! I was speaking loudly.”
Time passed quickly. One day, two Red Army soldiers arrived in a sleigh at the repairer’s house. One soldier politely asked:
“Are you the stove repairer Ivan?”
The repairer trembled and said:
“Yes, I am…”
His whole family was frightened and didn’t know what was happening.
The other soldier said:
“Please take your tools and come with us!”
The repairer grabbed his sheepskin coat, panicking and unable to find his sleeves.
Soon, the repairer arrived at Lenin’s house. The footsteps on the stairs sounded powerful, and Lenin appeared at the door, smiling:
“Ah! Old friend, come in quickly and sit.”
Lenin helped the repairer into the house and kindly said:
“The fireplace is broken and keeps smoking. Can you help fix it?”
Hearing this, the repairer’s heart suddenly brightened and said:
“Of course, of course.”
He immediately began repairing the fireplace. Lenin asked him:
“What can I do to help?”
The repairer said:
“Comrade Lenin, please pour some hot water for me; I will need it soon.”
Lenin happily brought the hot water, helping the repairer as if he were an apprentice assisting a master. The work went smoothly, and the fireplace was quickly repaired.
Lenin praised the repairer’s quick and excellent work. He then took out hot tea and snacks to entertain him.
After sitting for a while, the repairer remembered the summer and said anxiously:
“Comrade Lenin, the matter of the pasture in summer was my fault. Rural folks speak more roughly.”
Actually, Lenin had long forgotten this. Today, hearing the repairer mention it again, he suddenly remembered and, habitually, laughed heartily, saying:
“Old man, you’re talking nonsense. That was my mistake. I will love and protect the Soviet pasture like you do in the future.”
The repairer was so moved he shed tears and silently thought:
“Comrade Lenin, you are the greatest and simplest person in the world.”
—These female workers knew: Lenin always took matters into his own hands; but for a small matter like pouring a cup of tea, did he still need to go downstairs himself?
“Vladimir Ilyich! Our dear comrade!” said the female cleaner Shura,
“Do you have to run around personally for such a small matter? You should know, you are our most important master.”
Lenin replied:
“I am not your master, I am a worker just like you.”
Cook Sasha said:
“Alright, if you call us workers, then we are the most important workers. Vladimir Ilyich, you manage the whole country, and we only manage a kitchen. Can we be compared to you?”
Lenin answered:
“In our country where the working people hold power, all issues are decided by the working people. Female cooks can also manage the country.”
After thanking Vladimir Ilyich, he went upstairs to his office.
A Cart of Firewood
One winter, Ivanov from Sudaogde County, Ulyanovsk Province, came to Lenin. He was there to do something for the farmers. As soon as he entered Lenin’s office, he felt the temperature was very low. He thought to himself, since the revolution had just recently succeeded and transportation had not fully recovered, it was difficult to buy firewood in Moscow, so the stove was not burning well. He noted this.
He returned to his village, reported to the farmers that their request had been accepted, and said:
“Moscow’s food situation isn’t great, but the firewood problem is worse. Our beloved Ilyich is suffering from the cold.”
Someone said:
“Nonsense, that won’t happen. Would Ilyich be freezing in his own office?”
Ivanov said:
“Really, when I sat in his office, I was so cold that my teeth couldn’t match.”
His words caused the farmers to start shouting. One said:
“Even if we cut down the entire forest, we won’t let Comrade Lenin freeze.”
Another said:
“His stove must be bad. I will repair the stove and install a good one for him.”
No one wanted to see their beloved leader suffer from the cold. So, everyone quickly cut a lot of firewood, loaded it onto a train, and sent it to Lenin, along with a letter that said:
“We know from our representatives that your house is not warm enough, so we send you this firewood. May it keep you warm. If it runs out, we will send more, ensuring it lasts until summer.”
After receiving the firewood, Lenin was very surprised. When he saw the letter, he understood what it was about. He thought that children needed warmth most in winter, so he ordered these firewood to be sent to the kindergarten.
Riding a Freight Truck
On a Sunday in December 1920, at dawn, Lenin braved the minus twenty-degree cold, riding a car on a snow-covered road, covering more than seventy kilometers to go hunting outside Moscow. That day, Lenin was deeply engaged in hunting in the dense forest, very happy, until six o’clock in the evening, when he began to head back.
After about fifteen kilometers, when the car passed the Podsonnechina train station, it broke down and could not move forward. The driver suggested leaving the car there and taking the train back to Moscow.
Lenin and the driver went to a local Soviet house to wait. Initially, no one in the house recognized Lenin. Later, someone looked at the Lenin portrait hanging on the wall, then looked carefully at Lenin, and whispered something to another comrade, and they started to move quickly. Apparently, Lenin was recognized by them.
Soon, the house was filled with people eager to see Lenin and talk to him. They all proposed ideas on how to get Lenin back to Moscow. A local Soviet leader suggested sending a special locomotive from Moscow to take Lenin back.
Lenin politely declined, saying:
“Why send a special locomotive? We can just take a freight truck back.”
Lenin and them went to the Podsonnechina station to wait for a freight truck. The freight train arrived. After negotiations with the train conductor, Lenin and his driver were led to a temporary passenger car in front of a freight car. The carriage was occupied by the conductor and crew, and a stove was still burning.
Lenin sat in the carriage, smiling, and said:
“It’s very warm here. We can return to Moscow very comfortably.”
A Bowl of Vegetarian White Soup
Lenin loved the working people and always cared about their interests, fighting selflessly for their liberation all his life. The working people also loved Lenin very much and cared about him. But Lenin always regarded himself as one of the working people and never wanted special treatment. He ate with everyone in the canteen, living a very simple life.
At that time, the canteen supplied each person with two hundred grams of black bread and a bowl of vegetarian white soup per meal. The so-called vegetarian white soup was just potato chips and cabbage boiled in water, with no oil, and very little potatoes and cabbage—about three or four slices of potato per bowl.
Once, while everyone was lining up to get their meals, Lenin came in. Those who had already received their food and were eating immediately stood up. Lenin gestured to stop everyone, smiling and saying:
“Sit down and eat, sit down and eat.”
The comrades let him go ahead to get his food, but he didn’t go.
When it was his turn to get the soup, the cook saw it was Lenin and scooped more potato chips from the bottom of the bucket for him. Lenin immediately stopped the cook and said:
“Don’t do that. Everyone eats what they eat, I will eat the same as everyone else.”
The cook had to pour it out and serve him a new bowl.
Simple Residence
When the Soviet central government moved from Leningrad to Moscow, everyone advised Lenin to move into a comfortable, spacious house. But Lenin insisted on living in a house about the same size as the one he lived in during exile. The rooms were extremely simple. After moving into the Kremlin, he, his wife, sister, and servants only occupied four common rooms. Lenin’s small room served as both a study and a bedroom, with a writing desk by the window and an iron bed against the wall. The bed was covered with a checkered blanket his mother gave him seven years earlier. Sometimes, the kitchen replaced the dining room. Lenin often ate lunch, dinner, and drank tea here according to his old habits.
In 1918, after Lenin was attacked, to recover better, he was once sent to the Gorky estate of the former Moscow mayor. The house there was very good, with a balcony, bathroom, electric lights, luxurious furnishings, and a beautiful garden. After arriving at Gorky, Lenin chose only the smallest room to live in.
Lenin was simple himself, but he cared deeply about workers’ lives. To see how “our proletarians” lived, he often walked from the Kremlin to the Sokolniki district.
The Closest Friend of the Working People
Lenin cared deeply about the working people, often listening to the opinions and demands of workers and farmers. In his view, the opinions of ordinary workers were as important as those of the Central Committee members and the People’s Commissars. Lenin attached great importance to letters and visits from the masses. He often personally replied to letters and took time to meet workers, farmers, and soldiers, listening to their opinions and demands.
Once, farmers’ representatives from Tambov Province came to see Lenin, and he received them very kindly. During the conversation, the representatives reported the hardships in rural areas to Lenin. Lenin listened carefully and even took notes. When they were about to leave, Lenin said to them:
“If you encounter difficulties in the future, go to the provincial authorities or come to the Kremlin in Moscow to see me.”
A farmer named Chekounov once went to see Lenin. When he reached the reception room door, his heart was pounding. But when he entered and saw Lenin smiling kindly and extending his hand, he calmed down. Lenin asked him to sit down and inquired in detail about the farmers’ lives, talking for two hours.
When Lenin learned that Chekounov had lost a pair of glasses and was having trouble working, he immediately told his secretary to ask the People’s Health Committee to provide Chekounov with a pair of glasses the next day.
Chekounov hurriedly said:
“No need!”
Lenin said:
“This is a small token of my goodwill. Just do it this way!”
Chekounov was very grateful and said to Lenin:
“Your giving me these glasses is really precious.”
He bid farewell to Lenin with tears in his eyes.
Lenin cared for the working people in this meticulous way. He was a great leader of the working people and their closest friend.
Revolutionary Comrade Relations
Lenin led the entire country, handling countless major affairs every day, but he also often cared about his comrades around him, often writing notes about who to send hats, shoes, medicine to, and who to rest…
In a letter to the head of the health department, Shemashko, Lenin said:
“When sending comrades like Gorky and Korolenko to Germany for treatment, it is necessary to consult, invite, persuade the patients, write letters to the Germans, and help the patients, etc. The work must be done very carefully.”
Once, Dzerzhinsky was so exhausted that he vomited blood. No matter how others advised him to rest, he refused. Lenin learned of this and immediately called the Central Committee, suggesting forcing Dzerzhinsky to rest. Lenin also chose a place for his recuperation, a state-run farm near Moscow. Because the air there was fresh, the scenery beautiful, and the food good. Lenin also considered that this farm had no phone, so Dzerzhinsky couldn’t use the phone to discuss work, allowing him to recover peacefully.
Lenin cared about his comrades not only when they were ill but also in a “preventive” manner to prevent them from falling ill! He knew everything and paid close attention. In a note to the health department head, he wrote:
“I learned that Avanesov is working while ill, and his health is very poor… Please send a completely reliable professor and entrust them to provide written opinions (diagnosis and treatment).”
A Few Small Things
Great revolutionary mentor Lenin always demonstrated humble noble qualities at all times.
Lenin loved music very much. Once, during a music evening, a pianist played a piece Lenin liked. Some comrades asked Lenin if he was satisfied with the performance, and Lenin replied amusingly:
“What does my opinion matter? I am just a music enthusiast!”
After listening to stories about Russia and the countryside with Gorky in Gabr in the south, Lenin sighed:
“I know too little about Russia. Only Sinbisk, Kazan, Petersburg, exile—almost just that.”
In a questionnaire under the “Proficiency in this language” column, Lenin wrote:
“Proficient in English, German, French (not good), Italian (very poor)”
In fact, Lenin’s French was very good, and when he spoke French, even the French were surprised.
Lenin made invaluable contributions to the revolutionary cause, and his achievements are incalculable, but he never talked about his own merits. The February Revolution in Russia was completed under Lenin’s leadership. When filling out his resume, Lenin simply wrote:
“Participated as an ordinary member in the February Revolution in 1917.”
On revolutionary commemorative days, Lenin often taught photographers that they should aim their cameras at the people, film the masses, and not focus on him.
On Lenin’s 50th birthday, old comrades organized a celebration dinner. Just before the end of the evening, Lenin arrived and spoke. He said:
“The Bolshevik Party must be vigilant, not arrogant. Arrogance is very dangerous, and it is very foolish, shameful, and laughable. Some parties in the past failed because of arrogance.”
Among these small stories, we can see Lenin’s humble and simple great spirit, which is always worth learning from.