To The Bureau Of The Women's Congress
In Petrograd Gubernia[1]
Comrades, since I have no opportunity of attending your Congress I should like to send you in writing my greetings and my best wishes for success.
We are now happily ending the Civil War. The Soviet Republic is becoming stronger through its victories over the exploiters. The Soviet Republic can and must, from now on, concentrate its forces on a more important task, one that is nearer and dearer to us, to all working people—on a bloodless war, a war for victory over hunger, cold and economic chaos. In this bloodless war, women workers and peasants have an especially big role to play.
May the Women's Congress in Petrograd Gubernia help found, consolidate and organise an army of working women for this bloodless war which should and will bring still greater victories to Soviet power.
With communist greetings,
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
January 10, 1920
[1] The First Congress of Women Workers and Peasants of Petrograd Gubernia was held January 15-16, 1920. It was attended by 403 delegates, of whom 157 were Communists and 246 non-party; among them were 91 peasant women, 131 workers, 133 intellectuals, 15 dressmakers, 11 housewives and two militia women. Though the non-party delegates constituted the majority, the Congress was communist in spirit. The agenda was as follows: the present situation, the Communist Party and its attitude to women workers and peasants, the land question, the consumers' commune, social education, etc. On the opening day a telegram of greetings from Lenin was read out to which the Congress sent a reply. Yelena Stasova greeted the Congress on behalf of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) and the central department of women workers and peasants. She stressed the importance of the coming “week for the front” and called upon women delegates to strain every effort to restore normal life to the country. The Congress demonstrated the striving of the women workers and peasants to take an active part in building up the Soviet Republic.
Written: 10 January, 1919
First Published: First published in Pravda Petrogradskaya Pravda No. 11, January 16, 1920;
Published according to the manuscript
Source: Lenin's Collected Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 30, page 299
Translated: George Hanna
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eSource: Marxists.org - Marxists Internet Archive
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