283. To M. P. PAVLOVICH[1]
Comrade Pavlovich
People’s Commissariat of Nationalities
May 31, 1921
Comrade Pavlovich,
I have arranged for publication of a school atlas (in Petrograd).[2]
It would be extremely important to include maps of imperialism.
Would you not undertake this?
For example:
(1) colonial possessions 1876-1914-1921, adding or specially shading off semi-colonial countries (Turkey, Persia, China, and so forth).
(2) Brief statistics of colonies and semi-colonies.
(3) Map of financial dependencies. For example, for each country ± with a figure (millions or milliards of francs) of how much this country owes, and how much it is owed;
also comparatively for 1876-1914-1921
(if 1876 be taken as the culminating point of pre- monopoly capitalism).
(4) Railways of the world, with a note, in each country, showing to whom most of them belong (British, French, North America, etc.).
Will this prove too much of a mixture? Convenient forms can be found, with what matters, what predominates noted very briefly.
(5) The main sources of those raw materials over which there is a struggle (oil, ores, etc.)—also with notes (% or millions of francs belong to such-and-such a country).
We must without fail include maps of this kind in the textbooks, of course with a brief explanatory text.
A statistical assistant can be given you for the auxiliary work.
Please reply whether you undertake this, how and when.
With communist greetings,
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars
[1] Pavlovich, M. P. (Veltman, M. L.) (1871-1929)—Social- Democrat, Menshevik. He became a Communist after 1917, and from 1921 was a member of the Collegium of the Commissariat for Affairs of Nationalities.
[2] Reference is to the preparations for the publication of the Vsemirny geografichesky atlas (Geographical Atlas of the World), launched on Lenin’s initiative. The project was not realised.