Memo Combatting Dominant Nation Chauvinism

Written 6 October 1922

Editor’s note: By this time, Lenin was becoming increasingly alarmed by the Great-Russian chauvinist tendencies revealed by many leading communists, particularly Stalin and Ordzhonikidze. In this memo to the Politburo, he made a general statement and also a concrete proposal related to the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

* * *

I declare war to the death on Great-Russian chauvinism. I shall eat it with all my healthy teeth as soon as I get rid of this accursed bad tooth.

It must be absolutely insisted that the Union Central Executive Committee should be presided over in turn by a:

• Russian,
• Ukrainian,
• Georgian, etc.

Absolutely!

Yours,

Lenin