“The intelligentsia is not the brain of the nation, but shit”

Lenin wrote this phrase, which went down in history, in a letter to Gorky sent on September 15, 1919, opposing “intellectuals who imagine themselves to be the brain of the nation” to the growing intellectual forces of the workers and peasants.

The reason for this epistolary discussion about the role, place and, so to speak, qualitative characteristics of the liberal (“near-Kadet”, according to Lenin) intelligentsia in the young state of workers and peasants, which unfolded between Lenin and Gorky, was a letter written by Alexei Maksimovich on September 6, 1919 of the year. In it, Gorky protested against the arrests of several dozen of the most prominent Russian scientists carried out in Petrograd:

“Several dozens of the most prominent Russian scientists have been arrested here, including: Depp, Osipov, Tereshin, Bush, Krogius, Oldenburg, Belogolovy, D. Grimm, etc., etc. I consider it necessary to tell you frankly my opinion on this matter: for me, the wealth of a country, the strength of the people, is expressed in the quantity and quality of its intellectual forces. Revolution makes sense only when it contributes to the growth and development of these forces. Men of science must be treated as economically and respectfully as possible—it is especially necessary in our country, where seventeen-year-old boys go to the barracks and to the slaughterhouse of the civil war, and where—for this reason—the growth of intellectual powers will be retarded for a long time.

We, saving our skins, cut the head of the people, destroy their brains. Obviously, we have no hope of victory and no courage to die with honor if we resort to such a barbaric and shameful method as I consider the destruction of the scientific forces of the country. What does this method of self-defence mean, except for the expression of despair, the consciousness of weakness, or, finally, the desire for revenge for our own mediocrity? I protest strongly against this tactic, which strikes at the brain of a people who are spiritually impoverished enough. I know that you will say the usual words: “political struggle”, “those who are not with us are against us”, “neutral people are dangerous” and so on.

The vast majority of representatives of positive science are neutral and objective, like science itself: they are apolitical people. Most of them are old people, sick: the prison will kill them: they are already exhausted enough by hunger. Vladimir Ilyich! I take their side and prefer arrest and imprisonment to participation – albeit silent – in the extermination of the best, most valuable forces of the Russian people. It became clear to me that the “Reds” are just as much enemies of the people as the “Whites”. Personally, of course, I prefer to be destroyed by the “whites”, but the “reds” are not my comrades either.

Let me hope you understand me.”

In a reply letter dated September 15, 1919, Lenin, acknowledging some “excesses on the ground” (he, in particular, reports that Bukharin and Kamenev have already been appointed by the Central Committee to verify the validity of arrests), declares that “in general, the measure of arrest of the Cadet (and near-Cadet ) of the public was necessary and correct”:

“When I read your frank opinion on this matter, I especially remember your phrase, which sunk into my head during our conversations (in London, on Capri and after): “We, artists, are insane people.”

That’s it! Incredibly angry words you say on what occasion? Regarding the fact that several dozens (or even hundreds) of Cadet and near-Cadet gentlemen will spend several days in prison to prevent plots like the surrender of Krasnaya Gorka, plots that threaten the death of tens of thousands of workers and peasants. What a disaster, you think! What an injustice! A few days or even weeks in prison for the intellectuals to prevent the beating of tens of thousands of workers and peasants!”

Further, Vladimir Ilyich explains to the “proletarian” writer that it is not proper to confuse the “intellectual forces” of the people with the “forces” of the bourgeois intellectuals:

“I will take Korolenko as a model: I recently read his pamphlet “War, Fatherland and Mankind”, written in August 1917. After all, Korolenko is the best of the “near-Cadet” ones, almost a Menshevik. And what a vile, vile, vile defense of the imperialist war, covered up with sugary phrases! Pitiful tradesman, captivated by bourgeois prejudices! For such gentlemen, the 10,000,000 killed in the imperialist war is a cause worthy of support (by deeds, with sugary phrases “against” the war), while the death of hundreds of thousands in a just civil war against the landowners and capitalists causes ahs, oohs, sighs, hysterics. No. It’s not a sin for such “talents” to spend weeks in prison.”

It was after this summary that Vladimir Ilyich declared that “the intellectual forces of the workers and peasants are growing and strengthening in the struggle to overthrow the bourgeoisie and its accomplices, intellectuals, lackeys of capital, who imagine themselves to be the brains of the nation. In fact, this is not a brain, but shit.

According to Lenin, Gorky himself surrounded himself with “the worst elements of the bourgeois intelligentsia and succumbs to their whining”:

“You hear and listen to the cry of hundreds of intellectuals about the “terrible” arrest for several weeks, but you do not hear and don’t listen. I fully understand, I fully understand, that in this way one can add not only to the point that “the Reds are the same enemies of the people as the Whites” (the fighters for the overthrow of the capitalists and landlords are the same enemies of the people as the landowners and capitalists), but also to faith in God or in the king-father.

After that, Vladimir Ilyich, for the time being, “in a friendly way” warns:

“Hey, you’ll perish if you don’t break out of this environment of bourgeois intellectuals! From the bottom of my heart, I want to get out as soon as possible.”

In a response letter written by Gorky no later than September 19, 1919, Alexei Maksimovich urged “finally to understand the difference between the politicking intelligentsia and representatives of the country’s intellectual, scientific forces, it is necessary to draw a line of separation between Pavel Milyukov’s ass and Professor Depp’s head”:

“Yes, I am insane, but I am not blind, I am not a politician, but I am not stupid, as politicians are often stupid. I know that you are accustomed to “operating with the masses” and a person is an insignificant phenomenon for you – for me Mechnikov, Pavlov, Fedorov are the most brilliant scientists of the world, his brain. You politicians are metaphysicians, and here I am, a deranged artist, but a rationalist more than you.

There is not enough brain in Russia, we have few talented people and too much – too much! – a lot of swindlers, scoundrels, adventurers.

Therefore, according to Gorky, “a learned person should now be more precious to us than ever”… Unfortunately, as subsequent history showed, no one heeded the writer’s fair words, and the millstones of the coming repressions chewed through a significant part of the country’s intellectual elite.

Sergei Ishkov.

Picture great-country.ru