Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 16 - From Marx to Mao

FACTION OF SUPPORTERS OF OTZOVISM AND GOD-BUILDERS49xinsky and Co.!! Come now, why do you play this unbecoming,this disgraceful farce? For what purpose? Why throwdust in the eyes of the public by circulating meaningless“programmes” and “reports” of the “school” instead of admittingfrankly and openly who are the ideological leadersand inspirers of the new factional centre!For what purpose?—we shall answer this question presently,but first let us finish with the question of the school:There is room for Tsarevokokshaisk in St. Petersburg andit can be transferred (most of it, anyway) to St. Petersburg,but St. Petersburg can neither be accommodated in nortransferred to Tsarevokokshaisk. The more energetic andindependent of the students at the new Party school willmanage to find their way from the narrow new faction tothe broad Party, from the “science” of the otzovists andgod-builders to the science of Social-Democracy in generaland Bolshevism in particular. As for those who prefer tolimit themselves to a Yerogin education, nothing can bedone with them. The editorial board of Proletary is preparedto give and will give every possible assistance to all workers,whatever their views, if they want to migrate (or travel)from the foreign Tsarevokokshaisk to the foreign St. Petersburgand acquaint themselves with Bolshevik views.The hypocritical policy of the organisers and initiatorsof the “first Party school abroad”, however, we shallexpose before the whole Party.VWhat is the purpose of all this hypocrisy of Maximov’s,we asked, and deferred our reply until we had finished talkingabout the school. But, strictly speaking, the questionto be cleared up here is not “for what purpose”, but “why?”It would be wrong to think that all the members of thenew faction are conducting a hypocritical policy deliberatelyfor a definite purpose. No. The fact is that in the verysituation of this faction, in the conditions in which it hasappeared and is active, there are causes (which many otzovistsand god-builders are not conscious of) that give rise toa hypocritical policy.