Maxim Gorky (Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, 1868-1936)
Requesting exemption from military service for Chukovsky and Zamyatin. 1919
Autograph letter signed ('M. Gorky') to 'Comrade Toyvo', n.p. 8 October 1919.

In Russian. 1½ pages, 268 x 207mm.

Requesting an exemption from military service for Korney Chukovsky and Yevgeny Zamyatin. 'Among those who need a postponement of military service and who had not yet received it are the members of the editorial board of Vsemirnaya literatura, Korney Chukovsky and Yevgeny Zamyatin. Both of them are absolutely indispensible workers and I earnestly ask you to correct this unfortunate misunderstanding'; he also adds in the names of six other staff members who are equally indispensible. 'I beg you, comrade Toyvo, to fulil my request, as non-execution of this request will reflect badly upon a matter of great cultural importance in one of those undertakings of which the Soviet authorities can be proud. We do not have many of them'.

In spite of his difficult relationship with Lenin and his mistrust of Bolshevism, Gorky's prestige was sufficient to give him some leverage in political matters in the years immediately following the October Revolution. Gorky was closely involved in the foundation of the publishing house Vsemirnaya literatura (World Literature) in 1919, and recruited the cream of the Russian intelligentsia to work for it, including the two writers mentioned here, the children's poet Korney Chukovsky (1882-1969) and the science fiction author Yevgeny Zamyatin (1884-1937).

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