▁and ▁ex iled ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁for ▁three ▁years , ▁to ▁Y erm akov sk , ▁in ▁Si ber ia , ▁ 2 0 ▁miles ▁from ▁ ▁Min uss in sk , ▁where ▁Len in ▁was ▁in ▁ex ile . ▁Both ▁became ▁loyal ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁Len in ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁Russian ▁Social ▁Democratic ▁Labour ▁Party ▁( R SD LP ) ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁founded , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁After ▁Len in ▁had ▁launched ▁the ▁newspaper ▁I sk ra , ▁they ▁acted ▁as ▁its ▁agents ▁in ▁P sk ov ▁north ▁west ▁Russia , ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁when ▁they ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Gene va ▁and ▁opened ▁a ▁ca fe . ▁This ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁meeting ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁who ▁supported ▁Len in ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁out number ed ▁among ▁the ▁Russian ▁ex iles ▁by ▁the ▁Mens he vik s ▁and ▁was ▁further more ▁under ▁pressure ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁r ift ▁within ▁the ▁R SD LP . ▁According ▁to ▁one ▁witness ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁Gene va ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁Le pes hin sky ▁" wor sh ipped ▁Len in ▁rather ▁as ▁a ▁sentiment al ▁school g irl ▁wor ships ▁her ▁teachers ", ▁whereas ▁she ▁was ▁" a ▁very ▁form id able ▁and ▁business like ▁woman , ▁who ▁utter ed ▁with ▁great ▁a plom p ▁the ▁most ▁simpl istic ▁opinions .... Her ▁general ▁level ▁of ▁education ▁was ▁nothing ▁to ▁bo ast ▁of