Why did Ivan Pavlov refuse special food privileges offered by Vladimir Lenin?

During the famine that followed the Russian Revolution of 1917, Vladimir Lenin offered Ivan Pavlov special food rations equivalent to those of an honored communist to ensure the scientist remained in Russia.

Pavlov refused these individual privileges, declaring, "I will not accept these privileges unless you give them to every one of my collaborators!" This act reflected his principled stance against the preferential treatment of individuals by the Soviet government during a time of widespread hardship, as well as his broader, fearless opposition to the communist regime's policies.1