How and why were the youth communist organizations created, and what did the Octobrists, pioneers and Komsomol members swear for?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Perhaps no other phenomenon of the Soviet educational system is being restored with such enviable persistence as the pioneer, with its age levels. However, the whole essence of this phenomenon was in its mass character, and therefore individual associations cannot bring comparable results. Why did children and young people of all ages so willingly join the even ranks of Octobrists, pioneers and Komsomol members, and what did they swear to their comrades?

Industrialization was in full swing, and the majority of young people became "workers" youth, it was they who made up a huge stratum of the urban population. However, the interim government, too busy with the implementation of loud slogans, did not see any political ambitions or real strength in the youth. Moreover, young people were the least protected social stratum.

Young people earned the least, even doing the same work, children and adolescents were not stipulated by law in any way. The Bolsheviks were the first to take under their wing this huge category of people, the most energetic and promising, it is worth noting. As early as 1917, unions began to emerge, in which working youth were united to defend their interests and other common goals. Members of such unions immediately became active members of society, they took part in the protection of streets and factories, acted as vigilantes and helped the police.

The first official association of working youth

In the fall of 1917, the first official event took place, at which a decision was made to create the Moscow Union of Working Youth. The charter was adopted. There were big changes ahead, which had a positive impact on the legal status of young people, especially those who were employed in production. Youth associations began to reach the most provincial towns and counties. The mass was growing.

A year later, an all-Russian youth congress was already held, at which it was decided to create the Russian Communist Youth Union, or RKSM in short, it was from this abbreviation that the abbreviated and sonorous "Komsomol" came from. This word, spread throughout all countries as an untranslatable exclusively communist phenomenon.

Now it is becoming fashionable to be skeptical about such large-scale public organizations, because any attempt to make the common private is perceived as an encroachment on freedom. However, with all the skeptical sentiments, one cannot but recognize the merits of the Komsomol, over the years of its existence tens of millions of people have visited the Komsomol, and most of them remember these years with warmth. It was precisely as members of the Komsomol that people were formed as individuals, took a life position.

Perhaps the main thing that distinguished this public organization from hundreds of others is the sincere desire of its members to make the world a better place. In the first two decades, since its inception, the Komsomol focused on increasing literacy among the population, participated in large-scale construction projects, and formed teams. It was the hands of the Komsomol members who built some of the first-borns of electrification - power plants. Thanks to the initiative and attention of the Komsomol, almost 50 million people were able to get an education.human!

The Great Patriotic War could not ignore the largest public organization in the country. 11 million people who are members of the Komsomol went to defend their homeland. 7 thousand Komsomol members received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war ended, young people traveled across the country to rebuild cities. Their forces mastered virgin lands. More than 40 million hectares of virgin lands were cultivated and developed by the members of the Komsomol. The construction of hydroelectric and nuclear power plants continued. The grandiose construction of the century - "BAM" was an all-Union Komsomol construction project, it was difficult to take part in it, but very honorable.

If in the year of the foundation of the Komsomol organization there was only one per thousand of its members with a higher education, then in 1969 out of 24 million participants, half had higher, incomplete higher or secondary vocational. Among them were teachers, doctors, engineers, representatives of working specialties. Komsomol members were everywhere, they were everywhere.

By 1984, the indicators of the number of members of the Komsomol reached a maximum of 42 million. From that time on, the number began to decline. By the year of the collapse of the USSR, the Komsomol consisted of about 26 million people. Along with the collapse of the country, the public organization also disappeared, although it had a legal successor - the Russian Youth Union, but the enthusiasm was not the same.

Pioneers as preparation for the Komsomol

Most are convinced that pioneering emerged as a form of Komsomol for those younger, in preparation for something more serious. But everything was not so easy and simple. The new government was concerned about the physical and mental health of the younger generation, realizing that children who grew up in a period of change must become worthy citizens of their country and be sufficiently communist, despite their origins and childhood. Military training was another important task.

All these goals were intended to be solved by the organization of young communists. The so-called "Yuki" system was supposed to work according to the scouting scheme. Despite the fact that scouting under the current system was rather a hostile phenomenon, party leaders were able to discern a rational kernel in it and were right. It was impossible not to admit that this system is built on the knowledge of youth and adolescent psychology and their needs and aspirations.

So Yuki scouts are the children of proletarians, united in groups with a military bias (created according to the prototype) for self-development, education and leisure. However, there are also opponents of this system, who see in the scout system a distraction from real problems by sports and some kind of primitive entertainment, the creation of an obedient element of the capitalist system. At the same time, America is cited as a negative example, in which this system is widely used. Say, even from school, the bourgeoisie is raising its own kind, infected with capitalist sentiments, children.

And in general, the USSR, based on its own achievements in science and pedagogy, sanitary standards and the socialist system, will create something more perfect in order to raise a generation that is completely healthy, energetic and ready to fulfill the tasks set for the country. An important role was to be given to labor education. Scout organizations, meanwhile, were already working.

The Komsomol, already created by that time, declared war on bourgeois phenomena, which included scouting. It got to the point that at one of the meetings of the Komsomol organizations, it was decided to recommend the dissolution of the existing Yuki detachments. In addition, one of the reasons was the fact that the leaders of this movement were former mentors who worked in this direction even under the old system. They tried not to touch politics, did not contact the Komsomol and tried to create a separate organization.

Thus, at this stage, two directions were determined, although the goal was one - to organize children and adolescents. Nadezhda Krupskaya even made a report "On Boy Scoutism" with a proposal to adopt some methods of scoutism and create an organization that would be scout in form, but communist in content.

It was this principle that formed the basis of the pioneer, since 1922 pioneer groups began to appear in various settlements. In the same year, they will be united into one centralized system, they will create the law of the pioneers, the solemn promise and the law. But more on that below. As for the political side of the issue, the main requirements for the pioneers were: • rallying the children of the proletariat and their preparation for the struggle for the interests of the system; • striving and struggle for the ideal; • putting the public above the personal; • social priorities are important before the individual, readiness for self-sacrifice.

Oktyabrenok is a future pioneer

For younger children, who were just the same age as the October Revolution, their own version of the pioneer and Komsomol organization was created. The guys, without further ado, were named in honor of the October Revolution - Octobrists. In fact, this was the first stage of Soviet political education and initiation. It should be noted that in many respects this gave children, who most often found themselves at home in an extremely patriarchal and backward environment, a certain amount of independence and independence.

More often than not, the October days became immediately after entering school, and this was also a very working and effective organization for those years. It is not difficult to be convinced of this, even if you leaf through the children's periodicals of those years. The same magazine "Murzilka", which at first was supposed to be called "Oktyabrenok" or "Funny Pictures" - intended for younger children. The main slogan of the Octobrists was: "I am an Octobrist - a future pioneer!" - the emphasized hierarchy and stages of growth that the children aspired to made this system work flawlessly. Everyone was afraid of being expelled from the Octobrists, pioneers, and even more so, Komsomol members.

How were you admitted to youth communist organizations?

In October, pupils of grades 1-4 were accepted, the main task of the Octobrists was to grow into worthy pioneers. Continuity was created, since active pioneers were appointed as counselors for the Octobrists. The October Revolution wore a badge - a five-pointed star with the image of a very young Lenin. The October Revolutions were engaged in socially useful work, among them were appointed flower growers, librarians, sports and cultural sectors. As a rule, every pupil could become an Octobrist, right away when he or she goes to school.

But with the pioneers, everything was more interesting. A student of 9-14 years old could become a pioneer. The issue was decided individually, for each separately. Moreover, it was a collegial open decision to gather a pioneer squad or a squad council. Those who were honored to become a pioneer had to make a solemn promise “in the face of their comrades”. After that, one of the older comrades tied him a pioneer tie and attached a badge. The pioneer tie was part of the banner and embodied the fact that the child is now a part of something bigger. The triangular shape spoke of the unity of three generations - Octobrists, pioneers and Komsomol members. The tie was a symbol of honor and should be protected.

Initiation into pioneers was most often timed to coincide with some important communist holiday and took place near places of worship - a monument to Lenin. In addition to helping the October, the pioneers had to do socially useful work, for example, collect scrap metal and waste paper, help the older generation ("Timurovtsy"), and also be sure to study well and not break discipline. For poor studies and brawliness from the pioneers, they could be expelled.

It was more difficult to become a Komsomol member, one could get into their ranks from the age of 14, but this required the recommendation of two senior comrades who are already Komsomol members, and for at least one year. Only in this case, the application could be accepted for consideration, they could refuse in any case, simply considering the candidacy unworthy.

If the application was accepted for consideration, the candidate was scheduled for an interview, with the invitation of higher officials. The future Komsomol member should have known the charter of the organization, the key personalities who played a role in the creation of the Komsomol, the dates of the congresses and others, and most importantly, have the correct answer to the question: "Why do you want to join the Komsomol?" The Komsomol organization assumed the payment of contributions. They could be expelled from the Komsomol for some gross violations or scandal, debts in contributions. This became a stain on my reputation, and it was impossible to get a good position.

Interesting facts about the youth organizations of the USSR

- The first pioneer ties were not tied in a knot, but were fastened with a special hair clip. It was decorated with symbols: a hammer and sickle and a fire. Over time, the clip was excluded from the paraphernalia, it was difficult and expensive to manufacture, and the tie was easier to tie. - The main motto of the pioneers is "Be ready!" was borrowed from the scouts, who also express their readiness for any trials and difficulties. But the scout phrase was altered and its full version in a communist way, sounded like "Pioneer, be ready to fight for the cause of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union!" - Among the pioneers there are heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The boys helped the partisans and often they managed to get information that the adults could not find out. They were mainly used by partisans and scouts, because no one paid attention to the boys, not seeing danger in them. - The pioneers were engaged in socially useful work. So, an ordinary girl from Tajikistan was awarded for shock work, because she exceeded the norm for picking cotton for an adult.

- It is generally accepted that Lenin was the creator and ideologist of the Komsomol. But he spoke at their congresses only twice, and the first time when the organization had already existed for two years. - The Komsomol existed for 70 years and during this period it was led by 15 people, and they were 17-20 years old. The fate of almost all of them is tragic. - After the Komsomol at the age of 28, a person could join the party. At least that's what it was supposed to be. But in fact, less than half of yesterday's Komsomol members joined the party. - Membership of the Komsomol influenced wages. Those who were in this union received salaries many times higher than those who were not engaged in socially useful work and worked in the same position.”Considering the contributions, the Komsomol organization was by no means poverty-stricken. However, after the dissolution in 1991, no one spoke about the fate of the membership fees already collected by that time. Where did they go - history is silent. - Creating the Komsomol, the Bolsheviks deliberately attracted the proletariat to it, believing that the "dark" youth will be able to accept any ideology and promote it in the future.

- It was impossible to refuse to join the Komsomol. If a person decided not to become part of a public organization, then the paths to a higher educational institution were closed for him, which means the likelihood of finding a good job and somehow getting a job in life. which all will be young. They had to build these houses themselves. But in reality, this project turned out to be not viable, since apartments in such houses were quickly dismantled between their own. - Many modern political leaders in the past were members of the Komsomol, and they had leadership positions or were among the activists. This is hardly a coincidence.

In Soviet history and cinema, it is customary to personify pioneers and Komsomol members with the images of positive heroes. So, Pavlik Morozov, whose act was elevated to a cult by the Bolsheviks, is credited with creating a pioneer cell in his village.