p They are employees of the town telephone station’s repair bureau. One of them is the fair and bright-eyed electrical mechanic, Ruslana Kotova.

p Just a few months ago she was still leading an ordered life—in the morning she went to work, and in the evening she hurried back home to her husband and little Lenochka. And at home, of course, there were plenty of things to do about the house.

p Public work? Well, only when time permitted, and there were valid excuses for that. She started work at the telephone station immediately after school. At first she was an electrician’s apprentice and then she entered the Leningrad Secondary School of Communications. In her fourth year she took maternity leave.... It was not easy at times, but she always worked honestly and that gained her the collective’s appreciation. At the last pre-election meeting the employees elected her member of the trade union local.

p She was in no way different from the others—she had a job, and a family, which brought the usual troubles and 131 cares. Ruslana Kotova herself insists that she is in no way conspicuous.

p However, it was precisely on her that the choice of her comrades fell; she was nominated candidate, and on June 13, 1971, they elected her deputy to the Petrozavodsk Town Soviet of Working People’s Deputies.

p The reason is very simple. The collective had seen her mature, they knew her perfectly well and assessed her abilities. They saw Ruslana completing her education, acquiring her trade and gaining in experience. Young, vigorous and energetic—she was equal to the job.

p They said many nice things about her during the preelection meeting and gave her their mandate. Their strictest instruction was to justify their trust.

p Now that she has her deputy’s card, and people have entrusted the reins of government to her, while she is yet in her early youth, her greatest worry is how to start and how to justify the hopes placed in her.

p A new life began for Ruslana. Strictly speaking, outwardly everything is almost the same, but life has acquired a new and deeper meaning.

p During the very first session Ruslana understood that the town Soviet was a very intricate mechanism. They formed many committees and leading bodies. She realised that the problems which she would have to solve were all important and serious.

p She made the first entries in her deputy’s notebook.

p Soon they invited her to the Town Soviet and offered to place her at the head of the deputy group at house- managing office No. 1. This came as quite a surprise and Ruslana was a little afraid of the responsibility, but, after thinking it over, she consented.

p Later she explained her consent in the following way:

p First. The post was headed for two terms in succession by M. Zhuravleva, an experienced and respected deputy. Ruslana attended one of the meetings with the constituency together with Zhuravleva. She liked the intelligent and kind expression on her face and the way she talked with people.

p When Ruslana was offered the post, Zhuravleva promised to help. So she gave her consent mostly because she wanted 132 to become more closely acquainted with that woman and find the secrets of her charm and efficiency.

p Second. When people trust you with a job, it means that they believe in you and know that you are equal to the task. So there is no reason to refuse.

p And last, but not least. Ruslana puts it this way:

p “I’ve lived all my life in this town, and I don’t think I’ll ever move anywhere else. I want to see my town made more beautiful; I want the townsfolk to have a pleasant and comfortable life. This to some degree—even if it is a very insignificant degree—depends on me. Why then can’t I try and do something useful for the people of Petrozavodsk?”

p Thus Ruslana took charge of the deputy post. It is a responsible job, involving many obligations.

p From the very outset she discovered that she knew little about the district. So Ruslana began to collect information. One of the entries in her notebook says: "My constituency (No. 250) encompasses Chernyshevsky, Lunacharsky and Svir streets. We have a shop, a kindergarten, a school; the yard of a house in Svir Street has no playground for children....” Ruslana looks after the needs of all people who live on the territory of the house-managing office.

p At the seminar of heads of other deputy posts Ruslana met with executives of communal services, the house-repair department, the special motor vehicle depot and officials of house-managing offices; she got to know their responsibilities and duties, whom to press for the electors’ requests and whose work needed supervision.

p “Now I know whom I have to blame for empty sandlots and the unkept yard about my own house,” she laughs.

p In another entry in the notebook Ruslana inserted the addresses of the 15 deputies of her post, the agenda for the next meeting, the plan of work and the mandates with which the other deputies should be acquainted.

p The post had already held its first session. The deputies were informed by the chief engineer of the house-managing office about capital and routine house repairs, organisation of amenities and planting of trees and shrubs in the second half of 1971; the deputies approved the time-table of their shifts during visitors’ hours. The deputy on duty receives the visitors once a week, on Thursdays, and makes note of 133 their requests, advice and complaints. Then the matter is passed on to the deputy directly responsible for the given sector.

p Ruslana’s duty is to know all the matters in hand. This, of course, takes up a good deal of her time.

p She reads special books, subscribes to a special magazine and other reference material on the best ways of organising the work of deputies.

p Besides knowledge and experience, the deputy must have a kind heart. He cannot remain indifferent to people in trouble or in need of advice or assistance.

p Once the residents of 25, Pravda Street asked to arrange for a different lay-out of rooms in their flats. Ruslana went to the house (she had visited it on many previous occasions, and knew the inmates and their needs) and studied the grounds for the request. Then she took the matter up with the corresponding authorities.

p Thus she and her group of deputies embark upon their new duties. They find their work interesting, and they do it with a ready will. Ruslana is confident that her group is quite militant. The deputies take shifts during visitors’ hours and examine the problems which have already cropped up.

p Now Ruslana, instead of going directly home after work, goes to various organisations or examines the problems in hand.

p Thus she matures as a citizen. The training she got in the Komsomol made her an active public organiser. Her election as deputy is only the first stage in the evolution of her personality and realisation of her place in life; it represents a serious examination of her relations with the world and society.

This is only the beginning, but there is every reason to expect that Ruslana Kotova and her group of deputies will accomplish much in their capacity as representatives of the people’s government.