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Is the Komsomol part of the Communist Party
or is it part of the system of state-run
organisations?

p Neither one, nor the other. The Komsomol is organisationally independent and operates outside the Party. Moreover, the Komsomol is completely autonomous, for it has its own Rules and structural set-up, and its own governing central and local bodies, elected by rank-and-file members.

p The Komsomol is a public, not a state-run organisation.

p At the same time, together with other public and state-run organisations, the Komsomol is a component of the political system of Soviet society in which ‘for a long time now it has firmly occupied a worthy position’,  [35•1  as Leonid Brezhnev stated in his speech to the 17th Komsomol Congress.

p This system is described in Article 7 of the 36 USSR Constitution: ‘Trade unions, the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, cooperatives, and other public organisations, participate, in accordance with the aims laid down in their rules, in managing state and public affairs, and in deciding political, economic, and social and cultural matters.’ The Constitution goes on to state that the leading and guiding force of Soviet society and the nucleus of its political system, of all state and public organisations, is the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

p The Communist Party, armed with MarxismLeninism, determines the general perspectives of the development of society and the course of the home and foreign policy of the USSR, directs the great constructive work of the Soviet people, and imparts a planned systematic and theoretically substantiated character to their struggle for the victory of communism. Having described the role played by the CPSU, the USSR Constitution emphasises: ‘All party organisations shall function within the framework of the Constitution of the USSR’ (Articles).

p The CPSU, as a political organisation of the highest type, guides society directly and through a system of state organs and mass organisations. That is why the Communist Party has always been interested in having a revolutionary youth organisation which would pursue its policy among various sections and groups of the youth. It is the Komsomol that plays the role of a link between the Party and the broad masses of the rising 37 generation, between the Soviet political system as a whole and the youth.

p One of the main principles underlying the activities of the Komsomol members is their political activism, enthusiasm and initiative, which are instrumental in handling this task.

p While laying the theoretical foundations of the revolutionary youth league, Lenin recognised political activism and enthusiasm as the most important methods of self-education and moulding conscious socialists capable of advancing socialism, i.e. of instilling the scientific ideas of Marxism in the broad masses of the youth and winning them over to the side of the working class.

p In his speech to the Third Komsomol Congress, held in October 1920, Lenin emphasised that the Komsomol members’ enthusiasm and creative efforts should be focussed on the solution of the short-term and long-term tasks facing Soviet power. In the grim years of rehabilitating the country’s economy after the Civil War and the foreign military intervention, it was essential to help the Communist Party and the Soviet state in their struggle against hunger, in rehabilitating the devastated economy, wiping out illiteracy, organising the new way of life and establishing humane relations among people. The Komsomol’s later tasks included setting up socialist industry, collectivising agriculture, instilling communist ideology in the minds of the entire nation and bringing about the socialist cultural revolution.

p Several decades of the YCL’s successful 38 activities have demonstrated that enthusiasm and political activism are, indeed, at the basis of the Komsomol’s development. Examples of this are to be found below, illustrating the tremendous contribution made by the rising generation to the country’s economic and cultural development. ‘ Whatever tasks the Party has set,’ stated the Report of the CPSU Central Committee to the 25th Party Congress, ‘the YCL has always tackled them with the enthusiasm of youth.’  [38•1 

p The main principle of the Komsomol’s organisational structure is democratic centralism. This means the election of all Komsomol governing bodies from top to bottom; periodic reports by its organs to their primary organisations and higher bodies; strict discipline within the League and the unfailing subordination of the minority to the majority’s decisions; the strict observance by lower organs of all decisions taken by the Komsomol’s top organs.

p We can see that the essence of this key principle lies in the organic combination of the principles of democracy and centralisation.

p The YCL Rules offer its members wide opportunities, including the right to elect and be elected to the Komsomol governing bodies, to discuss freely all questions pertaining to the League’s activities at Komsomol meetings and in the youth press, to table proposals and openly uphold one’s 39 opinion until a decision is taken, and to criticise any YCL member or body at the League meetings. The democratic principles ensure a collective spirit in managing Komsomol affairs and safeguard the normal operation of Komsomol organisations, and the right selection, appointment and upbringing of Komsomol functionaries. They also encourage the raising of social activism among the Komsomol members and greater freedom of criticism and self-criticism. Any problem relating to the Komsomol’s activities is solved by collective decision, after a free and business-like discussion in which all Komsomol members can directly participate. At the same time the Komsomol makes constant improvements in the forms and methods of governing the activities of all its branches by showing concern for the strengthening of discipline, raising its organisational standards and heightening controls.

p Strict discipline is mandatory for all—both the leaders and rank-and-file members. Its observance, however, does not imply the mechanical execution of all decisions taken—on the contrary, it presupposes initiative on the part of those who are entrusted with their implementation and a creative attitude to the common cause. Within the YCL ranks discipline goes hand in hand with initiative.

p Lack of discipline, an uncommitted attitude towards one’s duties and failure to fulfil any task assigned are incompatible with socialist democracy. It is not surprising that the CPSU and the 40 Soviet government regard the strengthening of discipline by all citizens as an essential condition for the building of communism.

p A combination of centralism and democracy consolidates the unity of the YCL, makes it more combative and ensures the cohesion of will and coordinated efforts of the Komsomol members. The YCL is built on a territorial-production principle: primary cells at industrial enterprises or colleges are then united into regional Komsomol organisations.

p In accordance with the principle of democratic centralism, the Komsomol has its supreme authority—the All-Union Congress—which expresses the will of Komsomol members across the country. The Congress is a plenipotentiary meeting of representatives who have been elected under a unified system from a list of candidates. The formation of the Congress body from representatives elected by the Komsomol organisations ensures the participation of all Komsomol members in mapping out the main objectives of their organisation and the election of its governing bodies. Any delegate represents both the regional organisation which delegated him or her to the Congress, and the entire YCL whose interests he or she takes into account.

p The frequency of these congresses is set out in the YCL Rules.

p In the periods between congresses the YCL Central Committee is the highest governing body of the Komsomol, wielding broad powers given it by 41 the Komsomol Congress. It manages all YCL activities, organises all its branches to implement YCL Congress decisions, supervises the observance of the YCL Rules, selects Komsomol functionaries, approves the editorial boards of the central youth newspapers and magazines published by the Komsomol, allocates YCL funds and controls the execution of the budget. In its work, the YCL Central Committee is guided by Congress decisions and has to present its reports to the Congress. The Central Committee represents the Komsomol in state and public organisations and also in its contacts with foreign youth leagues.

p The YCL Central Committee is a collective organ. Its plenary meetings are convened at intervals laid down by the Rules. More important questions of the Komsomol’s ideological and organisational work are discussed at these meetings, which also map out concrete steps to implement Congress decisions.

p In order to ensure continuous and operative guidance, the Central Committee elects from its midst a Bureau and a Secretariat. The Bureau executes the daily management of Komsomol affairs, sets the practical tasks of the Komsomol organisations, considers their reports and holds meetings with representatives of public and state organisations. The Secretariat is in charge of organising and executing current work.

p Primary organisations or cells form the Komsomol organisational backbone. Each Komsomol 42 member must participate actively in the work of his or her cell.

p These cells admit new Komsomol members, rally them around the Communist Party, encourage rank-and-file initiative, involve Komsomol members in socio-political activities and maintain close contacts with the broad masses of the youth.

p These cells are also the basis of the whole system of elected organs: they elect delegates to district and town Komsomol conferences which in turn elect delegates to the higher conferences, including the YGL Congress.

p It is in the primary cell that Komsomol members are given the first lessons of political and ideological education and find their place in socialist society and in the nation’s effort to build a communist society.

p The YCL Rules formulate the principal tasks to be performed by the primary cells. Their activities are directed by the higher Komsomol organisations, and by the Komsomol committees in the primary cells, which organise their work with due account for the over-all Komsomol objectives and the individual wishes and interests of its rank- andfile members.

p The efficiency and authority of each primary cell is directly proportional to the activity of each Komsomol member. Primary Komsomol cells play a leading part among young people at industrial enterprises, offices and colleges by exerting an allround influence on their work, studies, way of life and leisure time.

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To sum up, the implementation of the principle of democratic centralism ensures the growing authority of the Komsomol in the political system of mature socialist society.

Is it obligatory for young people to join the
Komsomol?

p No, certainly not. The Komsomol is a voluntary organisation. Having decided to join, a young man or woman forwards an application to the primary cell at the industrial enterprise, office or college he or she works or studies. Apart from requesting to admit him to the Komsomol, the applicant pledges to implement the provisions of the YCL Rules. This underscores the fact that the voluntary membership in the Komsomol does not relieve its members of their responsibility to meet the obligations they voluntarily have taken on.

p Though Komsomol membership is voluntary, this does not preclude extensive preliminary work undertaken by the Komsomol organisations to explain to future members the main objectives of the Komsomol. Extensive information is also provided on the history of the Komsomol, its revolutionary, militant and labour traditions and the role and place of the Komsomol in mature socialist society. The future members are organised into groups where they study Lenin’s behests to Komsomol members, obtain the necessary political education and get acquainted with the YCL Rules and with the forms and methods of its activities under contemporary conditions. Besides, they receive concrete assignments from the appropriate primary cell and 44 are supposed to report on the results to a Komsomol meeting in their enterprise, office or college. This assignment is regarded as a test of their abilities as future members of the vanguard organisation of the Soviet youth.

The extensive preliminary work with the future members is conducive to raising the demands made on new members, encourages their active social involvement and, consequently, improves the qualifications of the future Komsomol members.

What is the procedure for admitting new
members to the Komsomol? Is there any difference
between membership in the Komsomol and in the
trade unions?

p The norms and procedure by which primary Komsomol cells admit new members are laid down in the YCL Rules.

p The question of each new membership is decided on an individual basis after having considered a new member’s application, plus recommendations written by two Komsomol members who have been with the organisation for no less than a year and who know the applicant through their joint work or studies. The recommendations provided by two Komsomol members are compared with that of one Communist Party member.

p The YCL Rules lay down a special provision for the Komsomol members’ responsibility when recommending new members for admission. Those recommending a new applicant must be sure of the latter’s readiness to fulfil the duties of a Komsomol member. The referees, at the same time, 45 undertake to patronise the new members and help them establish themselves as active members of their Komsomol cell. If, however, the Komsomol cell find a lack of sincerity on the part of the referees, it is authorised to demand explanations and censure them.

p The need to obtain the necessary references enhances responsibility among applicants.

p Each new admission is discussed at an open meeting of the primary Komsomol cell and is decided by a show of hands. The meeting’s decision is effective immediately after its approval by a higher Komsomol body, but the term of membership is calculated from the day of the meeting in the primary Komsomol cell. The new member receives his card and badge at a solemn ceremony—a fact which heightens the educational impact of the occasion.

p Of course, the nature of Komsomol membership differs from that of the trade unions. The Komsomol is a socio-political, essentially communist organisation which is the Party’s helper and reserve. It unites young people on the basis of a common world outlook, recognition of the Party’s ideological platform and readiness to realise its policy. Therefore, it would be correct to say that the nature of Komsomol membership is very near to that of the Communist Party. We have already given the criteria for becoming a member of the Komsomol. Compare them with the identical provisions of the Party Rules: ‘Membership of the CPSU is open to any citizen of the Soviet Union who 46 accepts the Programme and the Rules of the Party, takes an active part in communist construction, works in one of the Party organisations, carries out all Party decisions, and pays membership dues.’

p As far as the trade unions are concerned, they unite people of the same trade or occupation. Citizens, irrespective of their ideological views, political sympathies or moral principles may become members of a trade union. ‘Under no circumstances,’ Lenin emphasised, ‘must trade union members be required to subscribe to any specific political views; in this respect, as well as in respect of religion, the trade unions must be non-partisan.’  [46•1 

Such is the fundamental difference as regards membership of the two organisations. The Komsomol has always been a union of people who have voluntarily set themselves the goal of implementing the Party’s ideals.

How do Komsomol members display their social
involvement?

p A major means of enhancing the socio-political activity of Komsomol members is the Komsomol assignment or task, which an individual Komsomol member or a group of them is entrusted to fulfil.

p The lion’s share of Komsomol assignments (over 90 per cent) Komsomol members receive in their primary cells, while the remainder is given by the higher Komsomol organs. This ratio indicates the high level of organisational work at a grass-roots level.

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p There are two kinds of Komsomol assignments: permanent and temporary. Permanent assignments are those which are carried out over a lengthy period of time, say, from one annual general Komsomol meeting to another. Temporary assignments are one-time jobs involving organising or executing something. A Komsomol member may take this assignment not only from the Komsomol meeting, committee or bureau, but also from the secretary of his primary cell or the group organiser.

p Both permanent and temporary Komsomol assignments may be individual and collective.

p In distributing individual assignments personal qualities of Komsomol members, such as their inclinations, interests and educational level, are taken into account. It is important to balance the objectives of the Komsomol and the subjective interests of the member. Only then would the latter be satisfied with his assignment, which is an important stimulus for more active social work.

p Collective assignments are those which are given a group of Komsomol members, an individual Komsomol organisation or even the entire League. It is stated in the YCL Rules that the Komsomol ’by proxy (italics supplied) of the Communist Party is in charge of the daily work of the Lenin AilUnion Organisation of Young Pioneers’. The first detachments of Young Pioneers—the children’s communist organisation—emerged in February 1922 in Moscow. Komsomol activists were appointed to look after them. Having analysed and 48 summarised the experience of these detachments, the Second All-Russia Komsomol Conference recommended, at its meeting on 19 May 1922, to disseminate it across the country. This was how the mass children’s communist organisation was born. Since 23 May 1924—the day when the first parade of Young Pioneers took place on Red Square—it has borne the name of Lenin. Today, this organisation has over 25 million young Leninists in its ranks. It is headed by the Central Council which is set up by the Komsomol Central Committee and works under its auspices in close contact with the organs of education, trade unions, sports organisations, and the like.

p Another type of collective assignment given the Komsomol by the Party is the patronage of the building of the country’s biggest projects, the system of vocational training, rural schools, and so on.

p The execution of collective assignments strengthens the Komsomol ranks and instils young men and women with a spirit of comradeship and mutual assistance.

The League keeps constant watch over the execution of assignments and encourages their successful fulfilment through various incentives.

How are the Komsomol’s funds collected and
spent?

p The Komsomol’s main sources of income for both central and local organisations are membership dues and the revenues of the Komsomol publishing houses, newspapers and magazines.

p The Komsomol budget is augmented by income 49 from such activities as the collection of scrap metal and waste paper, participation in urban and rural development projects, organisation of commercial performances, large-scale sports festivals, distribution of books, etc. The operations of the entire youth League, including its local branches, are run on the country-wide Komsomol budget, controlled by the League’s governing organs both centrally and locally. The Komsomol does not receive any government grants.

p Membership dues, however, are the main source of the Komsomol funds. To pay one’s dues regularly is a fundamental condition for Komsomol membership. This requirement is associated not only with the need to provide material support to the organisation, but also with the task of strengthening the organisational and political foundations of the youth league, since the timely payment of membership dues testifies to a high sense of responsibility on the part of Komsomol members and disciplines them.

p In the course of the six decades of the Komsomol’s existence the assessment scale of membership dues has been repeatedly lowered. Thus, in 1958-66 the scale of dues was cut by approximately 60 per cent. This, however, has not reduced the organisation’s receipts, which actually rose by over 350 per cent between 1958 and 1974.

p The Komsomol funds are spent in the interests of its members and of young people at large: for training and upgrading the Komsomol cadre, the development of its system of political education, 50 acquisition of training materials and visual aids, organisation of hiking trips and large-scale sports competitions. The funds are also used for holding Komsomol conferences, congresses, plenary meetings, festivals and youth rallies. Certain funds are also allocated for equipping and maintaining the premises of the Komsomol organisations.

p Certain amounts of money are earmarked for setting up Komsomol printing shops, thus enlarging the circulation of the Komsomol’s and Young Pioneers’ publications, as well as for building sports camps, tourist resorts, houses of Young Pioneers and youth clubs. The construction of youth tourist camps in the Crimea and the Caucasus, the Young Pioneers’ Palace on Lenin Hills in Moscow, the Youth Houses in the cities of Komsomolsk and Leningrad, as well as other projects were financed from Komsomol funds.

p Besides, large amounts of money are spent on memorial rooms and houses dedicated to the heroic deeds of Komsomol members and Young Pioneers, on the erection of monuments, obelisks and memorial plaques in honour of the young heroes who glorified their Motherland with their feats.

To sum up, Komsomol funds are used for a single purpose, to ensure the harmonic development of young Soviet men and women, and to stimulate their participation in the economic and cultural development of their country.

What use can the Komsomol make of the mass
media?

p The Komsomol runs a large network of youth 51 publications. This dates back to the Fifth Komsomol Congress, held in 1922, which specified the objectives of the first Soviet youth publishing hovise, which was named Molodaya Gvardiya (Young Guards).  [51•1 

p In 1922 Molodaya Gvardiya took its first steps by printing 584,000 copies of youth-oriented popular books and booklets, and immediately became an active fighter for the new man and the chronicler of the best Komsomol achievements. Compare this figure to the over 40 million copies which are published annually for young people in the 1970s. During the whole period of its operation Molodaya Gvardiya has published over 14,130 titles with a total of over 700 million copies.

p The range of books published by Molodaya Gvardiya is very wide—including fiction, historical, political, aesthetic and ethic literature. It also publishes series of popular books, intended for the general reader or specific categories of young people. The most popular series is The Lives of 52 Famous People, whose publication was launched in 1938 by Maxim Gorky, the great Soviet writer and devoted friend of young people. The readers of this series can learn about many great personalities of all times and peoples: men of letters, artists, musicians, scientists, public figures, revolutionaries, important figures in the communist and working-class movement, Party leaders, Komsomol organisers and leading workers. Such series as Komsomol: Your Heroes, The Vanguard of the Leninist Komsomol, The Komsomol Activist’s Library, The Young Pioneer-Activist’s Library, For the Young Pioneers’ Organiser. The Young Marxist’s University, and Our Festivals are intended for Komsomol activists, propagandists and leaders of Young Pioneers engaged in educational work among the youth. The series called The Masters of Art—to the Youth is intended for young people who are interested in art. The books of this series contain philosophical ideas on the tasks and goals of art, and on its humanistic importance.

p Since 1967 Molodaya Gvardiya has been publishing a series of fiction and biographies for children, under the heading A Pioneer Means the First. These are books about outstanding figures in the liberation movement, world-famous travellers and pioneers in science, art and literature.

p The publishing house is justifiably proud of the fact that it offers its readers the best works of world and Soviet classical literature, as well as those of outstanding contemporary writers, poets, scientists, artists and young talents.

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p There are other Komsomol publishing houses, such as Molod (Youth) in Kiev, capital of the Ukraine, and Yosh Gvardiya (Young Guards) in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan. These publishers print books mainly in the local languages.

p Thanks to the concern shown by the Communist Party and Government to the Komsomol’s activities, tremendous opportunities are at its disposal for political education and ideological work among young people. Across the country there are 228 Komsomol and Young Pioneers’ periodicals published both centrally and locally.

p The Komsomolskaya Pravda is the leading and most popular YGL newspaper with a daily circulation of 10 million copies. In 1930, the newspaper was awarded the highest Soviet decoration—the Order of Lenin—for the initiative it showed in starting socialist emulation in the country. Three more orders have since been given to Komsomolka, as it is affectionately nicknamed by its readers.

p The Komsomol also publishes some 30 magazines on different subjects, ranging from socio-political publications to literary, popular scientific and sports magazines. Their circulation per issue reaches almost 15 million copies. Some of them are intended for the rural reader and some for the urban. Age is also taken into account. Thus, teenagers are fond of reading such magazines as Yuny Tckhnik (Young Technician) and Yuny Naturalist, while the older youth prefer such magazines as Tekhnika Moloclyozhy (Technology for the Young), Smena (Rising Generation) and Selskaya Molodezh ( 54 Rural Youth). The Komsomolskaya Zhizn ( Komsomol Life) magazine, published by the YGL Central Committee, is intended for Komsomol activists. It contains information on various Komsomol activities, organisational and educational problems. The Molodoi Kommunist (Young Communist) magazine is also very popular among the youth.

p Radio and TV stations allocate much time to youth problems. There is a special Yunost (Youth) Radio Station on the air. Programmes for young people are prepared by the Central Youth TV- Programmes Division in Moscow, and by 154 radio and 122 TV youth programme departments elsewhere in the country.

p The Yunost Radio Station and the Central Youth TV-programmes Division run special radio and TV broadcasts on the problems of young people’s work, leisure and education. They also broadcast interviews with present and former Komsomol members, who tell the listeners and viewers about their achievements in the most diverse fields of the economy, engineering, agriculture, public education, science and art.

p The number of young radio listeners and TV viewers across the country is tremendous. They impatiently wait for the most popular youth programmes, interviews and shows. The high rating of these programmes may be well assessed by the huge numbers of fan letters sent to radio and TV stations. Sometimes they ask specific questions, sometimes they request re-runs of interesting 55 features and prompt other topics for interviews. Their requests range from literature and musical quizzes, interviews with scientists to programmes featuring some far-away country or place. The senders of this mail tell their own opinions and those of their friends about the most interesting topics for ‘Round Table’ discussions.

p Youth programmes often air the first poems by young poets and stories about young artists and musicians. They also organise competition for amateur and professional artists and hold festivals of amateur art.

The editorial boards of newspapers, radio and TV stations liaise closely with the YCL Central Committee and local Komsomol organisations.

What incentives does the Komsomol use?

p To encourage young people’s initiative and enthusiasm, the League makes wide use of various incentives and awards.

p The YCL Honorary Badge is the highest Komsomol award.

p The names of those who achieve the best results in socialist production, education and culture are entered into the Book of Honour of the YCL Central Committee. Honorary badges, diplomas, Challenge Red Banners and pennants are awarded by the YCL Central Committee to young workers to mark their achievements in industry, agriculture, and studies. These are also awarded to Komsomol activists and those who attain the best results in educating young people.

p A special place among these awards belongs to 56 the Lenin Komsomol prizes. In December 1965 the YCL Central Committee announced annual prizes for the best works of literature and art for and about young people, in an effort to encourage those who through their literary, musical or artistic skill and talent create true-to-life and artistic portraits of young contemporaries and express communist ideas in literature, art, theatre or film making. Similar prizes were established by local Komsomol organs. The first winners of Lenin Komsomol prizes were Nikolai Ostrovsky, who created the immortal character of Pavel Korchagin in his novel How the Steel Was Tempered; Nodar Dumbadze, a Georgian writer of stories for young people; Vytautas 2alakevicius, a Lithuanian film- maker who directed an inspiring film No One Wanted to Die; Alexandra Pakhmutova, a composer whose songs are very popular among young people of many countries; Vladimir Chivilikhin whose stories are widely read by young people; the troupe of the Kiev Komsomol Youth Drama Theatre for producing a stage version of Molodaya Gvardiya, a novel by Alexander Fadeyev, which is a dramatic narrative about the young underground resistance members fighting fascist occupation troops in the mining town of Krasnodon during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.

p The Komsomol pays a great deal of attention to the technical achievements of young people. This is borne out by the establishment of Lenin Komsomol prizes (in May 1967) for achievements in science and engineering. In the period between 57 the 17th (1974) and 18th (1978) Komsomol congresses, 56 collectives of over 200 technologists, were awarded such prizes. Six winners of Lenin Komsomol prizes became holders of the USSR State prizes and another five Komsomol prize- winners were appointed directors of important research institutes.

In accordance with the decision taken by the YCL Central Committee in 1977, Lenin Komsomol prizes are also awarded to the young winners of socialist emulation. Giving such high decorations to Soviet young men and women who have won the respect of their fellow workers through their achievements enables the Komsomol to perform its educational tasks more effectively, encourage higher social activism among young people and strengthen the Komsomol discipline.

Does the Komsomol extend its activities to
young people outside its ranks?

p From the first days of its existence the Komsomol has tried to influence the non-partisan youth. This policy is completely in line with Lenin’s behests, since Lenin regarded the youth communist organisation as the vanguard of all Soviet young people. In his speech to the Third Komsomol Congress, Lenin indicated which qualities the Komsomol had to possess in order to become the established leader of the youth:

p —to be always at the forefront and serve as a collective example for the others to follow (’You must be foremost among the millions of builders 58 of a communist society in whose ranks every young man and young woman should be.’);

p —‘the Young Communist League must be a shock force, helping in every job and displaying initiative and enterprise’;

p —‘the Young Communist League should teach all young people to engage in conscious and disciplined labour from an early age.’  [58•1 

p The Komsomol follows steadfastly the great Lenin’s advice by instilling ideological staunchness, hard-working qualities, a thirst for knowledge and higher socio-political awareness in every member of the rising generation.

p The patriotic drives started by the Komsomol organisations at industrial enterprises, state and collective farms and colleges aim to improve various aspects of society’s life and are supported and developed further by all the youth. In other words, these campaigns affect everyone.

p The Communist Party is profoundly interested in ensuring the unity and the revolutionary succession of generations, as well as the effective participation of young people in building communism. It also demands that the Komsomol expand its ideological and organisational influence to cover the whole of the rising generation.

p Bourgeois scholars try to distort the essence of this demand. Here, for example, is what Darrell P. Hammer writes: ‘Through the Komsomol the 59 activists dominate other youth groups which serve as agencies of social control, recruitment, and mobilisation of opinion. The activists set the standard of behavior and of opinion, and they usually have the power to punish non-conformity.’  [59•1 

p However, young people are not forced to follow the Komsomol but regard it as the leader of the entire Soviet youth, expressing its needs, interests and aspirations. ‘The Komsomol is the organiser and leader not only of its members, but also of the entire Soviet youth,’ said the resolution of the CPSU Central Committee ‘On the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Komsomol and the Tasks of the Communist Education of the Youth’.

A Komsomol meeting may address its decisions on important problems of Komsomol members’ life, work and study to the non-partisan youth in the form of recommendations, advice or proposals, but not as instructions. The non-partisan youth are invited to be present at open Komsomol meetings, held at their enterprise or office. They have the right to take part in the discussion, express their opinion and put forward proposals. This being a meeting of Komsomol members, the nonpartisan youth cannot, however, be elected to its working organs (presidium or commissions) or take part in balloting. What attracts young people into the Komsomol ranks is the direct access this gives 60 to information on Komsomol activities and the genuine opportunity to make their own contribution to Komsomol campaigns. In the four-year period between the 17th and 18th Komsomol congresses alone over 19 million people joined the Komsomol.

What human qualities are moulded through the
Komsomol membership?

p Here is what Yury Gagarin, the world’s first cosmonaut and a former Komsomol member, had to say on this score after his historic flight in the Vostok spaceship: ‘I can only say that my best qualities have been moulded by the Komsomol. Just judge for yourself—what could happen to a 15- year-old boy who had left his parents many hundreds of kilometres behind to enrol in a vocational school and thus, practically, stay clear of their control. However, because a strong Komsomol cell operated in the school, I immediately found myself surrounded by friends. I was involved in the Komsomol activities. A united and friendly family of foundry workers also took me in as if I were one of them. They moulded the qualities in my morale which later came in very handy in life. My period of study at an industrial technical college, where they elected me a member of the Komsomol bureau, also contributed much. The Komsomol cell in the Army unit developed in me a liking for public activism. In the military college I was also elected to the Komsomol bureau. And later, when serving in an Air-Force regiment, I was already a candidate for Party membership and was 61 greatly pleased to perform the duties of deputy secretary of the primary Komsomol cell.’  [61•1 

p A Communist and a man who trailblazed mankind’s road into the unknown, Gagarin remains in the memory of Soviet people as a simple, modest, brave and purposeful man. His morale, which combined the best qualities of the younger generation, was formed by the socialist way of life, to which his teachers and workers’ collective contributed. However, he considered the Komsomol to be the principal school of his ideological, political and labour experiences. Yury Gagarin was later elected delegate to the 14th and 15th Komsomol congresses. He was also elected member of the Komsomol Central Committee and awarded the highest Komsomol decoration—the Komsomol Honorary Badge.

p And here is another statement: ‘Our first ideas about the great communist plans of our Party,’ wrote Alexander Fadeyev, ‘were received by many of us Soviet writers through the Komsomol.’ This is a typical view shared by any of the 150 million Soviet citizens who used to be Komsomol members.

p Commenting on these two statements, the most important idea should be stressed—it is staunchness that the Komsomol instils. It forms one’s firm beliefs in the future and the aspiration to work more and better to achieve the great aim in whose name the revolution was carried out—communism.

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p Being an independent organisation, the Komsomol constantly evokes in the youth the need for creative endeavour and daring aspirations. It provides young men and women with broad opportunities for active participation in state affairs. The Komsomol helps the Communist Party mould the harmoniously developed individual.

p Komsomol members do not enjoy any privileges compared to the non-partisan youth, but by their patriotic deeds they have won themselves the respect of all the Soviet people.

The biographies of Komsomol members are clearly varied, but the meaning of their lives as Komsomol members is largely similar to that described by the world’s first spaceman and the famous writer.