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What is the principal task of the Komsomol?

p The Leninist Komsomol was founded as an educational organisation and it developed and matured as such. It was called upon to mould in all young people a communist world outlook, conscious attitude towards labour, high moral principles and the feeling of patriotism and international solidarity with the working people around the world. It is only natural that Komsomol members should have a good command of the theory of scientific communism, and be able to implement it practically, thus proving their revolutionary convictions. Therefore the YCL Rules stipulate that Komsomol members should persistently try to master Marxist-Leninist theory, and raise their intellectual and cultural level and awareness of modern achievements of science and engineering.

p The building of communist society requires, apart from the necessary material and technical base achieved through progress in science and technology, also the development of communist social 95 relations and the upbringing of the new man. Here lies the Komsomol’s principal task—to instil communist consciousness among the masses, overcome the vestiges of the old society’s psychology, attitudes and customs, and to develop the creative abilities and talents of each member of society.

p The Soviet Union has been resolving this multifarious and complex task for the past sixty years. Its solution is based on the class approach to the tasks of education. The idea of such an approach was expounded by Marx and Engels. It was dictated by the goals of the struggle waged by the working class, which was destructive in respect of the capitalist system and, most importantly, creative from the viewpoint of building socialism and communism. It was not accidental that Marx and Engels linked education to the upbringing of new fighters for the cause of total social emancipation. ‘The more enlightened part of the working class fully understands,’ wrote Marx, ‘that the future of its class, and, therefore, of mankind, altogether depends upon the formation of the rising working generation.’  [95•1 

p By developing further the thesis advanced by Utopian Socialists about the necessity of combining education with young people’s productive activity, Marx and Engels evolved the idea of the harmonious development of the personality. They defined the purpose of such education in the light of the tasks which the revolutionary proletariat 96 faced. Marx held that the combination of paid productive labour, mental education, physical exercise and polytechnical training would raise the working class high above the level of the upper and middle classes.  [96•1  This would help the working class to play the role of the working people’s vanguard in the struggle for mankind’s emancipation from all kinds of exploitation.

p The need for the all-round education of young people does not, however, disappear after the final goal has been achieved (which is ‘the abolition of the classes and the creation of society under which private ownership of the land and of the means of production no longer exists.’  [96•2 ) In his Principles of Communism, Engels showed the ways toward and advantages of the all-round development of the personality. ‘Education,’ he wrote, ‘will enable young people quickly to go through the whole system of production, it will enable them to pass from one branch of industry to another according to the needs of society or their own inclinations. It will therefore free them from that onesidedness which the present division of labour stamps on each one of them. Thus the communist organisation of society will give its members the chance of an all-round exercise of abilities that have received all-round development.’  [96•3 

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p Marx and Engels maintained that, in contrast to capitalism, which is interested in workers’ acquiring or improving their skills only inasmuch as it brings profit to the bourgeoisie, communism is genuinely interested in the all-round development of the creative potential of the individual and society.

p Developing the ideas of Marx and Engels under new historical conditions, Lenin stressed that ‘ neither training and education without productive labour, nor productive labour without parallel training and education could be raised to the degree required by the present level of technology and the state of scientific knowledge.’  [97•1 

p In order to provide the revolution in Russia with conscious and energetic fighters, it was necessary to ensure a link-up between scientific socialism and the working-class movement, as well as the theoretical training of progressive young people.

p The emergence of the first worker-and-peasant state brought about the urgent necessity to mould a new type of man—a convinced patriot, internationalist, skilful organiser and activist who is ready and able to combine his personal plans with the interests and aspirations of the collective and with those of building socialism and communism. Therefore Lenin saw as the most important task the inculcation of a whole complex of qualities typical of a true citizen in each young person who knows his trade, who is able to become a 98 craftsman and who is practically prepared for this. And this craftsman ‘should have a broad general education,. . . should be a Communist, and. . . should have a polytechnical outlook. . .’  [98•1 

p It is indicative that even at the initial stage of Soviet power the Party regarded the class-conscious education of the rising generation as an integrated system including both short- and long-term goals, which determined the educational activities, forms and methods, suitable for any specific historical situation.

p Lenin’s speech at the Third Komsomol Congress outlined this approach to the communist education of Komsomol members and young people in general.

p During the transition from socialism to communism the possibilities for moulding the new man, who would combine a high cultural standard with lofty moral principles and physical perfection, are constantly increasing. The realisation of these possibilities objectively leads to the education, training and precise professional orientation of people with an all-round development who are able to do everything.  [98•2  Such prospects have been opened up today thanks to the gains of the socialist revolution—the emancipation of the working people from exploitation, unemployment, poverty and discrimination on the grounds of social origins, sex, national or racial distinctions. Once every member 99 of society is given an opportunity to display creative initiative in his work, select freely his speciality, receive general and specialised education and obtain more leisure time, the prospects of each individual increase and his capacities, abilities and talents can be intensively developed. ‘The moulding of the new man is effected through his own active participation in communist construction and the development of communist principles in the economic and social spheres, under the influence of the educational work carried out by the Party, the state and various social organisations’  [99•1  (italics supplied).

p At the same time the educational work among the working people, in particular among young people, does not lose its importance but rather becomes an even more important factor in the struggle for the triumph of communism.

p As the scale of young people’s participation in the creative labour of the Soviet people is constantly growing and an increasing number of young men and women are engaged in all spheres of industry, agriculture, science and culture, the efficiency of their input to the building of the new society hinges on the level of their consciousness and enthusiasm.

Besides, the ideological training of young citizens acquires today special urgency in view of the constantly sharpening battle of ideas between socialism and capitalism.

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p The struggle between the two ideologies is an inevitable result of the irreconcilable contradiction of the two socio-economic formations. In the struggle between the two world outlooks there is no room for neutrality or compromises. With imperialist propaganda becoming more sophisticated, the political education of Soviet young people grows in importance.

p Therefore, the education of young people in the spirit of communist ideology, Soviet patriotism, internationalism, high organisation and discipline, their active propaganda of the achievements and advantages of the socialist system and the upbringing of young men and women as active builders of new society, have remained the central tasks of the Komsomol.

p All the basic forms of education—ideological and political, labour, patriotic, international, moral, aesthetic and physical—merge into one. All these facets of the YGL’s educational activities taken as a whole represent a comprehensive system for moulding the active and all-round individual.

p The Komsomol sees its prime duty in preparing young people for physical and mental work and active participation in the state, economic and cultural life of society, in teaching them to find their place in the complex conditions of modernday production in conditions of the revolution in science and technology, in helping them to comprehend cultural and moral values and encouraging them to lead an active intellectual life. The 101 foundations of such education are laid in secondary school. The further development of the individual depends on the diversity of his activities both at work and in his leisure pursuits. Here much depends on how well the Komsomol organisations in factories and schools utilise the opportunities to inculcate their members.

p The Komsomol committees strive to apply the most tested and effective methods of political education in their work—methods which would grip the hearts and minds of young men and women.

p Communists hold that the results of ideological education should be assessed by their practical impact on moulding the ideological and moral principles of the individual and by the growth of social activism in the rising generation. The consolidation and practical realisation of the convictions moulded in young people are reflected in their practical activities and patriotic aspirations, as well as in the whole complex of their socially useful activities. ‘Nothing adds so much to the stature of the individual,’ Leonid Brezhnev said, ‘as a constructive attitude to life and a conscious approach to one’s duty to society, when matching words and deeds becomes a rule of daily behaviour.’  [101•1 

p The desire of Soviet young people to study the theory of scientific communism testifies to their 102 political maturity. Young people undergo courses in Marxism-Leninism in their secondary, vocational and technical schools and in higher educational establishments. Similar courses of political education also exist in production enterprises. Today, over 16 million Komsomol members and other non-partisan youth go in for various forms of political education.

p Young people are really interested in the success of collective labour, and this fact encourages them to acquire a good command of political knowledge and apply it to their practical work. The system of political education in the Komsomol, set up in 1923/24 and designed to teach the theory of revolution, the history of the CPSU and YGL, and the revolutionary, militant and labour traditions of the Soviet people, serves the aims of the ideological, political and internationalist education of youth and has been successfully in operation ever since its inception. Young men and women study theoretical works in the classics of Marxism-Leninism and various documents on the activities of the Communist Party and Komsomol. They also become familiarised with the strategy and tactics of the Party, the most vital aspects of the current Party policy and with the development of the revolutionary youth movement abroad, as well as with current Komsomol activities.

p The system of political education embraces study groups, theoretical seminars, and so on. Every young person has the opportunity to choose the type of education which best suits his requirements, 103 interests and level of general and political education.

p The political education of Komsomol members and young people at large is so organised as to help them better realise their tasks and make a greater contribution to the fulfilment of plans in their respective spheres of work. The knowledge acquired should also stimulate young people’s initiative and enthusiasm.

p Socialist society is resolving numerous problems. One of these is the increasing amount of leisure time, which has both positive and negative sides. When a person wastes his free time, as often happens, he inflicts damage on himself, his family, his production collective or fellow students or workers, and ultimately on society as a whole. Komsomol members cannot tolerate violations of ethical norms of the socialist way of life, in the same way as they frown upon inability to spend one’s leisure time wisely.

p The production collective is one of the main elements of young people’s life in society. By relying on such a powerful tool as public opinion, the Komsomol organisations may successfully resolve many problems concerned with bringing up the youth.

p To sum up, the Komsomol’s central task lies in the sphere of education, for it instils staunchness, confidence in the future and the desire to work harder and better for the sake of implementing the great goal in whose name the socialist revolution was carried out—communism.

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Even bourgeois ideologists have to admit that ‘the YCL is, in fact, the best school possible for political and communist education’.  [104•1 

The Leninist Seminar and the Leninist ‘
Reporting Session’: What are they?

p These are the two forms of specific Komsomol educational activities which embrace wide sections of young people and enable Komsomol organisation to mould the character of each young man and woman. They are comprehensive because they combine various aspects of communist education. These forms were not invented by some Komsomol official but were introduced as the result of the experience of the best Komsomol organisations.

p Back in the 1930s, after Nadezhda Krupskaya, Lenin’s wife and colleague, addressed a meeting of young workers at the Moscow Automobile Plant, the Komsomol members at this plant decided to initiate a serious study of Lenin’s works to enable them, through a better understanding of this great man’s ideas and advice, to evaluate their social activism and their attitude to work, studies and public duties in the right perspective. It was decided to hold special seminars as part of the system of Komsomol political education, at which Komsomol members could present their reports. At these seminars young people were supposed to report on their studies of Marxism-Leninism and 105 the resolutions of the Communist Party and on his or her personal contribution to the building of socialism. Several decades later, in the 1960s, this initiative was transformed into a complex form of Komsomol ideological education, the so-called Leninist Seminars and Leninist ‘Reporting Sessions’.

p At the seminars young people are taught to analyse the vital problems of the day in the light of Lenin’s ideas. They are also requested to pay close attention to the evaluation of industrial and moral problems and in this way expand their sphere of social activism and compare their accomplishments and ideas with those prophesied by Lenin. By reading Lenin’s article A Great Beginning, which contains the basic notions regarding communist labour, young workers are taught to practise an analytical approach to the organisation of socialist emulation in their work team and analyse their socialist labour commitments.

p The very form of these seminars, which prompt discussion and help the participants to acquire. skill in presenting arguments, defending their point of view and persuading others, stimulates their intellectual abilities.

p The so-called ‘Reporting Sessions’ have also become part and parcel of the Komsomol’s ideological, political and organisational activities. Their main idea is to assess the results of the efforts aimed at bringing up staunch and committed builders of communist society.

p The central part of each session is a sort of 106 ideological and political test in which each Komsomol member reports on his academic progress or labour achievements, including his success in mastering Leninism, raising his educational and cultural level and participating in public activities. By presenting his report to his work mates or fellow students, each Komsomol member acquires a more profound sense of responsibility towards the whole collective. At the same time the responsibility of the Komsomol organisation for the development of each Komsomol member also grows.

p Attaching special importance to improving ideological education of the youth, the YCL Central Committee passed a resolution to hold countrywide Leninist ‘Reporting Sessions’ in 1976-80. The resolution calls upon all Komsomol organisations to help each young man or woman raise his or her level of political knowledge, general education, professional skill, and thus make a maximum contribution to fulfilling major targets of the Tenth Five-Year Plan, such as raising the efficiency and quality of production. The sessions are held in three stages to coincide with such national landmarks as the 60th Anniversary of the October Revolution (1977), the 60th Anniversary of the Komsomol (1978) and the 110th anniversary of Lenin’s birthday (1980).

p The Ail-Union March Through the Sites of the Revolutionary, Military and Labour Glory of the Soviet People: Why is it held? Are there any reasons to claim that this is a form of ‘para-military training’ of young people?

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p These marches, conducted across the country, are, in fact, interesting and informative excursions through the country’s past. In the course, young people learn about the remarkable achievements of the builders of communist society. Such tours have become an effective means of moulding young people’s characters in line with the best traditions of the Soviet people.

p The Ail-Union March has incorporated numerous forms of activities which have been conducted by the Komsomol organisations for several decades. These include youth scouting tours, in the course of which the participants may learn more about the history of the Soviet Union and the heroic deeds of the older generation, especially of their fellow-countrymen. The organisers and participants of these tours collect historical documents and relics of the past and interview witnesses of important historical events, thus contributing to the study of the area’s history. By using these materials young people are able to study the history of industrial enterprises, educational establishments, government and public organisations. Thanks to the initiative of young people various memorial rooms and museums have been opened and special exhibitions held in state museums; joint meetings of the representatives of the three generations of Soviet citizens are conducted and public addresses by the veterans of the October Revolution, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War are organised. The scale assumed by these numerous 108 excursions necessitated the organisational framework of the campaign to be introduced on an all-Union basis. On 25 May 1965 the Bureau of the YCL Central Committee adopted a resolution ‘On the All-Union Youth Tours to the Sites of Military Glory of the Soviet People’. The word ‘military’ in the title was not accidental though it had nothing to do with the military training of youth. The fact was that in May 1965 the Soviet Union celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Victory Day in World War II. While preparing for this festive occasion young people acquainted themselves with the country’s heroic past and, full of deep gratitude to their fathers who fought in the war, took an oath of loyalty to their traditions. In the interests of inculcating patriotic feelings, which is one of the Komsomol’s major concerns, it was important to systematise and propagate the vast historical material gathered by young people. Taking this into account, the YCL Central Committee recommended its organisations to carry out excursions to the places of the Soviet people’s military glory and organise joint meetings between young people and war veterans. It was decided to summarise the results of the All-Union March at the National Rally of the best tourist groups in September 1965 in the fortress-town of Brest. Brest was the first Soviet town which took on the fascist troops when they treacherously attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941.

p To administer and control the conduct of the All-Union March, the YCL Central Committee 109 set up a Central Headquarters. Similar offices which incorporated representatives of tourist clubs, DOSAAF  [109•1  branches and Komsomol cells from the Army and the Navy, along with Komsomol activists, were established across the country.

p Since the first march was mainly dedicated to the ideological and patriotic upbringing of young people, the YCL concentrated its attention on excursion to the sites of military operations conducted by the Soviet Forces and partisan detachments. The participants in this drive, conducted under the slogan ‘Let No One Forget; Let Nothing Be Forgotten’, found out the names of scores of hitherto unknown war heroes, helped to open 27,000 museums and memorial rooms, and erected some 6,000 monuments, obelisks and memorial plaques.

p Later, the ideological content of such excursions became more diversified: the Komsomol organisations used this specific form of activity as an effective means of propagating all the heroic— revolutionary, military and labour—traditions of socialist society. The diverse forms of these excursions, including the investigative and propaganda activities, now centre around such historic stages 110 of the country’s past as the revolution, the postrevolutionary socialist construction, the participation of Komsomol members in socialist industrialisation and collectivisation, the Great Patriotic War, the post-war rehabilitation and, finally, the present-day achievements of the Soviet people in building communist society. Such is the scope of these investigative missions.

p This new form of Komsomol activity evoked tremendous interest on the part of young people. While over 3 million took part in the first march, in 1977 the number jumped to 56 million.

p While going on these missions young people undertake various assignments, such as writing essays on the area’s history, conducting various memorial days and torch-light processions, holding rallies and meetings in honour of the heroes of the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, patronising the families of war veterans and war victims, opening up clubs of young patriots and sports camps, and participating in such para-military games as Zarnitsa (Lightning) for Young Pioneers and Orlyonok (Young Eagle) for the Komsomol members and teenagers. In the course of the marches young people organise sports competitions in which they compete in various sports under the Prepared for Work and Defence sports programme.

p The importance of these forms of Komsomol activities lies in the fact that they encourage ideological staunchness, enthusiasm for work and a broader world outlook, as well as the moral, political and physical strengthening of young people.

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p To sum up, although these marches involve many different aspects, it is the educative rather than military aspect which is the main one. The analysis and propaganda of the collected historical material helps young people to understand the present-day tasks. Besides, these marches prove the existence of revolutionary succession between all generations of Soviet society.

p Thus there is absolutely no reason to allege that the All-Union March through the sites of the revolutionary, military and labour glory of the Soviet people is a form of militarisation or military training of young people, as some bourgeois Sovietologists claim.

p Does the Komsomol show any interest in ethical problems? What are the basic principles of communist morality?

p During the transition from socialist to communist society the role of ethics is increasing.

p The instilment of communist ethics in the hearts and minds of Soviet youth is one of the Komsomol’s major tasks. Each Soviet citizen strives to follow certain ethical principles, known as the moral code of builders of communist society. Here are these principles:

p —fidelity to the cause of communism and affection towards the socialist Motherland and the socialist countries;

p —honest work for society’s benefit: he who does not work, neither shall he eat;

p —the concern of each person for the preservation and augmentation of public wealth;

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p —realisation of one’s public duty and intolerance of violations of the public interest;

p —collectivism and comradely assistance: each for all and all for each;

p —humane relations and mutual respect among people: man to man is a friend, comrade and brother;

p —honesty and truthfulness, moral purity; simplicity and modesty in public and private lives;

p —mutual respect within the family, and care for children;

p —intolerance of injustice, idleness, untruthfulness, careerism and money-grubbing;

p —friendship and brotherhood among all Soviet peoples, intolerance of national and racial hatred;

p —intolerance of the enemies of communism, the cause of peace and the freedom of nations;

p —fraternal solidarity with the working men of all countries and with all nations.

p The Komsomol organisations do their best to educate young people in line with this code. Addressing the first generation of Komsomol members, Lenin said: ‘The entire purpose of training, educating and teaching the youth of today should be to imbue them with communist ethics.’  [112•1  The Komsomol has remained true to this behest.

p Free and creative labour for society’s benefit forms the basis of socialist society’s ethics, and the vitality of this has been proved by many 113 generations of Soviet people. Therefore, the selection of moral ideals and principles presents no problem for Soviet youth, which inherits socialist ethics from the older generation. To be of service to society and the interests of the people is the first moral principle for the majority of Soviet youth.

p Man’s deeds, and in particular his attitude to work, are the sole criteria of his moral qualities. In conditions of public ownership of the means of production the new—socialist—attitude to work has taken shape. Young people cannot visualise themselves outside of socially useful work and they are convinced that any work is socially useful if it is done in the name of lofty goals. The only problem is to select work to one’s liking.

p And Soviet youth does work hard: young people actively participate in such huge construction projects as the Baikal-Amur Railway or the land improvement schemes in the Non-Black-Earth Zone of the Russian Federation.

p However, the YGL is far from resting on its laurels, for there are still instances when some young people violate the moral code. And these violations are constantly being combated. The Komsomol organisations pay much attention to fighting such vices as individualism and egocentrism, untruthfulness and careerism, tale-bearing and boot-licking. Such vices are often typical of young people who are rather narrow-minded and one-sided in their interests and aspirations. Therefore, the Komsomol organisations strive to ensure 114 the all-round development of the individual and encourage the creative urges of young men and women, and their desire to enrich their intellect.

p The communist ethics does not require that the individual be completely lost in the collective. On the contrary, one of the aims of ethical education is to encourage such qualities as bravery, honesty, truthfulness and staunchness among young people. The moral code and the established norms of human intercourse in socialist society encourage the development of the individual, while individualism, i.e., the desire to separate oneself from lofty public interests and indifference and arrogance towards other people, is quite incompatible with the communist ethics.

Soviet young people are a morally healthy and energetic generation, full of joie de vivre and confidence in the future.