Ninety years ago this week, 194 delegates from youth groups from all over revolutionary Russia met to consolidate themselves into an all-Russian youth organization. Of the 194 delegates, 176 had voting rights, (the rest had the right to speak but not vote). The voting delegates claimed to represent 120 different youth groups with a total membership of 21,000. The core groups were two pro-Bolshevik groups, the Socialist League of Worker youth based in Petrograd and the Third International from Moscow. Of the delegates, half (88) were Bolshevik Party members, 38 were communist sympathizers, and 45 were non-party youth. Also present were three Social Democratic Internationalists, one Left Socialists Revolutionary, and one Anarchist. The week long conference, which ran from 29 October to 4 November finalized the creation of the Russian Communist Youth League, or Komsomol.
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Komsomol, SRB will follow the history, reminiscence, and celebrations occurring throughout Russia over the next week.
Да здравствует Комсомол!
First Komsomol Presidium, 1918 (left to right) E. Gerr, O. Ryvkin, E. Tseitlin, V. Popov, A. Bezymenskii, L. Shatskin, P. Forvin, M. Akhmanov, M. Dugachev.
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Yeah right. The only place this event is celebrated is on Sean’s blog. I joined Komsomol for my career, after the break-up of the USSR I used my connections I developed while being a Komsomol leader to start a business. Now I’m an oligarch – look at my yacht! Who cares about Komsomol?
http://kolobok1973.livejournal.com/613695.html
Sean, although I assume my question is beyond the scope of your research, do you have any data (or educated guesses) of how these 194 delegates fared later in life? How were they doing ten years later (1928), twenty years later (1938) and thirty years later (1948)?
Sean, although I assume my question is beyond the scope of your research, do you have any data (or educated guesses) of how these 194 delegates fared later in life? How were they doing ten years later (1928), twenty years later (1938) and thirty years later (1948)?
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Sorry, for the interruption, but it would be safe to assume that very few of them survived beyond 1938, bad climate, what can you do? LB.
Just to make sure you see it:
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc-rss.aspx?DocsID=1046687
I don’t have the names of the 194 delegates so I can’t say for sure. I do have some information about those on the Presidium.
Komsomol secretaries didn’t have stellar careers in their post-Komsomol life. Most never got past middle management in the Party or otherwise. But here is what I know.
O. Ryvkin: Member of the Central Executive Committee, shot 1937.
E. Tseitlin, Worked as a deputy of a techinical bureau in a factory in Sverdlovsk. Shot 1937.
L. Shatskin, Director of economic research in Tashkent. Shot in 1937.
I would have to dig into some of my other materials to find out about the others. My hunch is that a good number of the delegates at the 1st Congress might have died in the Civil War or from illness like TB. I have a few names of those.
In regard to repression, all Komsomol General Secretaries from 1918-19 (there 7 including the three above) were all shot during the purges. As for the TsK during the 1920s, it’s uneven. Some were shot, others weren’t even arrested and lived to ripe old ages. As to the full extent the purges hit old Komsomol members, I cannot say. There hasn’t been any research on it. The only work I know on the Komsomol and the terror are two article published in Russian in the 1990s.
Thanks, Sean. Interesting stuff.
I assumed that several of them ended up dead during Stalin’s great purges, but I would have guessed that those that survived the Civil War would have had somewhat higher profiles. I guess during those early years the Komsomol didn’t yet establish itself as one of the necessary stepping stones to a successful party career.
Doom is reminded that he saw the movie Death to Soviet Children, a slasher movie set in an abandoned Piooneer camp, last week on DVD. The slasher had a mask, of which Doom approves.
Doom particularly liked that all the female characters had truly enormous breasts. Doom spent much time hitting “pause.”
“I don’t have the names of the 194 delegates so I can’t say for sure. I do have some information about those on the Presidium.”
Doom would be interested in learning if Sean knows the nationalities of the delegates.
Doom is always concerned about the small peoples. I guess this is why Latveria is a refuge for gypsies.
I don’t know about the nationality breakdown. I don’t recall ever seeing a statistical breakdown of delegates in terms of nationality, age or gender. I also haven’t really been looking since I don’t pay too much attention to the composition of the Komsomol’s leadership. Also statistics on these matters weren’t taken until 1921.
My favorite document in terms of Congresses was an anonymous survey of delegates to the 8th congress (1928). The questions dealt with everything from drinking to activism, gender relations, sex, etc. Good stuff.
Thank you, Sean. Doom’s poor mother, stolen by Mephisto, was a Gypsy. For your kind words, Doom shall spare your life.
Doom is interested in Soviet nationalities policies; ’tis the reason that Doom posed the question.
Thus speaks Doom.
Doom,
Are you okay? You sound like a political dissident in the USSR circa 1975, who’s been just let out of a mental institution.
Take it easy. Better have a drink.
Doom, have you seen the historically accurate video that Lyndon recently posted in his blog? (Link below.) It’s about Gorbachev. Considering your taste in women and gore, I think you will like it. Even Gorby’s “little Vietnam” birthmark came out just right.
http://www.scrapsofmoscow.org/2008/10/synchronicity-intellectual-goofiness.html#links
Leonid Brezhnev shall pay for having dared to mock Doom.
None may stand in the way of Doom and live.
Kolya, Doom cannot access videos from his current computer. I suspect that the accursed Richards may have infected it with a virus. Doom must wait until he arrives at his castle this evening.
I can say one thing Doom is Dumb. You don’t know what you are talking about, and probably still live with your parents.
Averko?
Looking at the plackard at the top, it’s amazing how many iconic Byzantium motives are in it. The Dude with the Banner does look like a prole: Imperial Byzantine Prole, that is. The gal looks Byzantine too, although somewhat liberated.
Looking at the plackard at the top, it’s amazing how many iconic Byzantium motives are in it. The Dude with the Banner does look like a prole: Imperial Byzantine Prole, that is. The gal looks Byzantine too, although somewhat liberated.
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Does it surprise you?
Obama was an honorary member of the Komsomol. I am sure he is celebrating with Ayers and Rezko tonight.
Doom would like to suggest that Kolchak be in or around the Baxter Building at 7:43 pm Friday night. Johnny Storm is having a party and is sure to welcome him warmly (heh heh – Doom’s sense of humor cracks Doom up. It is one of many areas in which Doom surpasses the human norm). Doom offers his complete assurances that nothing bad will happen.
Sean and Kolya, out of a sense of gratitude, Doom strongly recommends that you stay away. Not that anything bad will happen.
Doom has spoken.
Попов и БезИменский – Russian names.
All others – you know who, Doom…
Are they relatives of Richards?
They all are relatives of Richards and as such they all are doomed, Doom. This is one of many areas in which relatives of Richards surpass even the Doom’s surpassed norm!
Drunk has smoked.
Doom will gladly visit his wrath upon the relatives of the accursed Reed. Perhaps he can kidnap them.
Doom wonders if any of the early Komsomol members are still alive. Doom notes that Boris Efrimov died recently at the age of 109, supposedly the world’s oldest living relative of Richards.
I don’t want to upset you over this subject. But to get an idea where “Komsomol” in Russia is now. Please have a peek at this article in
Komsomolskaya Pravda devoted to the 90th anniversary:
http://www.kp.ru/daily/24189/396562/
The title says: “The last First Secretary of CK VLKSM Vladimir Zyukin: “Now we all work in business”
It seems to me that the only people on the planet who are idealistic about Komsomol are the commentators on Sean’s blog.
It is totally irrelevant in Russia. People went to Komsomol for a career (business if you wish) and when the system collapsed, they fled Komsomol and joined the next “sure thing”: BUSINESS (= “making money”)
Maybe you should do the same?
“Maybe you should do the same?”
Doom, like all Nietzschean Supermen, considers business to be a base affair of near-slaves. Thus, Doom will pass on the offer.
Doom particularly liked that all the female characters had truly enormous breasts. Doom spent much time hitting “pause.”
Is this why Jessica Simpson’s movie is doing so well in Russia? I’m pretty sure it’s why all those Spanish soap operas are redubbed into Russian for TV (at least, that is RTN’s idea of “Russian television programming” – Katja says they are popular in Russia also).
Based on the use of “pause” buttons, I bet the pirate DVD’s will be a big hit also.
I’m a leg man, myself.
Doom’s sense of humor cracks Doom up.
So, Doom. I see you wear a mask all the time. What’s up with that?
Nice robes you got. Are they made of wool? I like that.
So, you run Latveria. I produce Entourage. Did you know that, Doom?
Ok, I gotta go. Say hello to your mother for me.
“Maybe you should do the same?”
Doom, like all Nietzschean Supermen, considers business to be a base affair of near-slaves. Thus, Doom will pass on the offer.
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With all due respect, but Doom is Dumb.
Look, man: you are interested in something that the people who created rejected. I see no point. That’s why I drive a Maseratti and you live with your parents.
Former Komsomol leader, turned Oligarh – you seem angry and tense. What’s up with that?
Those are nice shoes you got. Are they Italian? I starred in the “Italian Job”. Did you see that movie, Turned Oligarh?
I gotta go now, ah’right? Say hello to your mother for me.
Thanks for this post, and fot the poster, Sean!
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