“It was the best school for managers!”
By Sean at 29 October, 2008, 5:36 pm
The Russian media is abuzz with reports on the 90th Anniversary of the Komsomol. Local celebrations, museum exhibits, and conferences are planned all over the country to commemorate the youth organization. In Pskov, the local office of the Committee for Youth Policy and Sport has organized festival called “My Komsomol Youth.” Arkhangelsk has a series of events planned through November 4 “to give an objective judgment of the activities of the League, remember old friends, and impart our experience to young people,” says Arkhangelsk governor Ilya Mikhalchuk. “On these days we will celebrate the organization, which without exaggeration, gave us admission into life.” The Volgograd provincial museum will host an exhibit titled “Milestones Glorious Path of the Komsomol.” Other cities holding events include Nizhni Novgorod, Cheliabinsk, Amur, Novosibirsk, Kursk, and Irkutsk, to name a few. The biggest event was held on Sunday in the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow where Komsomol Congresses used to be held. The event, titled “Soviet Russia,” was a who’s who of the new Russian elite. There are also a few NTV reports: here and here. Celebrations weren’t just confined to Russia. Even Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko took a moment honor the Komsomol’s history.
It is estimated that almost two-thirds of Russian adults have been members of the Kosmomol, and most have fond memories of it. Zhores Alferov, the winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics, told RIA Novosti that “The Komsomol was an absolute organization of the masses. It educated people in a lot of things, including management and ethics.” Vladimir Sungorkin, the editor of Komsomolskaya pravda, said that “Lots of people today say that they hated the Komsomol, that they knew they had to keep as far away from it as they could. But that’s just rubbish. The Komsomol was founded on Christian, humanitarian ideals, the ideas of equality and brotherhood.” Some agree with this idea that the Kosmomol was founded on Christian ideals. In an interview with RIA Novosti, Nikolai Mesiatsev, a Komsomol veteran who was in the league in the 1930s, said that Patriarch Aleksei I told him in 1957, “You know, my boy, that the ethical norms of your League coincide with those of Orthodox Christianity.” You don’t have to dig into so-called “Komsomol ethics” that deep to see that he’s right no matter how much the League’s founders would have been aghast at the thought. By the late 1920s, ideas of sexual monogamy, family values, social conformity, and conservative mores were at the center of the League’s unwritten “code of conduct.”
Even more interesting is that by the 1980s, the organization had become a center of primitive capitalist accumulation. The Komsomol was Gorbachev’s vanguard in economic reforms which eventually allowed people like Mikhail Khodorkovsky to make millions. Such is the irony. Perhaps this is why Daria Mitina could write the following about the “Soviet Russia” event on Sunday,
On this day, all they gather in one hall: governors and ministers, former governors and former ministers, oligarchs and pensioners, functionaries and managers, bankers and scientists, cosmonauts and engineers, left and right, red, white and blue polka dotted, and all they extol the organization that made them real people.
…There’s something mystical when bankers and oligarchs, highest officials and people of power come to the stage and with fiery eyes, in a voice trembling from tears, talk about the battles for the Soviet power, about feats of labor, about the tents on the construction site of the Bratsk power station… Today all they are the veterans of the Komsomol. (Translation Dmitri Minaev.)
While most agree that reviving a Komsomol-like organization that would dominate youth politics is no longer feasible, there appears to be a consensus among Russians that youth organizations are a positive thing. True, much of the perceived need comes from the usual older generation’s belief that youth are on a downward slope to utter corruption. “I’m very concerned about the situation [of Russia's] youth,” says Nikolai Mesiatsev. He went on to lament the typical influence of television and its dangers to children and teenagers. You could find the substance of Mesiatsev’s statements uttered repeatedly over the last 150 years.
Enter state sponsored organizations like Nashi, Molodaia gvardiia, and Mestnyi. While lacking the scope and power that the Komsomol had, these organizations, especially Nashi, look to trained Russian youth in the ideological-economic mores of the day: capitalism, business, and nationalism.
How does an old Komsomol view the youth of Nashi? Here are a few excerpts from an exchange between Viktor Mishkin, the former First Secretary of the Komsomol and Irinia Pleshcheva, a commissar from Nashi published in Moskovskii Komsomolets:
MK: The Komsomol and the Nashi movement are often compared. To what extent is such a comparison pertinent?
Viktor Mishkin: I don’t see anything in common. The Nashi movement has only just been formed. To call it an organization which would united a large part of youth is in my view too early. It is not because when I worked in the Komsomol it was an organization of 42 million people and Nashi is considerably smaller. The main distinction is that the Komsomol had a history, it was an organization that was present everywhere, and Nashi this is a small project. It carries out actions and then disbands. After half a year it carries out the next, and then disbands again. There is only one thing in common between the Komsomol and Nashi. They are organizations of the party in power.
Irina Pleshcheva: I disagree. You had in your charter that you were the fighting helper and reliable reserve of the KPSS. And we have nothing like this. Yes, there were very many komsomols. But then almost everyone joined. If not then your life ended up on the side of the road. Who wants to join [Nashi], joins, and who doesn’t . . . and we are not forged as cadres for United Russia. We are forged to be cadres for various spheres of society.
Viktor Mishkin: But your organization was created to support United Russia.
Irina Pleshcheva: We support the course of the President. When Putin was president, it means his course, Medvedev, it means his. And whoever will be there [we will] still support. . . providing that he will stick to a course of sovereign democracy, the building of civil society, and the making of Russia into a leader in the 21st century.
Viktor Mishkin: And how do you prepare cadres? There was the seminar at Seliger (the Nashi’s yearly summer camp–Sean). I read a report from it that said that the main theme was to build a future elite for Russia.
Irina Pleshcheva: Yes, our purpose is to bring up an elite for Russia. And there are various ways. I’m, for example, a member of the Public Chamber, but I don’t want to be any kind of deputy or politician. In the future I want to work as a journalist. For me there has been definite growth troward my future profession.
Viktor Mishkin: For you this is interesting. But the program, the organization must work for all youth. Yes for the President–that’s great. You will personally be in the elite.
Irina Pleshcheva: Your words are music to my ears!
Viktor Mishkin: And what kind of results are there for the rest of youth?
Irina Pleshcheva: There are programs to fight against the illegal sale of alcohol to children. For example, we have in Voronezh guys who picket stores where they sell vodka to minors. After this an agreement was made that these stores would not sell hard alcohol. four stores were almost closed, but now any parent can send their child for bread and not be afraid that he will buy something else. Also there is a program devoted to young families.
Viktor Mishkin: And what does that give?
Irina Pleshcheva: In the three years that this program has been running we’ve had eight couples marry. They already have three children.
Viktor Mishkin: Here is your impart–eight couples. All of these are isolated cases. Today to compare Nashi with the Komsomol is absolutely impossible because the scale of Komsomol work was collossal. Not to idealize the Komsomol, but I want to remind you about the Komsomol housing complexes which built residences for young families.
One can go to Seliger three times and meet with the President twice but this does not make you a leader. Its not possible to train cadres with two seminars. And the Komsomol trained and routinely led from the simple to the complex. It was the best school for managers!
A bit of generational rivalry for sure. I’ll provide more of this interview tomorrow.
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School for managers… Could be. Is this why I, an engineer and a natural enemy for all managers, can’t talk to a manager without wishing to give him a punch or two, in the hope that the increasing Brownian motion in the stuff that fills his skull might make him THINK?
This sounds like an excellent School.It was interesting how many people met and married there.
Did you know there are 100 million unmarried adults in the USA. Like many countrys we marry later,divorce a lot and live longer.
In this crazy world finding and maintaining a relationship has never been more complex.
See “Single a documentary film” http://www.singlefilm.com its had great reviews and puts the evolution of women,education and technology into perspective.
This sounds like an excellent School.It was interesting how many people met and married there.
Did you know there are 100 million unmarried adults in the USA. Like many countrys we marry later,divorce a lot and live longer.
In this crazy world finding and maintaining a relationship has never been more complex.
See “Single a documentary film” http://www.singlefilm.com its had great reviews and puts the evolution of women,education and technology into perspective.
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The problem is not that you don’t have a Komsomol, rather it looks like your society has a trust problem. Simply put people don’t trust each other (I don’t mean at a superficial level). If it is the case, what is so attractive about the American society? In view of the recent events, not the economic advantages for sure. What is that then?
And how many people joined Komsomol for коньюнктура reasons? I for one have no fond memories of this giant sink of time wasted on being a Komsomol member and even a local komsomol committee member with one purpose only – have a checkbox in my resume.
There was no way I could be accepted into the Leningrad State University’s linguistics department without being a Komsomol member. There was no way for me to get any decent job after college without a resume checked and approved by University’s komsomol committee and for that I needed to do the regular rounds – стройотряд, ДНД, демонстрации.
It did not teach how to manage, it tought how to brownnose.
Sorry, it was no school for managers. Школа карьеристов и только. Unless in someone’s mind these two are the same.
Maybe a school for upwardly mobile community organizers? We have on here running for President that walks and talks and quacks like he went through Komsomol.
The problem is not that you don’t have a Komsomol, rather it looks like your society has a trust problem. Simply put people don’t trust each other (I don’t mean at a superficial level).
This is actually a 180 degrees different. There is more trust here on almost every level, except the extended family, or clan. But that entity is almost gone in the States anyway.
And how many people joined Komsomol for коньюнктура reasons?
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0?
As a former Komsomol member I can attest to that. I had to join this glorious organization in order to be able to go to a university. It was fun to see how all those “leaders” started jumping the boat and declare themselves “democrats”, “nationalist” whatever, when the USSR was falling apart…
Once again as someone wrote today already: You guys are talking about an organization dumped by the people who created it and who supposedly were to defend it. Why to talk about Komsomol? Because it’s a Russian word?
… sorry I meant not 0, but 100%
You guys are talking about an organization dumped by the people who created it and who supposedly were to defend it. Why to talk about Komsomol?
Dmitry Medvedev, you seem annoyed. What’s up with that? We like to talk about Russian history here. So chill out man, ok?
That’s a nice suit you got there. I didn’t know Armani had a boy’s department. That’s cool.
So you run Russia. I produce “Entourage”. Ever watch that show, Dmitry Medvedev?
Ok, I gotta go now. Say hello to your mother for me.
There is more trust here on almost every level, except the extended family, or clan.
Hey Cyrill. That’s an interesting name. Is that a Russian name? What’s up with that?
So, I think family is very important. I got my career started because of family, my big brother. Do you have a career Cyrill?
I gotta go now. Say hello to your mother for me.
LOL.
W. Wahlberg, are you implying President Medvedev is an ass/donkey?
(That skit never gets old for me…)
“Hey Cyrill. That’s an interesting name. Is that a Russian name? What’s up with that?”
It’s what happens when a Russian emigre tries to ingratiate himself to foreigners by Anglicizing his name and does not realize that it sounds, well, gay.
Poemless, you and I may be the only ones who have seen that skit and follow-up:
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/mark-wahlberg-talks-to-animals/727504/
Following week skit is here:
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/mark-wahlberg-backstage/773862/
Anglicizing his name and does not realize that it sounds, well, gay.
My grandmother-in-law Russifies my name to Vanya. However, I am given little choice in the matter.
Hey Cyrill. That’s an interesting name. Is that a Russian name? What’s up with that?
Кирилл originally. But English speaking people en masse can’t roll their Rs and can’t correctly palatalize consonants so I did not want to have it butchered all the time.
Do you have a career Cyrill?
No. I have a profession.
Say hello to your mother for me.
Can’t. She died from cancer last year.
…and does not realize that it sounds, well, gay.
Кирилл originally. But English speaking people en masse can’t roll their Rs and can’t correctly palatalize consonants so I did not want to have it butchered all the time.
Do you have a career Cyrill?
No. I have a profession.
Dmitry Medvedev, you seem annoyed. What’s up with that? We like to talk about Russian history here. So chill out man, ok?
That’s a nice suit you got there. I didn’t know Armani had a boy’s department. That’s cool.
****GO***RUSSIA****GO****!*!*!*!***************
Well, you got me, as most short people I’ve a big ego. I’d much rather be in the center of attention, I’d rather see posts entitled “Komsomol at 90: President Medvedev is a former member of Komsomol”, etc
It’s hard as it is: nobody think I’m the man in charge, it’s still “Putin”, “Putin”, “Putin” ….
can’t roll their Rs and can’t correctly palatalize consonants
Here’s a tangent.
I grew up in Germany, so the rolling R’s thing I can manage. It takes a moment to slip into that mode, however.
Some other sounds in Russian I think are slightly mythological or elusive, like a Chupacabra. When demonstrating how to make these sounds, Russians will enunciate them quite clearly, but in actual speaking practice they almost disappear (of course, there are many sounds in American English like this also).
Often, it seems to me, palatalized consonants fall sometimes fall into this category in Russian.
Also ш and щ, I can almost never hear a difference in practical use or speaking. Sometimes to amuse myself, I’ll ask a Russian to explain the difference, and then, of course, they hold щ longer. But when speaking they say it so close to the same that the non-native ear can certainly not hear it at all.
The vowel I fail most miserably at pronouncing is ы. And again, when I ask a Russian speaker (usually my wife) to demonstrate this sound, their lower jaw juts out, their face contorts, and they make this exaggerated sound, that they simply do not use in actual speaking.
Katja has mastered W but TH is still pronounced as only an approximation, a sort of breathy soft D.
Кирилл originally.
I think the bigger problem is that almost no Americans (or English speakers in general) would know how to read cyrillic.
I suppose you had a choice to make, either Kyrill which Americans would butcher until it sounded like Carol .. or going soft and Cyrill, which I’m guessing most Americans pronounce something like Siril (non-Russian i).
We gave our son a Russian name. He was born in Western Europe…And after almost a decade there, my horizon’s had expanded a bit past worrying about “How it would play in Des Moines.” He’s half Russian afterall, and there was a commitment from the beginning to recognize the full cultural inheritance. However, we did end up moving back to the U.S. where he’s grown up to face the consequences of our naming decision. People can be jerks — but he’s worked with it ‘boy named Sue-style’. The midwest years were more difficult. But, he was young, and the name is an anagram of a famous toy company; So he worked with that, and actually got some playmates to not only say and spell it right, but to think it was really cool. Then, in California, well his name was often the easiest to pronounce in the classroom. That is, with the exception of the Chinese kids whose parents just pick English names like Arthur and Anderson from storybooks,with no legal commitment to them whatsoever. Another plus…no need to use the long, difficult last name. He’s like ‘Cher’. There is always only one…except around the dinner table. So we’re well into the high school years and no bloody noses over the name yet; I think the name caller would be the worse for that, as he’s also half Irish and can do a great Mark Wahlburg impression if need should arise.
So…IMO Anyone that feels they need to comment on a name is showing their own limitations, not the bearer’s
OK, following the tangent.
but in actual speaking practice they almost disappear (of course, there are many sounds in American English like this also).
All unstressed vowels in Russian reduce to neutral ə, and sound almost the same, except in some regional dialects or foreign accents like Belorussian that does not reduce.
Also ш and щ, I can almost never hear a difference in practical use or speaking.
Ш is formed by tip of the tongue (or the back immediately near the tip) touching the alveoli, sort of close to English S but the toungue arching up following uraniscus.
Щ is similar but the tongue shifts forward tip going straight down to the bottom, sides of the tongue firmly touch molars and alveoli and the actual sound is formed by creating a narrow round air passage between the middle notch in alveoli and the back of the tongue shaped sort of like a saddle.
Ы is difficult but it is quite similar to British long back o: or a: with the tongue being in the middle of the mouth and flat horizontal instead. No need to contort faces for that one.
Still easier then the uvular Georgian K…
On the Internet a lot of times people assume that I’m a woman because of “Kolya”–quite amusing. After all this years I’m still unable to pronounce “th” correctly. Usually I only remember about it when my daughter cracks a joke about it, perhaps once a year or so. My father, who died in 2,000, was impressed when he noticed that my wife, a Connecticut yankee with no no Russian blood, could pronounce “мыло” correctly.
So many tangents…
We decided to name our boy Alexander, it had a bit of family significance and also is easily nickname-able in all of the languages in which our family operates. Having had an unusual name as a kid in Russia, I can bear witness to the fact that kids everywhere will make fun of any name that is punnable and/or not a name they’ve heard before.
But back to VLKSM, I think it was not so much a great school for managers as a great place for enterprising elites to build networks. Business schools are like this, too, but they teach technical skills.
My father-in-law told me some great stories about his three times in and out of Komsomol. Each time, he joined (or re-joined) for a particular reason (can’t recall if I’ve related this anecdote in this space before; forgive me if I’m repeating myself). For instance, at one point, he was working as a truck driver and by re-joining VLKSM was able to get assigned a better truck. Keep in mind that this was in small-town Moldova in the first decade of Khrushchev’s reign, so I am sure they were eager to increase membership numbers.
A question on internet etiquette and vocabulary: is there a word akin to troll for someone who says something that seems specifically designed to turn the entire thread into an off-color joke. Something like:
but the toungue arching up following uraniscus.
or
the tongue shifts forward tip going straight down to the bottom, sides of the tongue firmly touch molars and alveoli and the actual sound is formed by creating a narrow round air passage…
I’m sorry. I know it’s childish. But I’m actually curious about the internets vocabulary question.
A question on internet etiquette and vocabulary: is there a word akin to troll for someone who says something that seems specifically designed to turn the entire thread into an off-color joke. Something like:
but the toungue arching up following uraniscus.
Yes, there is a word for that.
Perv.
Heh… time and time again I fail to foresee how грядущий хам would react and step on the proverbial rake. Смекалка темной головы.
My grandmother-in-law Russifies my name to Vanya. However, I am given little choice in the matter.
Actually, I got this slightly wrong, she calls me Venya, which somewhat makes sense considering my given name is Wendell (which is what my wife and her family call me).
Смекалка темной головы.
No need to get racial!
And to Ven’ka: point taken.
Смекалка темной головы.
No need to get racial!
Only in America!
Cyrill, I love the name Кирилл. And “Кирилл” sounds so much better than “Cyrill”. Sort of like Nikolai, to my ears, sounds much better than Nicholas. I know it’s all subjective…
In my view translated names are different names. Now this is not done as often, but names were often automatically translated. I’m sorry, but Karl is not Carlos (I have seen books of a certain author called Carlos Marx). Лев is not Leo or Leon. Paul is not Pablo.
I guess it’s all a matter of usage. I still find it strange, though, that we talk of Tsar Nicholas II (instead of Nikolai II), or in Spain and Latin America they write of Príncipe Carlos when referring to Prince Charles and when writing about his mother they write Reina Isabel instead of Reina Elizabeth (and in Russia, of course, they say Королева Елизавета).
Meh, this happens to everyone. Plato’s real name wasn’t Plato. Plato wasn’t even his real pseudonym.