Why did young Soviets join the ‘Komsomol’ movement?
The world's largest youth organization was established on October 29, 1918, on the initiative of Nadezhda Krupskaya, wife of Vladimir Lenin. Its full name – the All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union – it received in 1926 and it existed until the collapse of the USSR.
"Vladimir Lenin holds a speech at the 3rd Congress of the RKSM," by Boris Ioganson.
During this period, over 160 million became members of the ‘Komsomol’! One had to be at least 14 years of age (and could only join on recommendation) and no older than 28.
There was a membership fee which was equal to 1% of a monthly salary.
Being a ‘Komsomol’ member was considered very honorable. After World War II, there were many "great Komsomol construction works" all over the country: Young people participated in the creation of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydro Power Plant, automobile plants and many other projects.
Engineers and Komsomol functionaries visiting the 16th Congress of the VLKSM, 1970.
At the same time, among the members of the Komsomol, there were both people who were enthusiastic about the ideas of building communism and those who just wanted to build a career in the Soviet state, because it was easier to join the Communist Party having been a member.
Receiving a Komsomol member ID.
On rare occasions, some people were even expelled from the ‘Komsomol’ for immoral behavior, such as alcoholism or hooliganism.
Read the full story about Komsomol here.
