Komsomol Apparatus of the Second Half of the 1930s: Transformations of the “Nomenclature Revolution” Period
The article presents the socio-political characteristics of the administrative apparatus of territorial Komsomol organizations in the second half of the 1930s; the factors determining it are analysed. The aim of this work is to assess the impact of social conditions and the political course of the Stalinist leadership in the second half of the 1930s to the socio-demographic image of the secretary corps of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League as a nomenclature resource of political power and the institution of political socialization of youth. The scientific originality of the research is determined by the statistical data of the central Komsomol bodies on the qualitative composition of the Komsomol nomenclature, which are being introduced into the research circulation for the first time. The study proved that the “nomenclature revolution” contributed to a decrease in the average age and administrative experience, and an increase in the educational level of Komsomol workers. The educational level and age of the secretaries of territorial committees in general allowed them to perform the functions of political education and an organizer of youth activity in the interests of the ruling party. The weak point of the Komsomol apparatus of the pre-war period was the lack of experience in administrative work, which was a serious obstacle to the successful solution of party tasks.