Slezin, A. A. Specifi c Features of the Political Awareness Education Among Young People Living in the Russian Province at the End of the 1950th

Abstract: The subject under review is the main directions, forms and methods of the political awareness education among the youth at the end of the 1950th. Refusing from ideological stereotypes not only of the Soviet Period but also of the recent past, the author tries to study Komsomol and the youth movement in Russia in general non-judgmentally and with respect to the rich historical experience of our country. This is an interesting topic for research because in the youth age one’s personality has been already formed. A young person understands his place and role in life and tries to achieve a certain social status and to perform his social role. Focusing on the province allows to provide a more detailed insight into the history of the fi rst years after the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union as well as to correct particular conclusions made on the analysis of the materials of the central board of the Party and Komsomol. The author shows that the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Union set the mission to radically improve the ideological education performed by the Party and to narrow the gap between agitation and propaganda and practice. Successful performance of ambitious plans of the economic construction was directly related to the political education performed by the Party, Soviet and Komsomol authorities. However, opposed to plans declared at the forums of the Party and Komsomol and despite implementation of new forms of political education and more attractive methods of educational activity, the reality showed that in fact the system of political education was far from being effi cient. The youth was taught undiscussable dogmas. Data regarding the number of young people who underwent the courses of political education were still exaggerated and topics discussed at educational meetings were still far from the real life. Political education clubs were still indulged in formalism and learning by rote.

Keywords: