The Komsomol (All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union or Komsomol) was founded in 1918 (it was originally called the RKSM) and was one of the main supporters of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It united young people from all over the Soviet Union and was called upon to educate them in the spirit of communist ideals.
In the first years of its existence, the Komsomol actively participated in the construction of a new socialist economy and culture. Young people worked in factories and plants, built houses and roads, played sports and music. They also participated in the fight against counterrevolutionary activities.
However, after Stalin’s death in 1953, the Komsomol began to lose its role in the country’s political life. In the 1960s, the “thaw” began, which led to a weakening of censorship and greater freedom of speech. Young people began to take a more critical attitude toward the ideology of communism.
However, the Komsomol continued to exist until 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. After that, it was renamed the Russian Union of Youth (RSM) and continued its activities in Russia.
I was a Komsomol member for a very short time. I managed to pay my dues for the first year. And then the Komsomol immediately fell apart.
For me, Komsomol is still associated with a time of victories, achievements and, at the same time, romance. Grandiose construction projects, construction teams, hikes, demonstrations, youth and student festivals. In general, like in the song “Love, Komsomol and Spring”.