On May 11, Komsomol's Action: Gathering Books for the Village, Reflections on the Street and the Lads, Geese Leading to Brezhnev's Praise, Aly Navigating the Chechen War with a 66-Year-Old Bullet in His Head.
Revamped Tale:
Headlining the '30s: The Komsomol's Countrywide Book Assault
Back in '32, the Komsomol Central Committee began an audacious campaign—the All-Union Collective Farm Book Drive. The aim? To inundate the countryside with books, creating libraries in the process. This audacious act echoed Lenin's belief: "Capitalism gave machinery to the village, but not culture. Soviet power brings both machinery and culture to the village." Setting a target of 5,000 books per cell, the Komsomol cells were proud to plunge headfirst into the fray.
The "Komsomolskaya Pravda" newspaper joined the crusade, contributing a robust 2,565 books on the first day alone. On May 11, 1932, the newspaper published the decree of the Moscow city and regional Komsomol committees, outlining the arrangement for organizing the book collection. The joint headquarters, led by "Komsomolskaya Pravda"'s own Comrade Velmin, embarked on a plan to collect, transport, sort, and store the millions of books that would soon pour in.
Adding fuel to the fire, the May 11 issue boasted reports on the progress of the book drive; the Komsomol members of the "Serp i Molot" factory declared victory by announcing a friendly competition among cells for the largest literature collection. With the cable shop already amassing 100 books on the first day of the campaign, it was clear the Komsomol meant business.
The Rules Change: Reign of the Janitor and Driver in the '50s
By the '50s, the Komsomol landscape had morphed, with new characters paving the way. Ilya Shatunovsky, a war veteran and satirist, emerged as a dominant figure at "Komsomolskaya Pravda". On May 11, 1955, Shatunovsky published the sarcastic essay "On Our Street," painting a grim portrait of armed robbers recruiting the youth to steal from unsuspecting passersby. The final jab was simple: "Our streets should belong to us; parents and educators, Komsomol members and Pioneers, but they try to ignore the hooliganism present on our streets."
Fast-forward to today, and the issue of the "dangerous street" remains a pressing concern. The battle of good vs. evil continues, manifested in the series "Word of a Guy"; a dark reflection of a world where gangsters rule, drawing in underage kids to the criminal world.
Hitting the Mark: Geese and Brezhnev’s Blessing
In the '82 episode, "Komsomolskaya Pravda" produced a breath-taking tale, coined "Geese and Grandma's Farm." This article chronicled the groundbreaking achievement of personal households contributing to public meat production at the Kutuzov Collective Farm, breaking new ground in journalism.
When their editor received a call from the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Lev Korneshov, the editor-in-chief's deputy, Ivan Zhukov, was astounded to hear Lenin's voice endorse the innovative geese-raising practice. The connection marked a first in Soviet journalism, propelling correspondent Aleksei Chernichenko to cult status overnight.
As cute little geese waddled across the nation's headlines, Kutuzov Collective Farm harvesters swapped their tractor seats for aprons, earning 1700 rubles (the equivalent of almost an affordable car today) from their goose earnings. Brezhnev's blessing was sealed, with no further communication necessary, as the collective farm flourished under their innovative management.
Echoes of War: 1995's Battle Cry
Fast-forward to '95, when six months into the First Chechen War, three young journalists from "Komsomolskaya Pravda" decided to take up arms—literally. Dropping the usual tone of wistful romance tales, they delved into war-torn Chechnya, ready to find their place among the horrors and heroes.
Addressing their peers, the authors of the special issue "White Sail. Special Issue" penned, "Today, 'White Sail' is where your peers are dying. And those who have avoided death must learn to live in war." The newspaper page reverberated the voices of teenagers ensnared in war, for whom the word "war" was no longer a mere relic of history, but a harsh reality gnawing at their doorstep.
To make matters worse, the "Lads," once proud sons of their regiment, found themselves divided by friendship and blood, torn between the Russian Sergei and the rebel Adam. With the line of division razor-sharp between them, the fates of these two boys highlight the ever-growing divide in today's world.
The Elder Warrior: Ivan Nikulin's Courageous Saga
It's important to pause and reflect upon the unforgettable story of Ivan Nikulin, a 18-year-old Buryat fighter in the Great Patriotic War. Having miraculously survived a gunshot to the temple from a German general, Ivan spent 20 days fighting for his life. The bullet remains lodged in his head, an unyielding testament to his bravery.
With a jaw-dropping age of 101, Ivan's story is a shining beacon of Russian wisdom: "Brave hearts bullets don't touch." In 2010, Ivan sought disability benefits but faced initial denials from skeptical doctors. However, with the support of his loving family, he persevered and eventually received the first-group disability status he rightfully deserved. To this very day, Ivan continues to thrive, dancing to the rhythm of war songs and cherishing Victory Day with his family and friends.
- In the 1932 initiatives of the Komsomol Central Committee, education-and-self-development committees played a significant role in the All-Union Collective Farm Book Drive, where general news such as the decree of the Moscow city and regional Komsomol committees were confirmed and published in 'Komsomolskaya Pravda'.
- The Komsomol landscape changed drastically in the '50s with notable figures like Ilya Shatunovsky, who published Crime-and-Justice related articles, such as "On Our Street", criticizing hooliganism and the corruption of the youth.
- In sports-related news, the Kutuzov Collective Farm's innovative geese-raising practice, reported by 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' in 1982, was endorsed by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Lenin's voice, and propelled correspondent Aleksei Chernichenko to fame.
- Fast-forward to 1995 during the First Chechen War, 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' journalists took a bold step, immersing themselves into the war zone to report on war-and-conflicts, which were widely discussed in the special issue "White Sail. Special Issue".
- Among the notable events in Russian history, the story of Ivan Nikulin stands out. An 18-year-old Buryat fighter in the Great Patriotic War who miraculously survived a gunshot to the temple from a German general, Ivan remains a symbol of courage and resilience, inspiring future generations with his Wisdom.
- Despite initial denials for disability benefits due to skeptical doctors, Ivan Nikulin, now 101 years old, persevered with the support of his family and eventually received the first-group disability status he rightfully deserved. News of his continued thriving, dancing to the rhythm of war songs on Victory Day, serves as a motivation for other war veterans.
