Worldview search for reforming the Komsomol activities by the youth of the Novosibirsk Academgorodok in the mid-1960s

Recently, the socio-political aspect of Novosibirsk Academgorodok history in the 1960s has attracted more and more interest. On the one hand, this period is interesting as a stage in the formation of a new science center, on the other hand, as a stage of the greatest public activity, the study of which is the key to comprehending the phenomenon of the sixties as a whole. One particular feature of Akademgorodok was its democratic social environment, partly explained by the high level of its resident’s education and the patronage of the Siberian Branch administration, which tried to maintain the image of the "City of the Sun" to attract the best scientific minds of the Soviet Union. The dominant role in the life of the scientific center belonged to the scientific intelligentsia, which considered itself a special caste and was in the position of scientism and belief in the possibility of building socialism "with a human face." This factor determined the peculiarity of the activities of the Komsomol organization of Akademgorodok. The goal of the study is to identify the main ideological and philosophical trends and ways of their implementation in the work of the Komsomol organization of Akademgorodok. In addition to archive data, the article uses materials from oral history. Interviews were recorded with some of the participants in those events. Khrushchev's "thaw" led to philosophical shifts in the mentality of the youth of Akademgorodok, most noticeable in the mid-1960s. This led to public discussions and demands for specific reforms of the Komsomol. In 1964-1965, Komsomol meetings were held in many institutes of the scientific center, discussing important question, - "Why do we need the Komsomol?" In some organizations, this wording meant the search for new forms of work, in others, this issue led to the decision to dissolve the Komsomol. The youth of Akademgorodok suggested giving more independence to the Komsomol, relieving it of the control and patronage of the Communist Party. The demand for greater democratization of the Komsomol and the revision of a number of provisions of its charter led to the political crisis in December 1965, marked by the confrontation between the Komsomol activists of Akademgorodok and regional and city party bodies. The party leadership responded with repressive measures: the Komsomol committee of the Siberian branch, which united scientific youth, was dissolved. Anatoly Slutsky, the first secretary of the city Komsomol committee and an ardent supporter of the Komsomol activists of Akademgorodok, was removed from his position. Despite that, representatives of the young scientific intelligentsia were able to maintain their main positions in the leadership of the Komsomol of the Soviet district. As a result, many new forms of work and economic activism have been implemented. The scientific association "Fakel" was created at the initiative of the youth of Akademgorodok, which allowed the Komsomol to obtain huge financial resources to support its clubs.

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