The Komsomol of the national autonomous regions of south Russia in the fight for women's rights (1920s)

In the 1920s the Komsomol organisations of the national autonomous regions of South Russia played a significant role in the fight against national traditions which limited women’s rights as compared to men. The article based on archival documents and published materials analyses the main directions and peculiarities of this fight using the example of Komsomol organizations in Kalmykia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Kabarda and Balkaria, the national regions which have considerable economic, social and cultural differences. The fight against “the relics of the past”, for the introduction of a new soviet way of life in the national autonomous regions of South Russia was considered by the Bolshevik party as one of the priorities of its national policy. An exceptional role in this struggle belonged to revolutionary youth conducted by Komsomol organizations. The equality between men and women, in accordance with the ideological policy of the soviet state, was their priority activity, which is highlighted in the article. This activity of Komsomol organisations was implemented in very difficult social and economic situation. In the 1920s anti-Bolshevist rebel movement and banditry were not so far eradicated, starvation and illiteracy of the population were being overcome with great difficulty. The government was dramatically short of national cadres and central state financing was extremely scarce, sometimes lacking altogether. Strong resistance was offered by numerous champions of the traditional lifestyle, especially, by religious figures. Despite this, the Komsomol organizations of the national autonomous regions of South Russia made a significant contribution to educating the population and the assertion of women’s rights.