The Komsomol Wedding of 1960s in the Ideological Education of Soviet Youth: Intentions and Implementation

Abstract

The introduction of new civil ceremonies began in the 1920s, when the “red wedding” (“Kyzyl Tuy”) was first mentioned. However, the weakness of Komsomol organizations, the strength of tradition, and the priority of agricultural tasks did not allow such work to continue until the 1960s, when a new phase in the active construction of youth holidays commenced. Official public holidays were controlled by party bodies and were held in accordance with strict regulations, and producing holidays was organized by state bodies and the Komsomol. The Komsomol wedding, as a rule, was conducted by the Komsomol committees and was not strictly regulated. The Komsomol wedding in this period went beyond the limits of family celebration only; it became part of mass educational work for the introduction of new traditions and the involvement of the general public. The tradition of mass Komsomol weddings almost stopped in the 1970s. Holding a wedding largely depended on the region and place of residence of the young. More often they occurred in cities, where a significant increase in students was occurring in this period. Such weddings occurred less often in rural areas, where national traditions, including religious ones, were preserved. The experience of introducing a Komsomol wedding in the 1960s clearly demonstrates that young people were increasingly included in the system of state administration; however, party leadership was still seeking optimal forms and methods of working with youth.