Unemployed vanguard: problems of employment of former workers of the CPSU apparatus (based on socio-political periodicals)

Abstract

The article considers the problem of employment of the former party nomenclature of the CPSU as a political and social problem. The data of labor exchanges, which appeared in the public domain, materials of socio-political periodicals and a number of archival documents were involved. The legal basis for the dismissal of party cadres, strategies for finding a new social niche, the main points of social tension, as well as the opinions of contemporaries on this problem are considered. Attempts have been made to identify specific features of unemployment among party cadres, depending on age, position in the former party hierarchy. A separate problem was technical workers who were connected with the CPSU only by labor relations, but who also suffered from political decisions. It is concluded that the employment of former party workers was a political rather than a social problem, and despite the state's interest in neutralizing the political ambitions of the social stratum removed from power, the fundamental features of its former position gave rise to a number of problems, on the one hand, hindering normal employment, and on the other – leading to its close integration. in a new establishment, in a new, now economic role, which can also be seen as a destabilizing factor. It is concluded that the employment of former party workers was a political rather than a social problem, and despite the state's interest in neutralizing the political ambitions of the social stratum removed from power, the fundamental features of its former position gave rise to a number of problems. On the one hand, these peculiarities prevented the normal employment of a large part of this stratum, and on the other hand, led to the close integration of its minority into the new establishment, but now in a new, economic role.