M. Mysl'. 1983. 247 p.

The XXVI Congress of the CPSU called on researchers to analyze the phenomena of the political life of society more deeply and boldly, and aimed at further studying the role of the Soviets and their activities, including in the historical plan1 . The scientific literature actively and fruitfully develops problems related to the history of the emergence of proletarian statehood, Lenin's outstanding contribution to the theory and practice of Soviet construction, and a number of generalizing works on the activities of the CPSU in leading the Soviets in the conditions of developed socialism. However, as noted at the enlarged meeting of the All-Union Council for the Coordination of Research Work in the field of the History of the CPSU and Party Building (December 1983), in recent years, the attention of scientists to the transition period has unduly weakened, 2 which could not but affect the study of the problems of party leadership of the Soviets during the construction of socialism. In this regard, the monograph of Associate Professor of the CPSU History Department of the Dzerzhinsk Military Academy, Doctor of Historical Sciences G. S. Eskov, which includes the achievements of historical and party science on the problems of party leadership in Soviets3, is very timely.

The topic of strengthening the political foundation of the Soviet state, even if it is limited to a single period, is very extensive. The author justifiably identifies his main tasks: to try to reveal as fully as possible the contribution of the party to the creative development and implementation of V. I. Lenin's teaching on the Soviet State, the concept of party leadership in the organs of popular power, and the leading role of the working class in state construction (p.12). It solves these problems in a problem-chronological manner.

Using Lenin's works, the fundamental documents of the party, and introducing into scientific circulation a considerable amount of new materials drawn from the party archives, G. S. Eskov analyzes the party's development of theoretical and practical problems of Soviet construction at the end of the reconstruction period. It shows that by the mid-1920s, when the country was embarking on socialist reconstruction, the issue of Soviet activity was the focus of the party's attention. In accordance with Lenin's plan for the development of Soviet democracy, the CPSU(b) outlined a course for reviving the activity of the Soviets. G. S. Eskov clearly formulated the main directions on which the party focused its efforts in order to make an important step forward in the development of democracy at this stage (p. 26). It characterizes the search for new forms and methods of party-political work that will allow directing the growing activity of the masses to the path of socialist construction. The author pays special attention to the fact that the CPSU (b) developed its new course comprehensively: economically, politically and ideologically (p. 347).

Based on concrete material, G. S. Eskov characterizes election campaigns, reasonably concludes that at that time they were the first stage of mass involvement in state construction, and shows the growth of social and political activity of working people (p. 377). He analyzed and introduced into scientific circulation the materials for discussing the results of the reporting and election campaigns contained in the transcripts of the July (1926) and February (1927) plenums of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b), which made it possible to show the process of collective development of party decisions (p. 5 vol., 74sl.), and to give a reasoned critique of the Trotskyist-Zinoviev opposition which predicted the failure of the party's course of reviving the Soviets (pp. 61-64, 75-76).

Having comprehensively considered the meaning of and

1 See Materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, Moscow, 1981, p. 78.

2 See Voprosy istorii CPSU, 1984, No. 2, p. 141.

3 Kukushkin Yu. S. Rural Soviets and class struggle in the countryside (1921-1932), Moscow, 1968; Demochkin N. N. V. I. Lenin and the Formation of the Republic of Soviets, Moscow, 1974; Kasyanenko V. I. CPSU-organizer of the construction of developed Socialism, Moscow, 1974; Vinogradov N. N. Razvitie CPSU leninskikh idei o party leadership of the Soviets at the present stage. - Voprosy istorii CPSU, 1977, N 6; Morozov B. M. Partiya i Sovieti v Oktyabrskoy revolyutsii [The Party and Soviets in the October Revolution], Moscow, 1977; Shapko V. M. Obosnovanie V. I. Leninym printsipov gosudarstvennogo upravleniya, Moscow, 1980; et al. For more information, see: Vinogradov N. N. Issues of Party leadership of Soviets in Modern historiography. - Voprosy istorii CPSU, 1982, N 3.

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results of the election campaigns, G. S. Eskov comes to the following conclusion: thanks to them, the political experience of the party was significantly enriched, it adjusted and improved the mechanism and determined trends in the further development of the electoral system; elections to Councils became a mass school of statehood, the main form of political education of workers. This is evidenced at least by the following figures: 77.4 million people took part in the elections of deputies of Soviets in 1934-1935. There are 40 million more voters than in 1925-1926 (p. 101).

The problem of improving party leadership in the cadre formation system is presented in the book succinctly 4 . The author highlights the development and concretization by the party of Lenin's ideas about working with cadres in connection with the policy of reviving the activity of the Soviets. The section devoted to enhancing the role of Soviets as authorities and mass organizations of workers in the struggle for socialism is very interesting and informative.

G. S. Eskov's undoubted success is in demonstrating the strengthening and activation of the Communist factions in the Soviets. For the first time in Soviet historiography, this poorly researched issue is covered with such completeness. Describing the process of forming and strengthening communist factions in the Soviets, the author shows the objective and subjective reasons for the difficulties that party organizations had to overcome in this matter (p. 134sl.). He dwells in detail on the problem of improving the organizational and mass work of the executive committees of city and village councils. He was able to reveal how, thanks to the political leadership of the party, the Soviets strengthened ties with the masses and involved broad sections of the working class and working peasantry in socialist construction.

Elements of novelty are also contained in the section devoted to the deployment of mass defense work by the Soviets, but the topic "Soviets and the Army" needs further research.

Undoubtedly, the reader's attention will be drawn to practical recommendations for further improvement of the work of the Soviets in modern conditions (p. 220sl.). The author's conclusion that the party's implementation of Lenin's ideas on increasing the role of Soviets was the most important factor in the growth of labor and political activity of the working class and the working peasantry (p.222) is confirmed by the entire content of the monograph.

At the same time, you can comment on the book. Although G. S. Eskov, defining the chronological framework of the study, calls 1924-1936. (the period between the adoption of the first and second constitutions of the USSR), in fact, almost all sections cover the years 1925 - 1930. This does not correspond to the author's stated intention and causes regret, since it is precisely for the period of the second five-year plan that some problems of Soviet construction are poorly investigated .5
When considering the problem of party leadership in the system of forming Soviet cadres, it would be necessary to examine in more detail the activities of the party in promoting the peasantry to the state apparatus. There is no need to prove the socio - political importance of this event, which was initiated by Lenin. The problem of increasing demands on deputies, in particular the analysis of the practice of recalling them, also needs a more thorough study.

The author does not study such topical issues as the interaction of Councils with public organizations, the Komsomol, trade unions, and cooperatives. Meanwhile, without an analysis of these issues, at least in general terms, it is impossible to show the activity of the Soviets in all its versatility. This is also required by a systematic approach to

4 This approach is quite justified, since there are special works on this topic: Voishnis V. E. From the history of training party cadres in the Far East during the first five-year plan (1928-1932). - Scientific notes of the Far Eastern University, Vladivostok, 1959, vol. 23; Vaindrakh G. A. Organization of educational and political-educational work in the comvuz and art schools of Belarus in 1926-1932. In: Voprosy obshchestvennykh nauk [Questions of Social Sciences]. Actual problems of the history and politics of the CPSU. Issue 8. Kiev. 1972; Baibakov S. A. Party management of personnel training for Soviets in Soviet and Soviet-party educational institutions (1928-1932). Moscow, 1980; et al.

5 On the state of studies of the party leadership of rural Soviets in that period, see: Vyltsan M. A. The final stage of the creation of the collective farm system (1935-1937). Moscow 1978, p. 10. Only one monograph is specially devoted to the activities of city councils during the second five-year plan: Kalinin A. F. Increasing the role of Soviets during the completion of the socialist reconstruction of the national economy (based on materials from Leningrad). L. 1976.

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G. S. Eskov draws on all-Union material to study the political basis of the Soviet state, but, as a rule, the specifics of the Soviets ' activities in the national regions of the country are not fully disclosed in the monograph. On the whole, this is an interesting and useful book that will undoubtedly contribute to further research on important problems in the development of Soviet democracy.

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