April 10, 2014

Subbotniks: Soviet "Days of Service"


Subbotniks: Soviet "Days of Service"

This Saturday, April 12, marks 95 years since the first subbotnik.

On the eve of April 12, 1919, in the dead of night, 15 men made their way into a Moscow train depot. No, they weren’t breaking in. They were there to fix trains.

In the midst of the Civil War, foreign intervention, and all-around desperate times, these fifteen workers – communists and communist sympathizers – sacrificed their weekend night for the war effort, with no compensation. Saturday morning (April 12) they decided that it had been a good experience, and agreed to keep doing the same until “absolute victory over Kolchak.” Then they “sang the International and dispersed.”

And so were subbotniks born – a combination of subbota (Saturday) and –nik, signifying work done without pay for the good of society.

Soon the practice spread throughout the country, bringing in more and more people, and hanging on even after the Civil War ended and the war effort was no longer a valid reason for work without pay. One of the first major subbotniks, organized simultaneously throughout Russia, was held on May 1, 1920, and was attended by none other than Lenin himself.

 

What Lenin’s participation actually looked like (compare with stylized image above)

 

In a famous 1919 essay on the subject of a recent “mass” subbotnik (205 people!), Lenin had really set the bar high for this kind of spontaneous volunteer labor. Heroic acts such as these could break the vicious cycle of hunger and low productivity, they represented a new relationship between work and worker, the first step toward a classless society – this, claimed Lenin, was the beginning of communism! No wonder he was so happy to help out carrying that one log.

But as revolutionary enthusiasm wore off and cold, hard reality set in, subbotniks failed to pave the way toward communism. There was nothing heroic about what became a mandatory feature of Soviet society, not to mention that workplaces found it rather convenient to bring their workers in for free on weekends. The “heroic, uncompensated labor” meant for “the motherland” ended up only rewarding managers with free productivity.

 

"Everyone to the subbotnik!" (That means you, too!)

 

Subbotniks did briefly regain their original spirit in the 1940’s, as they were once again part of a nationwide war effort. During the war itself, citizens helped build defenses; once it was all over, everyone pitched in to clean up the mess. The events were still mandatory, but at least it was for a good cause! (Not to mention that no one likes living in a city that’s mostly rubble.)

 

Look how happy they are to be digging those trenches! (1941)

 

Even if subbotniks never lived up to their ideal as imagined by Lenin, the concept has stuck. Nowadays, a subbotnik is more likely to be a block cleanup-type event than real work without pay, and it probably won’t be on Saturday, but it retains the goodwill of the 15 engine-fixers: if there’s work to be done, why don’t we all get together and just do it?

 

Image credit: propagandahistory.ru, omsk-osma.ru

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955