Политические настроения советской молодежи в связи с разгромом лидеров антисталинской оппозиции в 1935–1938 годах
Political Sentiments of Soviet Youth in Connection with the Defeat of the Leaders of the Anti-Stalinist Opposition in 1935–1938

Summary/Abstract: This study is devoted to research of the peculiarities of perception of the process of exposing the anti-Stalinist opposition by Soviet youth. Despite the presence of numerous scientific publications devoted to the current topic of political sentiments of Soviet society in the 1930s, the problem of the attitude of young people to the process of “debunking the leaders” has been studied extremely fragmentarily. The main sources used were both materials from Soviet periodicals and archival sources, most of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. As a result of the reconstruction of the political sentiments of young people, the ambiguity of the reactions of the younger generation to the repressions against the former leaders of the Communist Party is shown. The author notes that numerous agitation and propaganda events aimed at forming a negative image of the opposition leaders in the political consciousness of young people were not always perceived favorably. And although publicly the majority of young people spoke in support of the exposure campaigns, a significant part of the, as a rule, politically developed youth was skeptical about the materials of the guilty verdicts against the opposition leaders. The study revealed that, despite the propaganda efforts, many of Lenin’s convicted comrades-in-arms continued to enjoy great authority among young people, symbolizing the hopes of a part of the younger generation for a brighter future. It is concluded that involving young people in the discussion of show trials contributed to the formation of an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust, including in relation to the highest party leadership. In some cases, expressions of dissatisfaction with the repressive policies were accompanied by critical assessments of Stalin’s leadership, but few were prepared to openly express their disagreement and protest in the context of the fight against dissent.

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