Vasilchenko’s Case

This is an attempt to introduce with the Komsomol life just a little bit. American people don’t know about this organization, of course.

At one time the Communist Party governed the whole Soviet Union. The Komsomol was like a junior brother of the Communist Party. (Komsomol is a short for the Russian full name,”Communisticheskii Souz Molodyozy”. It means, “The young Communist league.”)

However English dictionaries have a word “Komsomol.”) All factories, firms and businesses had the Communist Party Nucleuses and the Komsomol Organization Nucleuses. Departments had nucleuses for enforcing an influence of the Communist ideology.

Sergey Vasilchenko was one of active komsomolists. Sometimes he proposed suggestions for improving a work of our nucleus. One day in September 1987, we had a meeting of our nucleus. Sergey proposed a few suggestions. All his suggestions were declined. The meeting supposed to be finished but Sergei stood up, came to the tribune and said, “Our Komsomol is over as an organization! Ask to be suspended a Komsomol member! I will stop to pay the monthly fee!”

All komsomolists were shocked. I was shocked too. The former Komsomol Leader of our nucleus stood up and said, “Counting on exhausting of many komsomolists I suggestto consider Vasilchenko’s case on the next meeting.” We agreed.

I thought, “Having a meeting just on letting Vasilchenko to go from the Komsomol will not be interesting.” A few days later I suggested o the Komsomol Committee of our nucleus, “At the first, to have this meeting no later than at two months. (Any komsomolist suspends of a membership automatically after failing to pay the fee three months in row).” At the second, announce to all komsorgs, “Ask your associates, who knows something interesting about Vasilchenko to take notes.” (Komsorg is a Komsomol Leader of any department).At the third, the Komsomol Committee collects these notes, sorts them, analyses them and types a biographic reference. At the fourth, the Komsomol Committee makes copies for all komsomolists. Therefore that meeting will have a real interesting discussion about Vasilchenko before voting.”

Of course I imagined like all komsorgs are marching and shouting, “Vasilchenko’s Case! Vasilchenko’s Case! Who knows something interesting about Vasilchenko? Take notes! Take notes!” However, the new Komsomol leader said to me, “Vasilchenko did not write a resignation yet. Without his writing resignation we are not able to have this meeting.”

Sergey Vasilchenko worked at another branch of our Research Institute. One month later he visited our branch. Meeting with me he said, “I heard you raised a stink against me.” I told him everything.

He laughed and said, “Your activities like this are illegal. Therefore I have a right to sue you. Like this, it is possible to consider Nemtsev’s case too.” (I remind that Nemtsev is my last name).

I laughed imagining komsorgs are marching and shouting, “Nemtsev’s case! Nemtsev’s case! Who knows something interesting about Nemtsev! Take notes! Take notes!” I was laughing and forgot to ask, “For what?”

Further conversation with him was not interesting. He did not answer my question, “Are you a komsomolist yet?”

Three weeks later, I found out that he changed his mind and stayed a Komsomol member. Therefore a reason for having that meeting disappeared.

Vasilchenko’s case could not be done.