REPRESENTATION OF EVERYDAY PROBLEMS OF POST-WAR RURAL SOCIUM IN THE PEASANTS' LETTERS TO SOVIET NEWSPAPERS

In the article, on the basis of analysis of peasants letters published in the periodicals of Kuibyshev and Ulyanovsk regions in 1946, the author made an attempt to determine the most pressing social problems of the post-war rural society of Middle Volga. The author supposes that the Soviet periodicals acted within certain political conditions and predetermined ideological cliches, but, in spite of this, they published letters criticizing the accepted practices of the collective farm management, trade, and cultural public services. In their letters to the Soviet periodicals (regional and local newspapers) the peasants reported on the corrupt practice of public officials, their drunkenness and pimple coverer.

The author notes that the basic law of rural life – the Charter of the Agricultural Artel – was violated not only by officials but also by ordinary farmers. In particular, it was expressed by stealing of socialist ownership.

The analysis of peasants’ correspondence allows to make a conclusion that the farmers worried about not only the issues of collective farm development, but also about the questions of cultural and leisure facilities. More frequently, when writing to periodicals, the villagers asked to assist in opening of a club or called attention of the society and the authorities to the improper performance of duties by cultural and educational workers.

In the author’s opinion, the most acute problems in the postwar rural society were the problems of law observance by collective farm officers and the village administration, trade and consumer services, and cultural development.

Based on the analysis of peasant letters, the author comes to the conclusion that the farmers, having quick senses of mood of the times, tried to get different dividends through the press organ: to demote undesirable chairman of a collective farm, to get some material benefit and satisfaction in the result of the rule of law. In our opinion, writing letters to the newspapers and reporting violations of the fundamental principles of collective farm by the officials of the farm, the farmers wanted to encourage political leaders to reform the collective farm sphere, to make ​​it clear that the current situation in rural areas do not meet the requirements of the majority of population. Drawing public attention to the accepted practice of the improper performance of position obligations by the commercial workers and workers of cultural institutions, the villagers emphasized their legal right to get services guaranteed to the citizens of the USSR.