ABOUT US

General information (programme objectives and principles)

We are the Revolutionary Communist Youth League (bolsheviks) – RKSM(b). We are a Russian communist youth organisation that unites the most conscious and progressively thinking young people under common programme objectives and builds its internal structure relying on democratic centralism. The key objective is organising students and working youth on struggle for communism. In our political analysis, daily work and planning, we rely on the Marxist-Leninist theory and historical experience of the global communist revolutionary movement, especially experience of the Bolsheviks.

Historical overview

Our history takes its spring in the beginning of the 1990s – after the counterrevolution in the USSR and dissolution of the VLKSM. In 1997, RKSM(b) had its First and Founding Congress in Perm, where progressive faction of the Russian Communist Youth League (RKSM) split begun the official history of our organisation. Back then, members of RKSM(b) still represented broad and diverse political views, therefore internal struggle was part of the organisation’s life. Nevertheless, RKSM(b) was actively involved in popular and student movement in times of political and economic crisis in Russia.

With years of work, overcoming many difficulties, internal conflicts and weaknesses, our organisation was building its principles of theoretical and practical development. Since our very First Congress, our organisation was ideologically aligning itself with the Russian Communist Workers’ Party (RCWP), but after its turn to a chauvinist political position in 2022, RKSM(b) decisively ended all relations with RCWP.

Preserving our political character and relying on the continuation of our historical experience, we write new pages of the history of RKSM(b) today, in times of rise of reaction, imperialist conflicts and the threat of yet another global imperialist war.

Theoretical basis

With setting a theoretical minimum for our militants, through many internal political debates, through constant struggle with all forms of opportunist tendencies within and beyond RKSM(b), we have succeeded in forming and continuously reinforcing Marxism-Leninism as our ideological foundation. Dialectical and historical materialism, as well as Leninist organisational principles provide us with a sophisticated and effective toolkit to analyse the tendencies in our country and around the world, to develop our strategy and tactics.

We enhance our internal political education for all militants to ensure that our practice is never “blind”. We constantly seek ways to fulfil our programme objectives, so our theory is never “dead”.

Key aspects of internal development

Today, our organisation is facing the conditions of advancing reaction. Opportunist tendencies within the Russian political life are intensifying. Aggressive fascist movements supported by the Russian state are developing. Anti-communist policies of the government and legislation are spreading more widely.

To guarantee our work in such conditions, we focus on three key directions of our internal systematic development: education, sports and organisation. This combination helps us to maintain the complexity of protective characteristics adequate to objective conditions of our daily struggle.

Education makes us resistant against opportunist and revisionist influence, This component of our organisational life is currently formed of the theoretical-political School of candidates, regular internal classes on theory and praxis in our cells around the country. Each and every newcomer is also required to prove their knowledge and political awareness before becoming a full member of RKSM(b). Good command of the Marxist-Leninist theory enables our militants and departments of our regional and central work to analyse the developments in Russia and globally with high level of precision.

Sports is a prominent feature of our organisation. We have established internal standards of physical training for all militants. We organise sports activities at the regional level as an important part of the local work, since it also attracts the youth outside our organisation. Our militants must be healthy and physically capable under any conditions, however challenging these might be.

Organisation means a lot more to RKSM(b) than simply a group of people. It is, first of all, a set of principles commonly known as democratic centralism: we rely on democracy in the process of decision-making and relentless discipline in execution of these decisions. Organisation is a culture of mutual respect. It is a high level of personal and collective responsibility. It is a thorough internal discussion and mature attitude to personal and collective criticism. It is constant vigilance of every single militant in terms of security. Combination of these characteristics makes our organisation capable of getting things done despite the severity of objective conditions.

International work

We recognise that the imperialist system is a global phenomenon, which requires the revolutionary movement to develop international cooperation. We believe all communist youth organisations in the world can benefit from regular exchange of experience and political positions. But we also see it as our responsibility to fight against all kinds of opportunist and reactionary tendencies within the international progressive youth movement. We know that international solidarity is a weapon of the working class – the weapon that has to be always sharp and ready.

That is why RKSM(b) has a wide net of bilateral relations with the communist organisations all around the world. We regularly participate in annual Festivals of the Communist Youth of Greece “Odigitis”, Meetings of European Communist Youth Organisations, and other events that provide space for international activities of communist and progressive youth organizations. Since 2011, RKSM(b) is a member organization of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY): we are actively participating in its major events, such as the meetings of the General Council, the meetings of member-organisations of the CENA region, the General Assemblies, the World Festivals of Youth and Students (WFYS). In 2015, RKSM(b) has accepted its part and responsibility to defend the anti-imperialist character of the 19th WFYS in Sochi, during its preparation and the Festival itself.

As the crisis of the entire system intensifies, the international communist movement is gradually growing on both ideological and organisational levels. Parties and youth organisations take steps in improving their cooperation to meet new conditions. We walk with this movement, with these parties and organisations. Because we all want the same: destruction of the capitalist system and construction of socialism and communism through the revolutionary changes. And none of us can do this alone.