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it
is obvious, then, that to understand the triumphs and failures of
russia抯 soviet and post-soviet development, it is essential to
study them within russia抯 own cultural and historical context. the
true essence of the soviet period of russian history was
modernization in the broad sense of the word, including
industrialization, urbanization, and secularization of popular
mentality. the singularity of the communist regime was that it
pledged to carry out this vast transformation of society on the
basis of marxist ideology, that is, without private ownership that
bred excessive exploitation of wage labor and other predatory
capitalist practices. |
to a
large extent, many of the communist dogmas proved utopian and
unrealistic, but it would be one-sided to reduce the process of
soviet modernization to a 搑evolution from above?imposed by a
radical government on an unwilling population. the bolshevik vision
of socialism, including industrialization, urbanization, and
cultural revolution, appealed to many sections of society as
essential directions of the country抯 progress and evoked massive
social support. it reflected aspirations of different social classes
and groups and, in particular, the longing of the working classes
for social justice.
many
driven by enthusiasm were prepared to sweat at construction sites
round the clock virtually for free. young people, in particular,
were deeply motivated by the idea that it was possible to build a
better and fairer society relatively quickly, within their lifetime,
by mounting a huge, exhausting effort and accepting hardships and
self-sacrifice.
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