Along with the collapse of the totalitarian Soviet regime, the one-party political system collapsed. The post-Soviet space was filled with many public associations, often of completely incomprehensible orientation. Terms are pouring from the media, the meaning of which remains a mystery to us.
Development of attitudes
Socialism is one of the manifestations of the left (anti-capitalist) trend in politics. The Soviet Encyclopedia interprets it as a social system in which there are no warring classes, exploitation of man by man, and labor is not a commodity. In addition to socialism, social democracy, anarchism (social), liberalism (social) and, undoubtedly, communism are classified as leftist movements.
The doctrine arose in the 16th century and took modern forms by the beginning of the 19th century, in the era of the industrial revolution. The founders of the new ideology, K. Marx and F. Engels, took the initiative to unite disparate socialist groups into the organization "International Workers' Partnership", called the First International (1864). The struggle of views and currents led to stratification in the formation environment - and in 1876 it broke up. It should be noted the short existence of the first large organization of this nature, but this contributed to the familiarization of the working masses with the new ideology and the formation of many workers' parties in different countries of Europe.
All socialist movements can be divided into:
- socialist people;
- national socialist;
- traditional socialist.
The People's Socialist Movement in Russia (late 19th-early 20th centuries)
Our country was no exception. The emerging movement set the goal of rebuilding society in a revolutionary way. Among the many small and large associations there are two. They left a significant mark in the formation of political beliefs of subsequent generations.
In 1902, various neo-Narodnik circles of the left current united - a new Party of Socialist Revolutionaries was created (leader - V. M. Chernov). The organization proposed a peaceful solution to the transition to socialism and became the largest, most influential among parties with a non-Marxist ideology. It ceased to exist by 1925.
In 1906, the People's Socialist Party was created. One of the founders was the famous publicist N.F. Annensky. Supporters of the party shared the views of the Narodniks about the possibility of achieving socialism, bypassing the capitalist stage. They stood for the nationalization of the land and its distribution directly between producers, as well as for the right of each ethnic group to create their own autonomies in the country. This is the only Russian socialist movement among the populists that excluded terror as a means of struggle. Subsequently, it combined with another trend in the composition of the Labor People's Socialist Party.
Modern Russia
Now on the territory of the Russian Federation, among the formations of the traditional socialist orientation, the organization “Russian Socialist Movement” stands out, formed as a result of the merger of some associations of the socialist type - mainly with the Trotskyist orientation (Trotskyism - interpretation of the theory of K. Marx L. Trotsky) - in 2011. The basis is taken on democratic, revolutionary, socialist and anti-fascist beliefs. The founding documents of the RSD say that the organization’s key goal is "comprehensive support of all forms of struggle and self-organization of workers, primarily through militant unions."
The Russian Socialist Movement takes an active part in the activities of trade union, environmental, and women's associations and has more than ten branches in the regions. The organization is headed by some prominent cultural figures, for example, writer E. Babushkin, poet K. Medvedev and artist A. Zhilyaev.
Nationalist sentiment
The activities of the National Socialist Society (NSO), the largest neo-Nazi organization in modern Russia, were declared illegal and extremist by the Supreme Court in 2010. The association positioned itself as the only representative of the national socialist movement in Russia, ready to fight for real power. It was engaged in open propaganda of the corresponding ideology. Representatives of the NSO sought to create a party and build a state in accordance with their beliefs. A fairly significant part of society was combat training. As a result of the merger of the paramilitary organization, “Russian National Unity” (founder A. Barkashov) and several large skinhead groups were created.
A look from the "West"
According to European and American experts, the socialist movement in Russia is still at the formation stage. It does not have a stable, decades-old structure of activity. However, in their opinion, there is a tendency towards an increase in the democratization of the Russian socialist movement and an increase in its status and role in the political life of the state.