From the Soviet English language magazine Socialism: Theory and Practice in February, 1985 this is a look at the great revolutionary, working class party, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, as it entered that year. At that time it had grown from a membership of 350,000 at the time of the revolution to one of over 18 million of whom well over half were members of the industrial working class or were farmers.
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The Communist Party of the Soviet Union has traversed a heroic road in the more than 80 years of its existence. Heading the liberation struggle of the proletariat and its class allies. it led the working people to the triumph of the Great October Socialist Revolution, which heralded a radical turn in the historical destinies of all humanity. A developed socialist society has been built in the USSR under the leadership of the CPSU.
At present, the CPSU has over 18 million members. Communists comprise over nine per cent of the adult population of the country.
The CPSU unites the advanced. most class-conscious section of the working class, the collective-farm peasantry and the intelligentsia.
Whereas in 1920 there were 45,000 women members (about 8 per cent of the total membership), the figure today is 5 million (27 per cent of the total membership). Women make up one-third of all new party recruits. The proportion of young people in the Party is rising, Young people join the Party mainly from the Young Communist League. If in 1966- 1970 YCL'ers comprised 45 per cent of those admitted to the Party. today the proportion is 73 per cent.
Nearly 75 per cent of the Communists work in material production, over 8 per cent are in administration and the apparatus of government, Party and public organizations; 16.5 per cent of CPSU members work in science, education. the health service and culture; every fifth or sixth doctor is a Communist, over a half of scientific workers with degrees are Communists.
After the October Socialist Revolution about 7 per cent of Party members had higher or secondary education. Today, nearly three-quarters of Party members have such educational standards
The Soviet Union is a multinational state inhabited by more than 100 nations and ethnic groups. In its Ideology, composition and structure the CPSU embodies the unity of all peoples of the country.
The CPSU unites 14 Communist parties of the Union Republics. Each Communist Party is a component part and international contingent of the CPSU. In conformity with the general political line of the CPSU and taking account of the local conditions, republican Communist parties chart the lines of activity of party, economic and public organizations, ensure political guidance of the fulfilment of state plans and conduct political education work among the population.
Primary party organizations are the foundations of the Party. They are formed at the places of work of Party members– at factories, plants, construction sites, various enterprises, collective and state farms, institutions, educational establishments and so on–when there are no less than three Party members. At present, the Party has 414,000 primary organizations.
Large primary organizations are divided into departmental organizations and party groups.
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