Reestablishing Komsomol Organizations in the Ex-Occupied Territories of Kalmykia after the Expulsion of Fascist Invaders

Abstract

The article examines the history of the reestablishment of Komsomol organizations in Kalmykia’s ex-occupied after the expulsion of German and Romanian invaders. In the summer of 1942, the Wehrmacht troops completely occupied a total of five uluses and the city of Elista, and partially – three more uluses. Quite a number of Komsomol members found themselves in the occupied territories. Despite the terror
of the Nazis, many Komsomol members of Kalmykia joined the struggle against the invaders. Still, there were a few cases of Komsomol members’ collaboration with the occupants. In November 1942 to January 1943, Red Army forces drove the invaders out of Kalmykia. The reestablishment of Komsomol ulus committees started. Secretaries, members of the Bureau, and workers of the Regional Komsomol Committee were commissioned to those uluses to assist in respective activities. The restored Komsomol
city and ulus committees initiated a re-registration of Komsomol members that had remained in the occupied territories and investigations of their activities. This resulted in a number of errors when Komsomol members that had behaved decently during the occupation were expelled from the Komsomol. The Kalmyk Regional Committee justified themselves by the absence of any guideposts from the Central Komsomol Committee. The phase also witnessed efforts for restoration of the national economy. The newly established Komsomol youth brigades managed to significantly succeed in those works over a short period of time.