7.5.2: Social Stratification in the Former Soviet Union

 7.5.2: Social Stratification in the Former Soviet Union Heeding Marx’s call for a classless society, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870–1924) and Leon Trotsky (1879–1940) led a revolution in Russia in 1917. They, and the nations that followed their banner, never claimed to have achieved the ideal of communism, in which all contribute their labor to the common good and receive according to their needs. Instead, they used the term socialism to describe the intermediate step between capitalism and communism, in which social classes are abolished but some inequality remains. To tweak the nose of Uncle Sam, the socialist countries would trumpet their equality and point a finger at glaring inequalities in the United States. These countries, however, also were marked by huge disparities in privilege. Their major basis of stratification was membership in the Communist party. Party members decided who would gain admission to the better schools or obtain the more desirable jobs and housing. The equally qualified son or daughter of parents who were not members of the Communist Party would be turned down because such privileges came with demonstrated loyalty to the party. The Communist party, too, was highly stratified. Most members occupied a low level, where they fulfilled such tasks as spying on fellow workers. For this, they might get easier jobs in the factory or occasional access to special stores to purchase hard-to-find goods. The middle level consisted of bureaucrats who were given better than average access to resources and privileges. At the top level was a small elite: party members who enjoyed not only power but also limousines, imported delicacies, vacation homes, and even servants and hunting lodges. As with other stratification systems around the world, women held lower positions in the party. This was evident at each year’s May Day, when the top members of the party reviewed the latest weapons paraded in Moscow’s Red Square. Photos of these events show only men. The leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) became frustrated as they saw the West thrive. They struggled with a bloated bureaucracy, the inefficiencies of central planning, workers who did the minimum because they could not be fired, and a costly military. Socialist ideology did not call for their citizens to be deprived, and in an attempt to turn things around, the Soviet leadership allowed elections to be held in which more than one candidate ran for an office. (Before this, voters had a choice of only one candidate per office.) They also sold huge chunks of state-owned businesses to the public. Overnight, making investments to try to turn a profit changed from a crime into a respectable goal. Russia’s transition to capitalism took a bizarre twist. When properties held by the government were auctioned to the public, insiders connected to the political establishment grabbed them. As authority broke down, powerful mafias emerged. These criminal groups are headed by gangsters, crooked businessmen, and corrupt government officials (including members of the Russian secret police, the FSB). They have assassinated business leaders, reporters, judges, and politicians who refused to cooperate (Harding 2017). They launder money through banks they control and buy luxury properties in popular tourist areas in Europe and Asia. A favorite is Marbella, a watering and wintering spot on Spain’s Costa del Sol. As Moscow reestablished its authority, it brought great wealth to some members of the government. The killings have continued, with a long line of critics of Putin shot in the street or poisoned by “unknown assailants” (Alatise and Bond 2019; Schwartz 2019). This group of organized criminals is taking its place as part of Russia’s new capitalist class.