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[YOUTH ENTERTAINMENTS IN THE 1920S USSR] Massovoye deystvo: Rukovodstvo k organizatsii i provedeniyu prazdnovaniya Desyatiletiya Oktyabrya i drugikh revolyutsionnykh prazdnikov [i.e. Mass Actions. Instruction Hot to Organize and Manage Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of October and Other Revolutionary Celebrations]

Kharlampiev, A.

Item #1311

Moscow; Leningrad: Giz, 1927. 288, [30] p.: ill.; 15x22.5 cm. In owner’s contemporary cloth binding. Slightly rubbed boards. Otherwise near fine.
Scarce. First edition. An interesting Soviet book on the organization of revolutionary celebrations in the USSR with the method of mass actions.
In the early 1920s, A. Kharlampiev organized a new type of political carnival (mass actions) that synthesized various forms of collective activity: games, theatrical performances, dances, choral singing, sports, figure marches, etc. Kharlampiev gathered working youth from the streets and gave them an almost inexhaustible set of entertainment, opportunities for acquaintances, communication, self-realization in collectives, and began to use their forces as living political agitation for the concept of a New Soviet Man. Mass actions were promoted as the main type of workers’ public leisure, which made it possible to organize joint sports and act together as a complex organism.
Published in 1927, this book represents a result of a three-years long work and practical experience of three groups of mass action: 1. The first collective of mass action of the Society of Builders of the International Red Stadium; 2. The collective of mass action of the Moscow City Department of the Trade Union of Textile Workers; 3. The collective of the mass action of the Political-Military Courses at the PUR.
In the book, Kharlampiev summarizes experience and methodology of cultural, sports, and entertainment work with the masses of young people and analyzes the system of training instructors-organizers of mass actions. The publication, which became a one-of-a-kind guide to Soviet «leadership», describes in detail the psychology of the masses, methods of managing it, character traits of a leader, his work on himself, etc. Considerable part of the book is dedicated to the topic of organizing a week-long course for the preparation of organizers of celebrations. The process of training instructors took seven days and was built in the form of a kind of summer camp, during which every day the work was organized according to a plan: rides, lectures, rehearsals, and mass action. The training consisted of the theory of organizing the masses and conducting cultural and sports events, as well as practice, which included entertainment, games, singing, dancing, and marches. The text provides an interesting step-by-step examination of each day from the one-week course. The edition also includes a detailed description of dozens of games and competitions that were actively held during the 1920s, including archery, boomerang throwing, and stilt walking. The book is especially valuable for the specifics and descriptions of leadership education programs. The penultimate photo in the publication shows Arkady Kharlampiev with his sons Georgy and Anatoly. In the photography, all three are leading a massive action on Vorobyovy Gory in 1924.
The edition is supplemented with 25 black and white photographs showing unknown scenes from the 1920s mass actions, including people playing various games, dancing, etc.

No copies found in Worldcat.

Price: $950.00