The XXVI Congress of the CPSU, noting that in recent years the party's theoretical arsenal has been replenished with a number of important generalizations and conclusions, highlighted among them, first of all, the development of the concept of developed socialism1 . This theory reflects the intense activity of the party in developing the Marxist-Leninist doctrine of the communist formation, which made it possible to give a detailed description of the current stage of socialism. At the same time, a number of new theoretical propositions put forward in the materials of the congress convincingly demonstrated the continuing dynamic development and concretization of the doctrine of developed socialism as practical experience of its functioning and deeper knowledge of its features and laws accumulated.

The concept of developed socialism has been significantly enriched since the Congress. In the decisions of the Plenums of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the writings and speeches of the leaders of the CPSU and the Soviet state, its important conclusions and provisions are developed. Speaking on April 25, 1984 at a meeting of the Commission of the Central Committee of the CPSU to prepare a new version of the CPSU Program, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR K. U. Chernenko stressed that "the Program should give a realistic, comprehensively balanced description of developed socialism" 2 .

The concept of developed socialism is an object of scientific analysis. Social scientists, mainly historians of the CPSU, philosophers, and economists, carefully analyze its evolution, recording its progressive creative development .3 While noting major achievements in this area, it should nevertheless be recognized that most of the works deal with either individual stages of formation, or some aspects of the concept of developed socialism. The purpose of this article is to try to outline the main stages of the formation of this theory, to identify the leading ones

1 See Materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, Moscow, 1981, p. 77.

2 Kommunist Publ., 1984, No. 7, p. 4.

3 CPSU - Party of Scientific Communism. Razvitie teorii nauchnogo kommunizma v resheniy i dokumenty CPSU na sovremennom etape [Development of the theory of scientific Communism in decisions and documents of the CPSU at the present stage]. Moscow, 1974; Marxist-Leninist doctrine of socialism and Modernity], Moscow, 1975; Razvitie sotsializm: problemy teorii i praktiki. 1 - 3. Moscow, 1979-1982; Butenko A. Kontseptsiya razvitiogo sotsializma [The concept of developed socialism]. - Social Sciences, 1981, N 1; Medvedev V. Outstanding contribution to the doctrine of communist construction. - Kommunist, 1981, No. 9; Kosolapov R. I. Contribution of the XXIV, XXV, XXVI Congresses of the CPSU to the development of theoretical and political problems of developed socialism and transition to communism. - Ibid., 1982, N 5; Actual issues of scientific communism. Development of Marxist-Leninist Theory by the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, Moscow, 1983; Lopata P. P. Comprehensive improvement of developed socialism is a strategic task of the CPSU and the Soviet people. - Scientific reports of the Higher School of Economics. Scientific Communism, 1983, No. 6; et al.

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factors that influenced its development, as well as a set of fundamental provisions that characterize its integrity.

The concept of developed socialism was a natural link in the process of improving the doctrine of the first phase of the communist formation. Drawing on the rich and diverse experience of building socialism in the USSR and other countries of the socialist community. this concept provided an answer to a number of questions raised by the needs of social progress, and allowed us to clarify, and in some cases rethink, some of the conclusions made earlier. "The collective thought of the CPSU," the resolution of the June 1983 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU notes, "enriched scientific communism with the doctrine of developed socialism." 4 From the perspective of today, a number of stages in the formation of this doctrine are already quite clearly visible.

The works of the founders of Marxism-Leninism contain a fundamental development of the pattern of historically determined changes in socio-economic formations, passing through a number of stages (stages) of maturation of new relations on the way to the formation of the communist formation. Of fundamental theoretical and methodological importance was the statement about the inevitability of the transition period from capitalism to socialism, about the gradual further progress, as the law of comprehensive socialization of labor and production is implemented, to the frontiers where the potentials will be most fully revealed, the features, laws and historical advantages of socialism over capitalism will be revealed, socialism will turn into an integral system. Socialism in the interpretation of the founders of Marxism-Leninism appears as a society "constantly changing and progressing" 5. K. Marx, as V. I. Lenin noted, gave "an analysis of what could be called the stages of economic maturity of communism" 6 . These stages, which reflect the essence of the progress of the social system, consist in increasing the integrity of this system7 . The profound scientific character and vitality of these fundamental ideas are confirmed by the entire subsequent practice of the class struggle and the construction of a socialist society .8
The experience of the transition period in the USSR, supplemented in the future by the experience of other countries that took the path of socialist construction, made it possible to deepen and concretize the doctrine of socialism and the stages of its construction. Generalization of this experience led to the characterization of the historical prerequisites and initial level of the movement to socialism, objective laws and main tasks of the transition period, its social essence and features, periodization and final boundaries. An idea is formed about the general laws of socialism and the nature of their implementation at a separate, initial stage, about the interaction of objective and subjective, theory and practice, about the ratio of theoretical premises and real results of the transition period. Lenin's plan for the construction of socialism in the U.S.S.R., supplemented in the 1930s by a characterization of socialism that was basically constructed, was a major contribution of our party to the treasury of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine of socialism.

It is a reflection of the accumulated concrete historical knowledge about socialism as a long-term dynamic process that is going through various stages of development.-

4 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983. Stenogr. otch. M. 1983, pp. 190-191.

5 Marx K. and Engels F. Soch. Vol. 37, p. 370.

6 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 33, p. 98.

7 See K. Marx and F. Engels Soch. Vol. 46, part I, p. 229.

8 See: Andropov Yu. V. Uchenie Karl Marx i nekotorye voprosy sotsialisticheskogo stroitelstva v SSSR [The Doctrine of Karl Marx and Some Issues of Socialist Construction in the USSR], Moscow, 1983; Ponomarev B. N. Zhivoe i deystvennoe uchenie marxizma-leninizma (Otvet kritikam). 4th ed., additional edition, Moscow, 1983.

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This was due to Lenin's raising of the question of the possibility and regularity in the future of the stage of "complete", "complete", "integral", "finally victorious and consolidated" socialism, socialism that has reached "ready-made forms", etc., at which the social goals and ideals of socialism will be fully embodied. 9 The concept of "developed socialism" was first put forward by Lenin in 1918, and then in 1920.10 Soviet social science has come to the conclusion that "V. I. Lenin's ideas, conclusions and forecasts form a solid foundation and core of the concept of developed socialism" 11 . Naturally, Lenin did not raise any questions about the specific features or timing of reaching this stage of social development, since the necessary historical prerequisites had not yet been formed for this. Thus, Marxist-Leninist theoretical thought was confronted, as yet in its most general form, with the question of the stadiality of socialism.

The scientific interpretation of the transition period as a special stage provided a reliable methodological "key" to the analysis of the subsequent stages of socialist construction. A major step in this direction was taken in the 1930s and 1950s, when the Soviet people, under the leadership of the Communist Party, were working to consolidate and develop socialism. The theory of real socialism is supplemented by a description of the society in which the foundations of socialism were formed (socialism was mainly built), as well as ways and methods of further forming its integral system (for this purpose, the concepts of "complete socialist society" and "complete victory of socialism"were originally used). An analysis of the accumulated experience of building the Soviet state and forming socialist democracy, implementing industrialization, collectivization, cultural revolution, implementing NEP, solving the national question, and strengthening the country's defense capability made it possible to clarify the level of development of society at which complete victory over capitalism within the country and further steadily expanded reproduction of socialist relations become possible.

Important achievements of scientific thought were the conclusions about the preservation (after the end of the transition period and the entry into the phase of socialism) of the socialist state and the need to strengthen it, about two forms of socialist ownership, about the presence in the social structure of society of two friendly classes, which were joined by the new, Soviet intelligentsia, about the need for of the laws that determine the dynamics of a socialist society, and a number of others. The laws that reflect the process of strengthening socialist relations-increasing the level of socialization, improving the political system more and more completely, strengthening the planned principles, developing Soviet democracy, implementing the principle of distribution by labor more and more fully, and establishing a socialist way of life-are described in detail. In terms of understanding these laws, the conclusion of the XVIII Party Congress that "socialist society in the U.S.S.R. now consists of two friendly classes - workers and peasants, the lines between which, as well as between these classes and the intelligentsia, are blurring and gradually disappearing" is of exceptional importance .12 Therefore, the imp-

9 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 27, p. 253; vol. 35, p. 427; vol. 36, p. 65-66, 139; vol. 40, p. 33, 36, 104, 260; vol. 43, p. 130; vol. 45, p. 370, etc.

10 Ibid., vol. 36, p. 139; vol. 40, p. 104, 260.

11 Actual issues of scientific communism, p. 16.

12 CPSU in resolutions and decisions of congresses, conferences and plenums of the Central Committee. Ed. 8-E. T. 5. p. 336.

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classness was correlated with the future higher level of maturity of socialism, towards which the process of changing the structure of classes and overcoming differences between them was outlined.

The significance of this stage in the development of the concept of developed socialism was a comprehensive analysis of the experience of real socialism. It followed from this analysis that, having created (mainly) its own foundation as a result of the transition period, a socialist society had to develop it comprehensively, strengthen it, overcome the residual elements of transition, fully materialize the rights and freedoms that socialism granted to the working man, and practically and consistently implement the principles of socialism. These tasks were solved for more than two decades (from the end of the 30s to the beginning of the 60s), as a result of which Soviet society rose to a qualitatively new level .13 The process of urbanization has led to the predominance of the urban population over the rural one. The working class became the majority of working people. An economic potential has been created that can actively participate in the process of scientific and technological revolution. The level of socialization has significantly increased, especially in the countryside, within the framework of collective farm ownership. Socialist relations of production have been comprehensively developed. The state of the dictatorship of the proletariat grew into a state of the whole people, and the party of the working class became the party of the whole people. The actual inequality of the peoples inhabiting our country was eliminated, which, combined with the process of improving the social and class structure, made it possible to create a strong alliance of the working class, peasantry and intelligentsia, and to ensure the emergence of a new historical community - the Soviet people. The peoples that became part of the USSR on the eve of or after the Great Patriotic War solved the tasks of the transition period in a short time and came very close to other peoples of the country in terms of the maturity of socialist relations. A socialist way of life was formed.

All this meant that during the period of consolidation and development of socialism, major inconsistencies and imbalances left over from the past were mostly eliminated, and the interconnection of all aspects of social life was strengthened. The solution of these problems was largely determined by the emergence of the world system of socialism.

The generalization of these historical achievements of the Soviet people and the approval of new theoretical conclusions and propositions did not take place without controversy and overcoming a number of previously put forward ideas that did not stand up to the test of the practice of socialist construction. The experience of the USSR increasingly convincingly proved the need for a critical approach to the provisions on the relative short-term nature of the phase of socialism and the possibility of gradual establishment of consistently communist features after the end of the transition period. Functioning real socialism confirmed the insufficiency of its characterization as a society only in transition, bearing in itself in various combinations the elements of incomplete communism and the "birthmarks" of capitalism. Such" birthmarks "included commodity-money relations, the class structure of society, the existence of two forms of ownership, and the actual inequality associated with the distribution of labor, etc. The problem of overcoming these "birthmarks" was often interpreted very simply, expressed in proposals for limiting market relations and transforming collective farms to state farms, liquidating industrial cooperatives, and so on. Unfortunately, some of these proposals were implemented in practice.

13 Cm.: History of the Communist party of the Soviet Union. Vol. 5, vol. 1, 2. M. 1970, 1980; History of the USSR from ancient times to the present day. T. XI. M. 1980.

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In general, the stage of consolidation and development of socialism in the USSR gave a new convincing confirmation of the creative nature of the doctrine of socialism. During these years, ideas about the dynamics of development, features and features, and ways of forming an integral system of socialism were significantly clarified and concretized. Marxist-Leninist social science, therefore, was approaching the point at which it was already possible and urgently necessary in concrete historical terms to develop the problem of the stadiality of socialism itself as the first phase of the communist formation, as a qualitatively defined, dynamically developing social system. The agenda included the development of the concept of a new, regular stage - mature, developed socialism.

The achievements of theoretical thought during this period were summarized in the materials of the XXI and XXII Congresses of the CPSU, in the Party Program adopted by the XXII Congress. The Party noted a number of profound quantitative and qualitative changes in all areas of public life in the USSR, as compared with the second half of the 1930s. This made it possible to put forward an important theoretical statement about the achievement of a fundamentally new level by socialism in our country in the process of its improvement (for this purpose, the formula about the complete and final victory of socialism was used). The Marxist-Leninist doctrine was enriched by provisions based on concrete historical experience on the transition from the lowest phase of the communist formation to the highest on the basis of a comprehensive knowledge and use of the objective laws inherent in socialism, on ways to overcome the essential differences between the classes of Soviet society, forms of property, between mental and physical labor, etc.

As noted in the materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, the June (1983) Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, and the speech of K. U. Chernenko at the meeting of the CPSU Central Committee Commission on the preparation of a new version of the CPSU Program, the current Program of the party as a whole correctly characterizes the patterns of world social development, the goals and main tasks of the struggle of the party and the Soviet people for communism14 . Its fundamental provisions are confirmed by life. However, when describing the specific tasks of the further development of Soviet society in the late 50s and early 60s, the concept that emerged from the premise that "building a communist society became the immediate practical task of the Soviet people" prevailed .15 Accordingly, a plan for the upcoming social transformations was defined, which included "elements of breaking away from reality, getting ahead of ourselves, and unjustified detailing" 16. Practice soon showed that the transition to communism should be more complex, prolonged, and indirect.

At the turn of the 50s and 60s, the beginning of a new stage in the development of both Soviet society and the concept of socialism was marked. Basically, the completeness of the preceding major stage - the consolidation and development of socialism (otherwise known as early socialism) - determined the objective regularity of the USSR's entry into the stage of developed socialism. This historical milestone stands out quite clearly. It is also connected with the achievement of a new level of development in crucial areas of public life, as described above, and with the deployment of a number of qualitatively new processes in Soviet society (acceleration of the convergence of the national and collective - farm-cooperative forms

14 See: Proceedings of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, pp. 78, 82; Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, p. 114; Kommunist, 1984, No. 7, p.6.

15 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 8, p. 242.

16 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, p. 114.

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property, as well as the living standards of the urban and rural population, a significant increase in the welfare of the Soviet people, more active implementation of the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution, etc.). This milestone is clearly reflected, on the one hand, in the contradictions between new potentials, social development needs and old management methods, and, on the other, in a number of measures to overcome these contradictions (the elimination of MTS and the transfer of equipment to collective farms, the introduction of elements of polytechnization in the secondary education system, the expansion of the rights of the Union republics, etc.). The unprecedented scale of the new tasks that the Soviet people had to solve, the difficulties in their scientific understanding and in developing an appropriate practical course, sometimes led to insufficiently justified decisions (the transition from the ministerial system of industrial management to the Council of People's Commissars, the division of party organizations into urban and rural ones).

The documents of the October and November (1964), March and September (1965) Plenums of the Central Committee, and the XXIII Congress of the CPSU guided the creative thought of social scientists to a deep understanding of the objective processes that took place in Soviet society. In these documents, the idea was consistently carried out that the movement towards communism is possible only through a comprehensive knowledge and use of the laws and advantages of real socialism. Of historical significance were the Theses of the Central Committee of the CPSU "50 years of the Great October Socialist Revolution", in which a comprehensive coverage of the entire process of socialist construction in the USSR was supplemented with a description of its most important stages and concluded that " the advantages of socialism as a social system are realized to the extent that they are scientifically recognized by society and The concrete expression of this course of the party was the development of a long-term agrarian policy (based on the decisions of the March (1965) Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU), a system of measures to improve the economic mechanism and transfer the economy to an intensive path of development (in the light of the decisions of the September (1965) Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU), Therefore, the conclusion that is drawn in the literature is justified that " the Soviet Union has entered the period of mature socialism... in the 60s " 18 .

An in-depth analysis of the changes that took place in the most important areas of public life was a prerequisite for new theoretical conclusions. In L. I. Brezhnev's report "50 years of great victories of socialism", the concept of" developed socialist society " was applied to the reached stage of maturity of the socialist society and a number of its most important features were described. The turn of the 50-60s was regarded as the beginning of a new stage in the formation of the communist formation. When developing the strategy and tactics of the party, the requirement is put forward for a deep knowledge of the features of this stage, its features and patterns.

The study of the problems of developed socialism developed in Soviet science made it possible to clarify the ideas about the achieved level of maturity, about the ways to further improve the socialist society in our country, the development of productive forces and industrial relations. Social scientists were guided by the instructions of the party, which set as a fundamental task to increase the scientific level of political leadership, emphasizing that the public opinion of the party is not limited to the following issues:-

17 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 9, p. 310.

18 Yegorov A. G. On socialist, Communist progress at the present stage of development of Soviet society. - Voprosy istorii CPSU, 1984. N 1, p. 11.

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The practice of previous years has shown the harmful consequences of overestimating the level achieved in the development of our society, unrealistic approaches in choosing the pace and forms of progress towards communism, and jumping over the necessary stages of social development. A proven means of overcoming these shortcomings is a deeper mastery of Marxist-Leninist theory and methodology .19
The concept of "developed socialism" is firmly rooted in Marxism-Leninism in the 60s. The Statement of the Moscow Conference of Communist and Workers ' Parties (1960) noted that some countries of the socialist camp are laying the foundations of socialism, while others have already entered the period of building developed socialism. As for the USSR, this document stated that it was successfully carrying out an extensive construction of a communist society .20 The materials of the party forums of the countries of the socialist community reflect intensive theoretical work on determining the ways and tasks of building developed socialism. An important feature of this initiative is the consideration of new problems in the context of the entire historical experience of building and functioning real socialism. The question of the regularity of a more or less long stage of the all-round development of a socialist society and the creation of a developed socialism after the completion of the transition period and the construction of the foundations of socialism was developed (different concepts were initially used to define this stage: "developed socialism", "fully built socialism", "comprehensively developed socialism", "developed social system of socialism"; in particular, the concept of (most of the communist and workers ' parties in these countries used the term "developed socialism").

Taking into account the general laws of the formation of the communist formation and the national characteristics of each country, attempts were made to solve at a higher scientific level such questions as the essence of socialism, its historical place, the laws and stages of maturation, the role of external conditions in this process (the presence of the camp of socialism), general and special in socialist construction,) developed socialism. The concept of socialism and communism as two phases of a single communist formation was expanded, which made it possible to distinguish more reasonably between the features of the general (formational) and special (inherent in individual phases) in them21 . The conclusion that socialism has its own foundation - a set of objective and subjective factors that opened up space for the action of its inherent fundamental laws-has become a solid property of science. The description of developed socialism in the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU "On the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution" began with the statement of the fact that at this stage socialism is already developing on its own basis .22
Referring to the principles of developed socialism, Yu. V. Andropov, in a speech at the June (1983) Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, stated: "This is a society where the economic base, social structure, and political system corresponding to socialist principles are already fully established, where socialism develops, as they say, on its own, collectivist basis." 23 Thesis on the proper basis of socialism

19 See: Questions of the ideological work of the CPSU. Collection of documents (1965-1973). 2nd ed., additional Moscow, 1973; Suslov M. A. Marxism-Leninism - international teaching of the working class. Moscow, 1973.

20 Program documents of the struggle for peace, Democracy and Socialism, Moscow, 1967, p. 46.

21 See Egorov A. G. Uk. soch., pp. 13-14.

22 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 12, p. 430.

23 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, p. 114.

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It was of great theoretical and cognitive importance for studying the complex problems of the history of socialist construction. The attention of researchers was focused on the analysis of the essential features of socialism as a certain, relatively independent social system, which, in addition to general organizational features, also has its own special social relations, patterns and forms of their expression, its own type of dynamics and its contradictions that distinguish it from the highest phase of communism.

The own basis of socialism, which was formed as a result of the transition period and was the source of subsequent reproduction of the victorious socialist relations, was steadily strengthened, causing an ever more complete disclosure of the potentials of the new system. 24 In the light of the historical approach to the assessment of socialism's own foundation, it was argued that it is interpreted as a long-term phase in which a combination of objective and subjective factors gradually reveals specific patterns, determines the ways of their effective use, and develops economic, political, and ideological prerequisites for the formation of a socialist-type person25 . The achievement of Marxism-Leninism was a profound substantiation of the thesis that socialism has passed through a number of stages of maturity. "The development of socialism is a complex process of transition from the lowest forms of its social organization to the highest, "the Central Committee of the CPSU noted in its Theses" On the 100th anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. " 26
Thus, in the 60s, the concept of developed socialism stands out as a relatively independent direction within the framework of scientific communism, stimulating the development of this doctrine and acting at the same time as its highest achievement. It forms the basis for the strategy and tactics of all the fraternal parties of the countries of the socialist community, which have made a major contribution to the development of this truly international doctrine. Some differences in the interpretation of the problem under consideration, which were revealed at this stage, consisted in the fact that in the USSR researchers focused their attention on studying the real features of the achieved stage in the development of socialist society, and in the countries of the socialist commonwealth - on considering ways of approaching developed socialism and its features, goals. Creative discussions and the publication of joint works made it possible to bring approaches closer together, overcome certain controversial points of view, and approach a common interpretation of the fundamental problems of developed socialism .27 The results of this purposeful collective theoretical work were reflected in the documents of the International Conference of Communist and Workers ' Parties held in Moscow in 1969. 28, subsequent program documents of the Communist and workers ' parties of European socialist countries.

24 See Lenin's doctrine of the Economic Foundations of Socialism. 2nd ed., reprint, add. m. - Berlin, 1983.

25 The Marxist-Leninist doctrine of socialism and modernity.

26 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 10, p. 155.

27 Problems of developed socialism. International discussions of Marxists. Prague. 1971; Dudinsky I. V. Ekonomicheskie problemy sozdaniya razvitogo sotsialisticheskogo obshchestva [Economic problems of creating a developed socialist society]. Prague. 1973; Razvitoe sotsialisticheskoe obshchestvo: sushchnost', kriterii mater'nosti, kritika revisionistskikh kontseptsii. Izd. 1-2-E. M. 1973, 1975; Iribadzhakov N. Razvitoe sotsialisticheskoe obshchestvo. Moscow 1974; Pilipenko N. V. Otnoshenie obshchikh zakonomernostei i osobennostei v vozrozhdenii i razvitie sotsializma. Moscow 1976; Velikiy Oktyabr i sovremennaya epokha Moscow, 1978; Dialectics of the development of socialist society, Moscow, 1980; Developed Socialism: general and specific in its construction, Moscow, 1980; and others. See also materials of discussions: Problems of Peace and Socialism, 1970, No. 12; 1973, NN 1, 3, 5, 7, 10; 1974, NN 1, 2.

28th International Conference of Communist and Workers ' Parties. The dock. i m-ly, M. 1969.

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The next stage in the development of the concept of developed socialism in the USSR covers the 70s. The decisions of the XXIV and XXV Congresses of the CPSU, party documents related to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin, the 50th anniversary of the formation of the USSR, the 60th anniversary of Great October, the development and adoption of the Constitution of the USSR in 1977 have acquired historical significance. The Report of the Central Committee of the CPSU to the XXIV Party Congress stated that "a developed socialist society has been built by the selfless labor of the Soviet people." 29 During this period, party documents and the writings of leading figures of the CPSU and the Soviet state made major theoretical generalizations related to the characterization of a new historical community of people - the Soviet people, the socialist way of life, the tasks of combining the advantages of socialism with the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution, putting the economy on an intensive path of development, strengthening friendship and cooperation item no. 30 . In the light of these generalizations, plans for social and economic development of the society in the near and long term were clarified. Thus, the emerging concept of developed socialism was materialized in the party's policy, in the practice of the broad working masses, all social groups, nations and nationalities of the Soviet State.

At the same time, the party put forward as the first task for social scientists a comprehensive theoretical elaboration of the fundamental problems of a developed socialist society. It was necessary to understand more deeply not only the ways and laws of entering this stage, its initial level, but also the nature of the further development of socialism, to highlight the features and historical advantages of real socialism .31 A comprehensive analysis of the development of Soviet society made it possible to confidently climb the steps of scientific generalization, to approach a concrete historical knowledge of the principles and laws of developed socialism. In the 70s, the tasks of identifying the real features of mature socialism, studying the nature of their interaction, methods of cognition and methods of managing society, and, in general, the features of the functioning of developed socialism in its progressive movement came to the fore .32
In the course of a frontal study of all the most important spheres of social life from the point of view of further consolidation of collectivist principles, the possibilities inherent in the new level of productive forces and production relations, the socialist economy, are revealed.

29 Materials of the XXIV Congress of the CPSU, Moscow, 1971, p. 38.

30 CPSU in resolutions. Vols. 10-12; Brezhnev L. I. Lenin's course. Tt. 1-9. M. 1973-1983; Kosygin A. I. To the great goal. Selected speeches and articles. In 3 volumes, Moscow, 1979; Suslov M. A. Marxism-Leninism and the modern era. Selected speeches and articles. In 3 vols. M. 1982; Ponomarev B. N. Real socialism and its international significance. Ed. 2-E. M. 1982. See also: XXIV Congress of the CPSU: unity of theory and practice. Issue No.. 1-3. Moscow, 1973-1976; XXIV Congress of the CPSU and problems of Scientific Communism, Moscow, 1973; Development of the theory of scientific Communism in decisions and documents of the CPSU at the present stage, Moscow, 1974; XXV Congress of the CPSU: unity of theory and practice. Vol. 1-8. Moscow, 1977-1981; CPSU - Party of Scientific Communism; et al.

31 On the ideological work of the CPSU. Moscow, 1977; Fedoseev P. N. XXIV Congress of the CPSU and the main directions of research in the field of social sciences. - Kommunist Publ., 1972, No. 1; same name. Actual problems of social sciences. - Ibid., 1975, N 5; and others.

32 Kasyanenko V. I. Razvitiy sotsializm [Developed socialism]. Istoriografiya i metodologiya problemy [Historiography and methodology of the problem]. Soviet Way of Life: Problems of Research, Moscow, 1982; Sherstobitov V. P., Zaitsev E. A. Some historiographical problems of formation and development of a new historical community in the USSR - the Soviet people. In: Problemy istorii obshchestvennoi mysli i istoriografii [Problems of the History of Public Thought and Historiography], Moscow, 1976; Vorozheikin I. E., Senyavsky S. L. Rabochy klass-vedushchaya sila sovetskogo obshchestva (Voprosy metodologii i istoriografii), Moscow, 1977.

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democracy, culture and consciousness, and ways to implement them 33 . This made it possible to deepen the development of social policy problems of the CPSU34 . The article examines the place of the Communist Party in the Soviet political system, the factors that determine its social appearance, and the functions of leading all areas of public life in the face of the increasing scale and complexity of the tasks facing the country .35 This analysis led to the conclusion that the most important feature of the stage of developed socialism is the harmonious, integrated development of all aspects of social life, in the established and deepening integrity of the entire social organism .36
However, in the first half of the 70s, only the first steps were taken in this direction (synthesis, analysis of the interaction of features of mature socialism). The conducted research allowed us to expand the picture mainly only "in breadth". They were carried out in a number of areas (development of democracy, changing the social structure, increasing the leading role of the working class, implementing economic policies, improving the socialist way of life, etc.), which were determined by the tasks of identifying the achieved level of maturity of a socialist society. This did not sufficiently take into account Lenin's most important methodological statement that in any social phenomenon considered in the process of its development, "there will always be remnants of the past, the foundations of the present and the beginnings of the future" 37 .

Over time, this one-sidedness began to be overcome. The "flat" characterization of developed socialism by identifying certain indicators (features) is supplemented by the "three-dimensional" characterization of it as a complex process, which has its own mechanism of movement, identification and realization of potentials, reflecting the features of this particular stage of socialist construction. This was facilitated by a deeper theoretical knowledge of the objective laws, sources ,and nature of the self-movement of socialism38. Practice developed by-

33 Khachaturov T. S. Sovetskaya ekonomika na sovremennom etape [Soviet economy at the present stage], Moscow, 1975; Arnoldov A. I. Kul'tura razvitiogo sotsializma, Moscow, 1975; Topornin B. N. Sovetskaya politicheskaya sistema, Moscow, 1975; Staroverov V. I. Sovetskaya derevnya na etape razvitiogo sotsializma, Moscow, 1976; Cherkovets V. N. Voprosy periodizatsii sotsialisticheskogo stroitelstva i osnovnye ekonomicheskie cherty razvitiogo socialism. M. 1976; Social structure of the developed socialist society in the USSR. M. 1976; Sherstobitov V. P. The Soviet people - a monolithic community of builders of communism. M. 1976; Characteristic features and features of the developed socialist society. Kyiv. 1976; Rutkevich M. N. Intelligentsia v razvitiom sotsialisticheskom obshchestve [Intelligentsia in the developed socialist society]. Moscow, 1977; Kerimov D. A. Demokratiya razvitiom sotsializma [Democracy of developed socialism]. 2nd ed., additional Moscow, 1980; et al.

34 Mikulsky K. I. Socio-economic policy in the socialist society, Moscow 1978; Social policy of the CPSU in the conditions of developed socialism, Moscow 1979; Social policy in the developed socialist society (directions, trends, problems), Moscow 1980; et al.

35 Kasyanenko V. I. CPSU-organizer of the construction of developed socialism, Moscow, 1974; Rogov A. I. Leadership of the CPSU in the economy of mature socialism, Moscow, 1975; CPSU in the conditions of developed socialism: problems of Historiography, Moscow, 1977; Economic policy of the CPSU. Issue I. M. 1979; Increasing the leading role of the CPSU in the construction of socialism and communism. M. 1979; Regularities in the development of the Marxist-Leninist Party. M. 1983; Adamov O. M. Activity of the CPSU to improve the general education school of the RSFSR in the period of developed socialism. L. 1984; et al.

36 Kosolapov R. Methodological problems of the theory of developed socialism. Problems of Peace and Socialism, 1974, No. 9; Marxist-Leninist doctrine of socialism and modernity; Socialist Society. Socio - philosophical problems of modern Soviet society. M. 1975; Fedoseev, P. N. Theoretical problems of developed socialism. - Kommunist, 1976, N 5; and others.

37 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 1, p. 181.

38 Aktual'nye problemy ekonomicheskoi teorii [Actual problems of economic theory], Moscow, 1973; Syusyukalo V. B., I. Sotsialisticheskoe obshchestvo: problemy dialektiki razvitiya, Moscow, 1973; Butenko A. P. Sotsializm kak obshchestvennyy stroi, Moscow, 1974; Ignatovsky P. A. Razvitoi sotsializm: obshchestvenno-ekonomicheskaya dinamika, Moscow, 1974; Kosolapov R. I. Sotsializm: k voprosu teorii, Moscow, 1975 2nd Ed., ispr. and dop. Moscow, 1979; Kovalev A.M. Socia-

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the theory of socialism persistently pushed for a deep study not only of the achievements, but also of the contradictions generated by the very course of the progressive development of Soviet society. In his report to the June 1983 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, K. U. Chernenko emphasized: "As is well known, the question of contradictions as a driving force of social development is of essential importance for theory and practice. It is well developed in relation to the transition period from capitalism to socialism. Today, a comprehensive study of the non-antagonistic contradictions inherent in mature socialism and the specifics of their resolution in the context of the growing socio-political and ideological unity of Soviet society is required." 39
Historical experience has shown that the functioning of developed socialism is not without difficulties. Their analysis led to an understanding of the nature and nature of non-antagonistic contradictions that inevitably arise at the stage of developed socialism and due to the asynchrony of the entry of various sections of society into this stage, and due to the insufficiently uniform development of individual spheres of social life, and due to subjective reasons. A group of social scientists turned to the analysis of these contradictions, raising the question not only about ways to overcome them, but also about their role as sources and incentives for development and further improvement of society. This position was confirmed, in particular, in the analysis of the relationship between productive forces and production relations, production and consumption, personal, group and public interests, etc. At the stage of developed socialism, Lenin's idea that "life moves forward in contradictions" 40 retains its significance, and at the same time, the question of the inevitable negative consequences arises again if the problem of contradictions is not given sufficient attention. "Life teaches," Yu. V. Andropov noted , "that with such inattention, contradictions that are not inherently antagonistic can generate serious collisions." 41
The approach to solving ever-new problems associated with the study of developed socialism became possible to a large extent due to the fact that knowledge was accumulated about the previous stages of socialist construction. Understanding their content, role, historical place, and characteristic patterns provided researchers who worked on the problems of developed socialism with a conceptual framework, theory, and methodology for understanding the entire unified process of socialist construction and the relationship between the general and the special at its various stages .42 The main regularities of the construction of developed socialism were formulated 43 . At the same time, the identification of its features and patterns made it possible to better understand the features of the previous stages, and to advance the development of the history of Soviet society as a whole. Science and politics confirmed the validity of Lenin's words that " it is not at all necessary to strictly distinguish between stages that are different in nature, and to soberly investigate the conditions of their passage."-

Socialism and patterns of social development, Moscow, 1982; Medvedev V. A., Management of socialist production: Problems of theory and practice, Moscow, 1983; Aktual'nye problemy istorii razvitiogo sotsializma v SSSR, Moscow, 1984; et al.

39 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, p. 12.

40 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 47, p. 219.

41 Andropov Yu. V. Uk. soch., p. 27.

42 History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Vol. 3-5. M. 1967-1980; History of the USSR from ancient times to the present day. Vols. VII-XI. M. 1967-1980; Kim M. P. On the periodization of the process of building socialism in the USSR. - Kommunist, 1981, N 7; From capitalism to socialism. Osnovnye problemy istorii perekhodnogo perioda v SSSR [Basic problems of the history of the transition period in the USSR]. 1917-1937 gg. Tt. 1-2. Moscow, 1981; et al.

43 See Suslov M. A. Marxism-Leninism and the revolutionary renewal of the world. - Kommunist, 1977, N 13, p. 15.

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cheat delaying the final goal does not mean slowing down your journey in advance. " 44
The study of the problem of periodization of Soviet society also led to the solution of such an important question for historical knowledge as the initial (initial) boundary of developed socialism. However, the lively discussion on this issue that developed at first showed that a more in-depth study of such problems as the dialectic of development and criteria for the maturity of socialism, the ratio of objective and subjective factors in the consolidation of developed socialism is required.

Analysis of the essential features of real socialism allowed us to differentiate them. Socialism, being a whole, acts simultaneously as a dynamically developing organism, demonstrating with each new step a changing combination of types of relations that differ in genealogy and historical duration of existence. One group of features reflects the tendencies inherent in communism as a whole as a formation (public ownership and increasing socialization, planned economic management, increasing public consumption funds, mass participation in management, deepening democracy, etc.). These general communist features are the future. The second group consists of features that distinguish socialism and communism as different phases of the same formation (distribution by labor, national state, significant differences between urban and rural areas, physical and mental labor, etc.). The third group includes features and trends that are not related to the basic laws of this system, but characterize genetic features (elements) and relationships that reflect continuity in the development of society as a whole (commodity - money relations, etc.).

This division, which makes it possible to distinguish and characterize entities of different orders - general communist and socialist, and to establish their hierarchy, created, firstly, more solid grounds for interpreting the historical place of socialism. The assessment of socialism as an allegedly independent, special socio - economic formation, expressed in a number of works, was subjected to reasoned criticism. This assessment was associated with one-sided, exaggerated attention to the peculiarities of socialism, its own laws, and the duration of this phase. This assessment, which emerged as a reaction to the often oversimplified views that existed earlier in the 1940s and 1950s, and as a result of a more in - depth analysis of the essence of socialism-a special social system, indicated that the fundamental essential features of socialism, which combined the characteristics of both the first and second phases of communist society, were not sufficiently revealed. Secondly, the analysis of the dynamics and interaction of various features of socialism allowed us to take the next step-to identify the relationship between the old and the new, dying and emerging at various stages of socialism, and thus characterize the levels of its maturity.

This problem was initially considered in terms of identifying the criteria of mature socialism. Already at the beginning of its development in the USSR, it became clear that it has its own difficulties and contradictions. The study was conducted in the midst of the lively practice of developed socialism. This provided an objective basis for the study, but at the same time made it difficult, since the conclusions were influenced by current problems of our time. It was also necessary to take into account the fact that the Soviet people were the first to enter the stage of developed socialism; this made it difficult to correctly understand the correlation between the general and the special in their historical experience, and created the danger of adopting a national-specific approach to the development of socialism.-

44 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 9, p. 131.

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the common for the universal. In addition, the USSR was only at the beginning of the stage of developed socialism, so the extension of the features and features of this very initial stage to the entire long stage could lead to the impoverishment of its general concept. It is characteristic that the first attempts to identify the criteria of developed socialism often ended with the designation of only specific features of the society that entered this stage, which, naturally, could not yet become a sufficiently solid basis for comparing the various levels of maturity of a socialist society.

The work carried out in this direction by the combined efforts of social scientists has made it possible to achieve a certain unity both in the understanding of the category "criterion of maturity of socialism" and in the development of these criteria. They should characterize the level of maturity not of individual areas of social life, but of the entire social organism as a whole; they are intended to reveal general, leading trends in improving social relations at the stage of developed socialism and therefore cannot be deduced from the comparison of socialism with developed capitalism; they are not based on quantitative characteristics, which in different countries and in different historical the periods will inevitably be different, but mostly for high-quality ones. Therefore, it is more correct to characterize not the criteria of mature socialism (as a separate stage), but the criteria of maturity of socialism (as a dynamically developing single integral social system).

After a number of criteria 45 were defined, it became obvious that a new step was needed-the allocation of a single, root, leading criterion. In this capacity, some works consider the extent to which objective laws and advantages inherent in socialism are used in all spheres of social life, while others consider the level of socialization of labor, production, and the entire social life .46 This new level of theoretical generalization of the problem was reflected in the materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, where developed socialism is characterized as a stage at which " the restructuring of all social relations on the collectivist principles inherent in the new system is completed. This perestroika covers both the material and spiritual spheres, the entire way of our life. " 47
The study of the maturity levels of socialism has significantly deepened the understanding of developed socialism as an independent stage. If in the 60s developed socialism was often interpreted as a certain historical boundary, the boundary that society reaches as a result of the consistent consolidation of socialist principles, now the view of it is confirmed as the next (after the transition period and the stage of consolidation and development of socialism), the highest stage of socialism. To enter this stage, first of all, it is necessary to have certain objective and subjective prerequisites, i.e. it must be historically prepared by public practice, which dictates the need to solve qualitatively new historical tasks and deploy new processes. Secondly, this stage is relatively long, only gradually revealing its internal patterns and features. Third, developed socialism - objectively.-

45 Gelbukh F. N., Lopata P. P. Razvitoe sotsialisticheskoe obshchestvo: istoricheskoe mesto i osnovnye cherty [Developed Socialist Society: Historical place and main features]. Moscow, 1976; Metodologicheskie problemy issledovaniya ekonomiki razvitogo sotsializma; Marxist-Leninist doctrine of socialism and modernity; et al.

46 See: Fedoseev P. Aktual'nye problemy sotsial'nykh nauk [Actual problems of social sciences]; Kosolapo V. R. Metodologicheskie problemy teorii razvitiogo sotsializma [Methodological problems of the theory of developed socialism]. Contribution of the XXIV, XXV, and XXVI Congresses of the CPSU to the elaboration of theoretical and political problems of developed socialism and the transition to communism.

47 Proceedings of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, p. 57.

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a necessary stage that is mandatory for all countries that are building communism 48 . Developed socialism is "a natural stage in the development of the communist formation" and at the same time "it is today the highest achievement of social progress", - noted in the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU "On the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution" 49 . Fourth, within this stage, there are a number of stages that differ in the level of approximation to the features that characterize the final edge of developed socialism and, consequently, socialism as a whole.

Thus, the complexity and consistency previously discovered by science as the most important signs of developed socialism begin to triumph as the most important methodological principles of the study of this stage itself. This principle is reflected in the policy of the party's instructions on the comprehensive development of problems of improving the economic mechanism (management, planning, material incentives), on ensuring the unity of ideological, organizational and economic work; on the indissoluble unity in the ideological work of political, labor, and moral education; on improving sectoral and regional planning and management, etc. Based on these achievements in theory and practice, the XXVI Congress of the CPSU emphasized :" In the conditions of mature socialism, the relationship between the progress of the economy and the socio-political and spiritual progress of society is becoming ever closer. " 50
Of great theoretical and methodological importance were the provisions put forward by the congress, first, that the possibilities of developed socialism become a reality only as a complete scientific concept is developed, as well as an appropriate political course, which emphasized the increasing role of the subjective factor in the construction and consolidation of developed socialism. Secondly, attention was drawn to the fact that only a comprehensive knowledge and full realization of the potentials and signs of developed socialism will allow us to fully demonstrate its capabilities and historical advantages. "To fully realize the possibilities of developed socialism-this, if you will, is the pathos of our days. This also determines the degree of responsibility that history has placed on us today, " the report said at a solemn meeting dedicated to the 60th anniversary of October 51 . Thus, organic integrity as one of the leading features of developed socialism begins to be considered in combination with the dynamism of this social system, which allowed us to approach the understanding of the objective logic and dialectic of the historical movement at the new stage of socialism. 52
This set of interrelated theoretical propositions allowed us to take the next step-to consider the dynamics of the formation and development of the most developed socialism. The characterization of this social system is given not only along the "front", but also "in depth".

Regarding the definition of the initial boundary of developed socialism, the following propositions are gradually being established: it is more reasonable to state not the beginning of developed socialism, but the beginning of the transition to it, the entry into the stage of developed socialism. This transition is due to

48 See ibid., p. 78.

49 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 12, p. 430.

50 Materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, p. 52.

51 Brezhnev L. I. Lenin's Course, vol. 6, p. 582.

52 Razvitoy sotsializm: problemy teorii i praktiki [Developed Socialism: Problems of Theory and Practice], Moscow, 1979; 2nd Ed., Moscow, 1981; Lopata P. P. Vozmozhnosti razvitoy sotsializm i deyatel'nost ' CPSU po ikh realizatsii na sovremennom etape. - Voprosy istorii CPSU, 1980, N 9; his. Developed socialism: integrity and dynamics of the social system. - Pravda, 11.1.1980; Historical advantages of the economy of developed socialism, Moscow, 1981; Abalkin L. I. Dialektika sotsialisticheskoi ekonomiki, Moscow, 1981.

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a number of objective and subjective prerequisites, a certain set of quantitative and qualitative features that emerged (developed) at the previous stage of socialism in various areas of social life; it is not a one-time, spasmodic, but erased, evolutionary character, so it is more correct to allocate not a year, but a rather long strip of entry into the stage of developed socialism. A sign (signal) of the beginning of such a transition can be both the revealed contradictions between the new potentials of society and the old forms and methods of leadership, and measures to remove these contradictions aimed at solving new tasks of socialist construction; this transition is made gradually, but the more successful and faster the higher the level of development of the theory of developed socialism and the and this theory is more consistently implemented in the politics of the party and the state, in the creative, conscious activity of the masses. Therefore, a broad, comprehensive development of this teaching is both the most important evidence of the entry of society into a new stage, and the most important condition for achieving this milestone.

The initial stage of developed socialism has a certain historical extent, its own history. It is no accident that all attempts to set a clear boundary (a year or several years)are made At the beginning of this stage, the results were usually inconclusive. Despite all the differences in the proposed estimates, many of them were characterized by the lack of raising the question about the passage of a number of stages by developed socialism itself in the process of identifying its features and regularities, improving it as a system; behind the attempt to determine the initial boundary of a new stage was the desire to demonstrate in action the totality of More convincing is the position of those researchers who believe that by the beginning of the 60s, Soviet society had reached the threshold of developed socialism; a number of its features were already present, others were still to be established; then followed the stage of consolidating and bringing into the system a number of the most important features of developed socialism, developing a doctrine about it and in the mid-70s, the features of the new began to manifest themselves with sufficient completeness, which made it possible to name them in the Constitution of the USSR of 197753 . It contains the following information:: "A developed socialist society has been built in the USSR. At this stage, when socialism is developing on its own basis, the creative forces of the new system and the advantages of the socialist way of life are becoming more fully revealed, and the working people are increasingly enjoying the fruits of the great revolutionary conquests." 54 The resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU of January 31, 1977 "On the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution" linked events of great historical significance in the life of the country, the large - scale and complex socio-economic development inherent in the past decade, already with the stage of developed socialism55 .

This approach makes it possible to distinguish the stages of the most developed socialism: the first - entry into developed socialism; the second-improvement of developed socialism. In the U.S.S.R., the adoption of the new Constitution of the U.S.S.R. in 1977, which constitutionally established the entry of Soviet society into the stage of a developed socialist society, may serve as a definite historical milestone between them. Developing the thesis about the meaning of this document,

53 Gelbukh F. N., Lopata P. P. Uk. soch., pp. 42-46; Kim M. P. O periodizatsiya protsessa stroitelstva sotsializma v SSSR, pp. 35-40.

54 Constitution (Basic Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Moscow, 1978, p. 4.

55 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 12, p. 430.

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The XXVI Congress of the CPSU emphasized, in particular, that the new Constitution of the USSR, reflecting "the most significant changes in the economic, social and spiritual life of Soviet society, the deep democracy of the all-people state", "opened a higher stage in the development of socialist democracy" 56 . Generalizing the practice of developed socialism on the basis of the latest achievements of theoretical thought, constitutionally consolidating the progressive tendencies inherent in this stage. The Basic Law created a solid legal basis for strengthening relations between developed socialism57 .

Analysis of the dynamics of the most important processes that accompany the functioning of developed socialism has made it possible to highlight the hypothesis of its features in a complete, mature form, i.e. at the highest level of developed socialism. In particular, regarding the socio-class structure of Soviet society, the thesis is put forward that it is possible to overcome the main and main differences between classes already at the stage of developed socialism. Consequently, socialism as a whole is characterized not only by the convergence of classes, as previously stated in the literature, but also by the elimination of significant social and class differences .58 The intensive process of rapprochement between the two forms of ownership, which accelerated in the 60s and 70s, indicated the possibility of forming a single national property also at the stage of developed socialism .59 Regarding the prospects for the economic development of our country, it was emphasized that "the socialist system has everything necessary to solve the task set by Lenin - to surpass capitalism in terms of qualitative indicators, including the level of social productivity of labor." 60 Consequently, the characteristics of both developed socialism and socialism in general put forward earlier were clarified on this cardinal problem as well. The article concretizes the concept of developed socialism and its place in achieving the ultimate goal-ensuring the full well-being and free all-round development of all members of society .61 The identification of the goal (the ultimate parameters, the final boundary) of developed socialism merged more and more closely with the socialist ideal, its deep vitality and correspondence to the real processes that determine the physiognomy of the first phase of the communist formation were proved .62 The full realization of these goals will mean the achievement of communism, the highest stage in the development of socialism .63
The idea that only at the highest stage of developed socialism (and not immediately after entering the stage of developed socialism) will conditions be created for a direct transition to communism. During the discussion of the draft Constitution of the USSR of 1977, the party proved the scientific failure of attempts to reform the Constitution of the USSR.-

56 Proceedings of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU, p. 64, 3.

57 See: Constitution of Developed Socialism, Moscow, 1978; Constitution of Developed Socialism: historical Background and Significance, Moscow, 1981.

58 Senyavsky S. L. Sotsial'naya struktura sovetskogo obshchestva v usloviyakh razvititogo sotsializma (1961-1980 gg.) [Social structure of the Soviet society in the conditions of developed socialism (1961-1980 gg.)]. Moscow, 1982; Rutkevich M. N. Stanovlenie sotsial'noy gomogodnosti [Formation of social homogeneity]. Moscow, 1982; Zezina M. R. Sovetskaya intelligentsia in the conditions of developed socialism]. Moscow, 1982; Sovetskaya intelligentsia and its role in the construction of communism]. Moscow, 1983; Sotsial'naya struktura socialistic society and comprehensive development of the individual. Moscow, 1983: et al.

59 Gusev P. I. Regularities of development of collective-farm and cooperative property in the conditions of mature socialism. Moscow, 1982; et al.

60 Ponomarev B. N. The Great Life Force of Leninism. Report at a solemn meeting in Moscow dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin. April 21, 1980. - Pravda, 22. IV. 1980.

61 King V. S. the development of socialism and people's welfare. Kiev, 1982; and others.

62 See Pechenev V. A. Sotsialisticheskii ideal ' i real'nyi sotsializm [Socialist Ideal and Real Socialism], Moscow, 1984.

63 See Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 39, p. 380.

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to increase the real achievements of socialism, to force the transition to communism. Proposals for equalizing wages and pensions, limiting the sphere of material interests by eliminating or sharply reducing subsidiary farming, etc., were rejected as not corresponding to the laws and principles of the socialist phase of development of Soviet society. The XXV and XXVI party congresses focused on the regularities of the gradual development of a developed socialism society into a communist one. The prerequisites for such a transition will be created only in the course of a consistent and complete realization of the features of the highest stage of socialism. It is precisely "in the process of improving developed socialism that there is a gradual progress towards communism," emphasized K. U. Chernenko, speaking at a meeting of the Commission of the Central Committee of the CPSU on the preparation of a new version of the CPSU Program 64.

The statement of the problem of stadiality of developed socialism as a whole was of great scientific and political importance, creating a solid theoretical basis for justifying the tasks of its improvement.

Thus, by the end of the 70s, the most important components were identified that allow us to state the existence of a holistic doctrine of developed socialism. We are talking, first, about its general theoretical characteristics; secondly, about the development of strategies and tactics for strengthening new relations on its basis; and thirdly, about the concrete historical experience of the functioning of a real society of developed socialism, which convincingly confirmed the scientific nature of the political course developed by the CPSU. "The concept of a developed socialist society, developed by the collective efforts of the CPSU and fraternal Communist and workers' parties, "the CPSU Central Committee Resolution" On the 60th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution "noted," represents a great creative contribution to the treasury of Marxism-Leninism. Based on the theory and practice of developed socialism, the CPSU has defined a clear, realistic course of action for the coming years and a longer historical perspective, and has specified ways to implement our program goals. " 65
Since the late 1970s, the problem of further improvement of a developed socialist society has been widely discussed in Soviet science66 . But for the first time it receives a comprehensive development only in the materials of the XXVI Congress of the CPSU. The Congress outlined a scientifically based program for the further rise of the Soviet economy, the socio-political and spiritual development of society, the improvement of national relations, the enrichment of the socialist way of life, and the formation of a new person. This range of problems, which concerned the most important aspects of public life, was reflected and further developed in subsequent documents of the Communist Party and the Soviet State. An important role was played by the decisions of the May and November (1982), June and December (1983), February and April (1984) Plenums of the CPSU Central Committee, resolutions of the Central Committee of the Party dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the formation of the USSR and the 80th anniversary of the Second Congress of the RSDLP, adopted at the eighth session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 10th convocation Law on Labor Collectives, works and speeches of party and State leaders 67 . In these documents, for the first time, a deep, comprehensive analysis of the practice of developed socialism and its experience was given.

64 Kommunist Publ., 1984, No. 7, p. 4.

65 CPSU in resolutions, vol. 12, p. 430.

66 For the main directions of development of theoretical thought, see: Ponomarev B. N. Georgy Dimitrov and Modernity. Kommunist Publ., 1982, No. 9, pp. 94-95.

67 Andropov Yu. V. Izbrannye rechi i statii. Izd. 2-E. M. 1983; Chernenko K. U. Izbrannye rechi i statii. Izd. 2-e dop. M. 1984; Tikhonov N. A. Sovetskaya ekonomika: dostizheniya, problemy, perspektivy. M. 1984; et al.

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passing its initial stage. This analysis allowed us to conclude that life has confirmed the scientific validity of the main theoretical estimates and forecasts regarding the stage of developed socialism68 .

At the same time, a number of new problems were identified, which theoretical thought did not always keep up with in time. Therefore, there was an objective need to further concretize the concept of developed socialism, analyze new phenomena, and comprehensively study society in the interaction of all its main elements. 69 "To be frank," Yu. V. Andropov said at the June 1983 Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee, " we have not yet adequately studied the society in which all its basic elements interact." We have not fully revealed its inherent patterns, especially economic ones. Therefore, sometimes we are forced to act, so to speak, empirically, in a very irrational way of trial and error." 70 A number of party documents put forward the demand for consistent and comprehensive implementation of the developed assessment of developed socialism precisely as a complex dialectical process that unfolds over time and solves all new historical tasks. In particular, the CPSU Central Committee Resolution "On the 80th anniversary of the Second Congress of the RSDLP "noted that" the party points out the need to see our society in real dynamics, correctly assess its achievements and problems, its opportunities and needs " 71 .

Setting new tasks for the social sciences was accompanied by a comprehensive generalization of the achievements of these sciences. In the Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU of March 31, 1963, in the report of K. U. Chernenko and the speech of Yu. V.Andropov at the June (1983) Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, a fundamentally important provision was formulated that Soviet society is only at the beginning of the stage of developed socialism. This conclusion, firstly, correlates the features of real developed socialism precisely with its initial stage and, thus, deepens the idea of the general and special features in the development of Soviet society already at this stage of its development; secondly, it dictates the need to define the tasks of further improvement of developed socialism, i.e.,to consistently affirm its features, which are important for the development of identify and implement its benefits. Thus, the idea was developed and concretized that developed socialism, being a long historical stage, "in its turn will know its own periods, its own stages of growth. It is not necessary to prove that progress from stage to stage is a very complex process, inevitably associated with overcoming emerging contradictions and difficulties, as any development is associated with them. " 72
68 Zimyanin M. V. The Party of Revolutionary Action. Report at a solemn meeting in Moscow dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Second Congress of the RSDLP, July 29, 1983. - Kommunist, 1983, N 10, p. 9; XXVI Congress of the CPSU: unity of theory and practice. Issue 1-3. Moscow, 1982-1983; Problemy nauchnogo kommunizma [Problems of Scientific Communism]. Issue No. 16. XXVI Congress of the CPSU and further development of the Marxist-Leninist theory, Moscow, 1983; Pechenev V. The concept of developed socialism in the strategy and tactics of the CPSU. - Pravda, 8. V. 1981; Medvedev V. Outstanding contribution to the doctrine of communist construction; Kosolapov R. Contribution of the XXIV, XXV and XXVI Congresses of the CPSU to the development of theoretical and political problems of developed socialism and transition to communism; Topical issues of scientific communism; Lopata P. P. Comprehensive improvement of developed socialism - a strategic task of the CPSU and the Soviet Union. people; Egorov A. G. Uk. soch.; and others.

69 See: CPSU on the formation of a new man. Sat. doc. i m-lov (1965-1981), 2nd Ed., additional M. 1982; On the ideological work of the CPSU. Sb. dokl. Ed. 2-e, dop. M. 1983.

70 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, pp. 124-125.

71 On the 80th anniversary of the Second Congress of the RSDLP. Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU, March 31, 1983, Moscow, 1983, p. 6. See also: On increasing the role of the Institute of Economics of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the development of key issues of the economic theory of developed socialism. Resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU. - True, 11/24/1984.

72 Andropov Yu. V. Selected speeches and articles, p. 196.

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The detailed description of the directions of this improvement is a major achievement in understanding the logic and dialectic of the formation of socialism. Among these new generalizations is the statement that Soviet society entered the stage of developed socialism unevenly. This feature is due to the peculiarities of the previous stages of socialist construction, when internal and external conditions required certain priorities. At the beginning of developed socialism, K. U. Chernenko noted at the June (1983) Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, we are faced with, "on the one hand... the big challenges of today and tomorrow, and on the other hand, there are problems that remain, so to speak, from yesterday. " 73 Therefore, the possibility of complex, systematic development inherent in this stage is realized not at all simultaneously, but only gradually, as a result of persistent and purposeful activities of party and state bodies to ensure balance and harmonize all areas of public life. Lack of skill, organization, or perseverance in solving these problems leads to new difficulties and new contradictions. Such" bottlenecks " in the early 80-ies in the economy were agriculture, transport, and the service sector. A significant share of manual labor still remains a serious obstacle to the development of the productive forces, as well as a significant lag in a number of areas of production relations (primarily distribution relations).

The development and implementation of a unified scientific and technical policy and the improvement of the economic mechanism designed to ensure the intensive development of the Soviet economy are aimed at overcoming the emerging imbalances and consistently implementing the objective laws inherent in developed socialism .74 Under the leadership of the party, comprehensive programs are being implemented - energy, food, development of production of consumer goods and public services, restructuring of secondary and vocational education. On the basis of a systematic approach, tasks are developed in the field of improving the standard of living, spiritual development of people, implementation of national policies, etc. K. U. Chernenko's speeches at the February and April (1984) Plenums of the Central Committee of the CPSU, before the voters of the Kuibyshev electoral district of Moscow on March 2, and at the All-Army Meeting of the Secretaries of Komsomol Organizations on May 28, 1984 set out a broad program for further improvement of the activities of the party, Soviets, economic bodies, public organizations, i.e., the entire political system of Soviet society. At the same time, he pointed out the need to "ensure an increasingly close relationship between the economic, social and spiritual progress of Soviet society." 75
An important feature of setting the task of improving developed socialism is not only to identify and overcome "bottlenecks". This feature also lies in the organic connection of immediate tasks with promising ones, i.e. with those that determine the regularities of this stage as a whole. In this combination, what is most clearly revealed is something new that is connected with the development of the concept of developed socialism: the opportunity to see the peculiarity of this historical milestone on which Soviet society is located, within the boundaries of the entire long stage of developed socialism. Proceedings of the June (1983) Plenum of the Central Committee

73 Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, June 14-15, 1983, p. 9.

74 Proceedings of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, December 26-27, 1983, Moscow, 1983, p. 22; Proceedings of the Extraordinary Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, February 13, 1984, Moscow, 1984, p. 14-16.

75 Proceedings of the Extraordinary Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, February 13, 1984, p. 16.

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The CPSU contains a number of provisions that characterize developed socialism not only by its historical achievements, but also by the most important fundamental processes that reflect its features, essence and historical place. These processes include the gradual erasure of class distinctions and the formation of a classless social structure of socialist society, the convergence of various forms of ownership on the path to unified, nationwide ownership, increasing labor productivity by combining the achievements of the scientific and technological revolution with the advantages of socialism to the highest world level, and the development of Soviet statehood into public self-government.

Based on the analysis of these processes, it became possible to more clearly outline the highest stage of developed socialism, which means the realization of the socialist ideal, and to put a barrier to attempts to idealize developed socialism, artificially force the transition to communism. Pointing out the scale and depth, and the fundamental political significance of the party's conclusions related to the assessment of the achieved stage of socialist maturity of Soviet society, K. U. Chernenko emphasized: "They allow us to see more clearly the picture of the development of our society in all its complexity, inconsistency and versatility." 76 The conclusion about the improvement of developed socialism is a "comprehensively balanced scientific formula" 77 .

The theoretical capital accumulated in the process of studying developed socialism allowed the CPSU to start preparing a new version of its Program, which will be submitted for discussion at the XXVII Congress of the CPSU. The development of the document is marked by the implementation of the tasks of improving developed socialism. "To comprehend these tasks in their entirety, to outline a clear long - term strategy for their solution, to show the connection of our current affairs with the communist perspective - this is what the new edition of the party program should give us," K. U. Chernenko pointed out .78 The party's great and constant concern for the development of Marxist-Leninist theory, and its great success in developing the concept of developed socialism, are a reliable basis for solving this historical task.

76 Kommunist Publ., 1984, N 4, p. 9.

77 Chernenko K. U. Po-leninski zhit', rabot', borbe [To live, work, and fight in a Leninist way]. Moscow, 1984, p. 8.

78 Proceedings of the Extraordinary Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU, February 13, 1984, p. 17.

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