“The new bourgeoisie” in the ideological campaigns of the 1920s. On the problem of forming anti-bourgeoisie public consciousness during the NEP period

Importance. Despite the extensive body of scholarly literature on the NEP, there are still many questions that require a new reading of the issue, given that the New Economic Policy itself and the broader period of the 1920s contain numerous manifestations and nuances that require historiographical attention. One such manifestation is the Soviet state’s response to the growing influence of the new bourgeoisie on public consciousness during the transition to the NEP. The analysis of this problem allows us to clarify and systematize the state’s activities in this policy segment and, ultimately, to update scientific research. Materials and Methods . To solve the problems set in the work, the method of historical description is used, which allows, based on the analysis of sources, to systematically and authentically present events and facts related to the problem under consideration and to come to scientifically substantiated conclusions. Attention is focused on the specific manifestations of state policy in this area. Results and Discussion. The threat of the ideological degeneration of the revolution and, ultimately, its defeat, led the Bolsheviks to develop a system to counter the influence of the new bourgeoisie on society. The central element of this system was the state’s strict political and ideological stance against the revival of bourgeois ideology, which primarily manifested itself in creating a socially-oriented atmosphere of possessiveness. In the 1920s, the state largely managed to maintain control over the ideological situation in society by using propaganda and ideological methods, as well as direct administrative and forceful pressure on society dangerous anti-socialist tendencies that developed during the NEP period. Conclusion. The results of the study allow us to provide a realistic picture of the state of public consciousness in the 1920s, and to identify specific methods of the state's struggle against the manifestations of bourgeois influence on society.