Lishenets
Encyclopedia
A lishenets from Russian word лишение, "deprivation", properly translated in this context as a disenfranchised, was a person stripped of the right of voting
in the Soviet Union
of 1918 — 1936. Disfranchisement
was a means of repression of the categories of population that were classified as "enemies of the working people
".
The 1918 Soviet Constitution
enumerated the categories of disenfranchised people:
The 1924 Soviet Constitution
and subsequent decrees detailed this list further and added new categories. Being disenfranchised meant much more than simply being disallowed to vote or be elected. A lishenets could not occupy any governmental position, or receive higher and technical education. He was deprived of various privileges and subsidies: employment, housing, retirement, etc. He could not be a member of kolkhoz
es and other kinds of cooperatives. During the rationing
system of 1929-1930, disenfranchised were also deprived of rations.
Members of the family whose head was lishenets were automatically disenfranchised. The voting rights could be restored by local election commissions
upon the proof of engagement in productive labor and of the loyalty to the Soviet power. The ultimate authorities were the Central Election Commission
and Presidium
of the Central Executive Committee
.
The 1936 Soviet Constitution
instituted universal suffrage
, and the category of lishenets was officially eliminated. Nevertheless, for a long time after 1936, Soviet citizens applying for any job had to make a statement if they or their family members were ever deprived of voting rights so they still fall into disenfranchised category.
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
of 1918 — 1936. Disfranchisement
Disfranchisement
Disfranchisement is the revocation of the right of suffrage of a person or group of people, or rendering a person's vote less effective, or ineffective...
was a means of repression of the categories of population that were classified as "enemies of the working people
Enemy of the people
The term enemy of the people is a fluid designation of political or class opponents of the group using the term. The term implies that the "enemies" in question are acting against society as a whole. It is similar to the notion of "enemy of the state". The term originated in Roman times as ,...
".
The 1918 Soviet Constitution
1918 Soviet Constitution
The first Russian Constitution, which governed the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, described the regime that assumed power in the October Revolution of 1917. This constitution formally recognized the working class as the ruling class of Russia according to the principle of the...
enumerated the categories of disenfranchised people:
- Persons who used hired labor to obtain increase in profits
- Persons who have income without doing any work, such as interests from capital, receipts from property, etc
- Private merchants, trade and commercial brokers
- Monks and clergy of all denominations
- Persons who were policemen or military officers before soviet revolution
- Persons, who have been declared demented or mentally deficient, persons under guardianship, etc.
The 1924 Soviet Constitution
1924 Soviet Constitution
The 1924 Soviet Constitution legitimated the December 1922 union of the Russian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Belarusian SSR, and the Transcaucasian SFSR to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics....
and subsequent decrees detailed this list further and added new categories. Being disenfranchised meant much more than simply being disallowed to vote or be elected. A lishenets could not occupy any governmental position, or receive higher and technical education. He was deprived of various privileges and subsidies: employment, housing, retirement, etc. He could not be a member of kolkhoz
Kolkhoz
A kolkhoz , plural kolkhozy, was a form of collective farming in the Soviet Union that existed along with state farms . The word is a contraction of коллекти́вное хозя́йство, or "collective farm", while sovkhoz is a contraction of советское хозяйство...
es and other kinds of cooperatives. During the rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
system of 1929-1930, disenfranchised were also deprived of rations.
Members of the family whose head was lishenets were automatically disenfranchised. The voting rights could be restored by local election commissions
Election management body
An election management body or EMB is the authority in a nation charged with administering the electoral process. EMBs can be independent, mixed, judicial or governmental. The EMB may also be responsible for electoral boundary delimitation...
upon the proof of engagement in productive labor and of the loyalty to the Soviet power. The ultimate authorities were the Central Election Commission
Central Election Commission
The Central Election Commission is the name of an organization in a number of countries which is in charge of affairs related to national and local elections...
and Presidium
Presidium
The presidium or praesidium is the name for the heading organ of various legislative and organizational bodies.-Historical usage:...
of the Central Executive Committee
Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the Supreme Soviet in the Soviet Union and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments...
.
The 1936 Soviet Constitution
1936 Soviet Constitution
The 1936 Soviet constitution, adopted on December 5, 1936, and also known as the "Stalin" constitution, redesigned the government of the Soviet Union.- Basic provisions :...
instituted universal suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
, and the category of lishenets was officially eliminated. Nevertheless, for a long time after 1936, Soviet citizens applying for any job had to make a statement if they or their family members were ever deprived of voting rights so they still fall into disenfranchised category.