Role of the Pioneer organization on Sovietization in the Stalin Era: The example of Azerbaijan

When the October Revolution occurred in Russia in 1917, "revolution" was a new notion only for the Turkish people in Russia, but also for the majority of the Russians. Defeating the White Army and domestic opponents just right after the Revolution, the Bolsheviks initiated a process of building socialism in economic, cultural and political fields. The essential part of this process was to create the 'New Soviet Man' because the Bolsheviks wanted to transform the Soviet people and state machinery into Soviet norms. And the most important instrument for creating the 'New Soviet Man' was the education system that would start from an early age. Focusing on the core of the Soviet education system; this study will discuss the establishment of the pioneer organization in both Russia and Azerbaijan. Through the examination of activities of the pioneer organization, this study will also explain how the pioneer organization affected the process of creating the 'New Soviet Man. ' Key words: communism, socialism, sovietization, pioneer organization, Soviet education system.