M. Mysl'. 1983. 247 p. The XXVI Congress of the CPSU called on researchers to analyze the phenomena of the political life of society more deeply and boldly, and aimed at further studying the role of the Soviets and their activities, including in the historical plan1 . The scientific literature actively and fruitfully develops problems related to the history of the emergence of proletarian statehood, Lenin's outstanding contribution to the theory and practice of Soviet construction, and a number of generalizing works on the activities of the CPSU in leading the Soviets in the conditions of developed socialism. However, as noted at the enlarged meeting of the All-Union Council for the Coordination of Research Work in the field of the History of the CPSU and Party Building (December 1983), in recent years, the attention of scientists to the transition period has unduly weakened, 2 which could not but affect the study of the problems of party leadership of the Soviets during the construction of socialism. In this regard, the monograph of Associate Professor of the CPSU History Department of the Dzerzhinsk Military Academy, Doctor of Historical Sciences G. S. Eskov, which includes the achievements of historical and party science on the problems of party leadership in Soviets3, is very timely. The topic of strengthening the political foundation of the Soviet state, even if it is limited to a single period, is very extensive. The author justifiably identifies his main tasks: to try to reveal as fully as possible the contribution of the party to the creative development and implementation of V. I. Lenin's teaching on the Soviet State, the concept of party leadership in the organs of popular power, and the leading role of the working class in state construction (p.12). It solves these problems in a problem-chronological manner. Using Lenin's works, the fundamental documents of the party, and introducing into scientific circulation a considerable amount of new materials drawn ... Read more