House of Political Education

a center providing theoretical and methodological help to propagandists of the CPSU.

Set up in 1956 on the basis of reorganized party libraries of city party committees, houses of political education work under the guidance of party committees. The houses of political education provide methodological aid to propagandists, lecturers, speakers, and leaders of agitation groups and hold seminars, lectures, conferences, and consultations for them. Many houses of political education have sections on the history of the CPSU, philosophy, political economy, international relations, and other subjects. Under the guidance of party committees, they train and retrain propagandists and study and disseminate the valuable experience of party propaganda. In addition to general methods councils, some houses of political education have methods councils on disciplines that are studied in the political education system. The libraries of the houses of political education do a great deal to acquaint propagandists with new books in the social sciences and collect local material on the development of the national economy and culture of oblasts, krais, and republics. The chief duty of the houses of political education is to constantly improve the forms and methods of work with propagandists. City and raion committees of the CPSU and large party organizations have their own offices of political education.