The Komsomol direction (Russian: комсомольская путёвка, romanized: komsomolskaya putyovka) or Komsomol travel ticket was a mobilization document of in the Soviet Union issued by a Komsomol committee to a Komsomol member, which directed the member to temporary or permanent shock construction projects or military service. Usually the Komsomol direction was associated with relocation to new, poorly settled remote locations: new construction sites ("Komsomol construction sites", комсомольская стройка[1]), army service, etc.[2]
During the 10th five-year plan more than 500,000 young volunteers were assigned to shock construction projects with Komsomol travel tickets.[3] Komsomol organizations formed and directed 100 All-Union squads consisting of 80,000 people.[3]
At the construction sites travel tickets recipients earned labor days (трудодни, trudodni), which were assigned different values that depended on the type of work was performed.[citation needed]
The word "putyovka" normally has the meaning of a vacation. During the Soviet period "putyovka" were given to Soviet pioneers to the Artek summer camp, "putyovka" was granted to working intelligentsia, factory workers and other party committee members for vacationing and health improvement "sanatoriums" that were assigned to the particular factories. Instead, the "Komsomolskaya putyovka" carried a special meaning.
