Within the second economy of the Soviet Union, shabashka (Russian: шабашка, IPA: [ʂɐˈbaʂkə]) was semi-official seasonal work. The word ultimately derives from "shabbat" and literally means "work in free time".[1] A person engaged in shabashka is called a shabashnik (Russian: шабашник).[2] In the Soviet era it was commonly work off the books, and the tradition continued in many post-Soviet states. In modern times, the term refers to any kind of work outside primary, official employment, a concept similar to "moonlighting"[3][1]

A common form of shabashka was construction works in kolkhozes and sovkhozes which, unlike industrial enterprises had a certain amount of freedom with cash flow and could pay the workers in cash, often unofficially.[4] Since the official enterprises operating in agricultural sector (Межколхозстрой, etc.,) did not have sufficient capacity, kolkhozes and sovkhozes had right to contract so-called "temporary work collectives".

In many cases shabashka work had an official status, and the shabasniks had a confirmation of their employment in their trudovaya knizhka (employment record book).[3]

There were two categories of shabashniks. One of them were non-working class city dwellers: scientists, engineers and students.[4]

Another were migrant workers from republics of Caucasus and Central Asia with excess of workforce. In the modern times, these migrants are called гастарбайтеры (gastarbeiter) in Russian.[1]

The style of payment for the job was so-called "аккордно-премиальная" (piecework/bonus): total payment for the whole job done plus bonus for beating the schedule.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Russian, Routledge, 2013, ISBN 1136787860, p. 554
  2. ↑ Articles Шабашка, Шабашник, in Tatyana Efremova etymological dictionary (Т.Ф. Ефремова Новый словарь русского языка. Толково- словообразовательный)
  3. 1 2 D. Rogers, The Old Faith and the Russian Land, Cornell University Press, 2011, ISBN 0801457955, p.211
  4. 1 2 Axel Delwig, Life in Moscow; Communism and now, ISBN 1620501171, p. 147-150


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