ABSTRACT
The popular discussion of the draft Constitution was supposed to unite the country in the pursuit of a common goal: the construction of socialism. The local press was an important forum for the popular discussion of the draft Constitution, as it provided articles on the basic rights and democratic principles ensconced in the draft as well as letters from the inhabitants of the Kirov region about these rights and principles. Like Matvei Tubylov and A. P. Smertina, many of the validators' letters focused on how the new rights embodied in the draft Constitution resonated in their lives. In the Kirov region, the popular responses reflected the socioeconomic divisions of the region, with most of the suggestions coming from rural inhabitants and focusing on issues that concerned them. Letters to Kirovskaia Pravda frequently dealt with the theme of working harder as an expression of appreciation.
