How the theory of small deeds helps to change the world even in difficult times
Miscellaneous / / April 26, 2023
We understand why the approach of Russian intellectuals of the 19th century should be adopted today.
More in Saint Petersburg four hundred bridges. Next to many of them, you could previously see a sign on an elegant forged column - a convex blue rectangle on which the name of the bridge is written in a recognizable font.
In 2010, it was decided to replace these signs and bring them to a unified form along with other signs. Gradually, historical signs began to disappear from the embankments, and faceless tin ones, reminiscent of standard road signs, took their place.
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Standard city sign. Photo: Lisa-Lisa / Shutterstock
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The plate, which was made by Yuri Osinin. Photo: Ahaltekin4ik / Shutterstock
You might think that this is just a minor change that few people will pay attention to. But Yuri Osinin did not think so. The ceramic artist once fell in love with this small urban detail, and therefore decided to save the original plaques.
Yuri with a friend studied archival photographs, recreated the original font and made a replica of an old ceramic tablet. In 2015, they installed it at a small bridge across the Obvodny Canal. After that, the artist turned to the city authorities so that the sign would not be dismantled, and offered to use his design for all bridges. But Yuri did not receive any answer. Then he began to change all the tablets himself on Pokrovsky Island, where his workshop was located.
The artist wrote about his work on social networks and received hundreds of comments with thanks from the residents of the city, and then the story of Yuri was picked up by major media and bloggers. With such support, the initiative was already hard to ignore, and the city's bridge maintenance company suggested Osinin official cooperation. Now his ceramic tablets with the same font are located almost throughout the center of St. Petersburg.
In another city in the country, Samara, journalist Andrey Kochetkov thought about how to put three wooden houses in the historical center in order. Buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries could have been a tourist attraction, but for many years they were in a deplorable state. A layer of old paint and dirt accumulated on the facades, openwork carvings were damaged, and the drainage system needed to be repaired.
Typically, such work requires a large budget and the involvement of a team of specialists who were not at all with the city administration. Andrei, together with colleagues and activists, decided that it was possible to carry out repairs and restoration on their own. To do this, they created "Tom Sawyer Fest" - a festival for the restoration of the urban environment.
With the help of social networks, publications in the media and word of mouth, the festival team attracted about a hundred volunteers, received a grant from the city hall and found commercial sponsors. Total managed collect more than 2 million rubles. In a few months of work, it was possible to restore the facades of wooden houses, improve the surrounding area, and even install art objects.
The experience of the Samara residents was so successful that the next year the festival was held in two more cities: wooden houses were repaired in Kazan and Buzuluk. UNESCO at the UN conference named Tom Sawyer Fest is an example of effective urban renewal. This was the only mentioned case from Russia.
The fame and scale of the festival grew every year, in dozens of cities there were architectural monuments in need of restoration, and caring residents who were ready to help. By 2022 "Tom Sawyer Fest" arranged already in 77 settlements. During this time, volunteers have repaired more than fifty buildings.
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame before: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame after: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame before: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame after: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame before: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame after: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame before: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
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Buildings restored by the participants of the festival. Frame after: Tom Sawyer Fest / YouTube
Both Yuri and Andrei, faced with problems in their cities, could simply complain that they are not being solved in any way. But instead, they took matters into their own hands and eventually succeeded. These two examples illustrate how the theory of small things can work.
How did the theory of small things appear and what is its essence
To understand where and why this theory came from, you need to brush up on your school history curriculum and go back to the second half of the 19th century.
Even after the abolition of serfdom and the progressive reforms of Alexander II, Russia was still far from ideals of democracy, and most of the peasants continued to work for the landlords, unable to buy the land. The intelligentsia longed for big changes and became unite in movements and circles that advocated social equality and democracy. This trend was called populism.
Part of the populist organizations believed that the goal could be achieved by radical means: terrorist attacks, coup d'état and riots. Others relied on "going to the people" - propaganda and preparing the peasants for the revolution. But both of them were waiting for the collapse. The police crushed the radical movements, their leaders were executed or sent to hard labor. And the peasantry did not react in any way to the speeches of the "propagandists" and was not going to take up arms.
Liberal-minded youth, disappointed in the populist movement, began to look for other ways to change the system. In the 1870s–1880s among the intellectuals began to sound the idea that for this it is necessary to abandon the revolution and “turn to the people”: to raise the standard of living, engage in education and solve social problems.
Publicist and public figure Yakov Abramov was able to formulate and popularize these ideas. The approach, which offered to gradually alleviate the situation of the peasants in a peaceful way, he called the "theory of small deeds." Abramov urged educated citizens to move to the villages, work there as doctors and teachers, develop local self-government and help peasants to farm using scientific achievements. Publicist thoughtthat these small actions will positively impact the lives of millions of people.
It seems that the problems of the peasantry of the 19th century are not very connected with the modern examples of improvement from the beginning of the article. But if you think about it, these initiatives are fully consistent with Abramov's philosophy. The artist Osinin from St. Petersburg and the organizers of the festival did not try to change the entire system of city management, but here and now they did what they could and got a visible result. This is the whole essence of the theory: if a global problem cannot be defeated immediately, then it is worth taking any small steps that in the future will lead to its solution.
What is the theory of small deeds criticized for and when is it useless
Among Abramov's contemporaries there were many critics of his approach. They consideredthat theory is not capable of fundamentally changing anything and only embellishes reality, distracting from really important “big” goals. Abramov's idea had enough supporters, but their peaceful methods never yielded results. As a result, the country was waiting for a revolution, radicalism and violence.
Perhaps, in other conditions, Abramov's plan would have worked better, but it is worth recognizing that in some ways the critics of the theory are right. If the problem is large-scale, rapidly aggravating, threatens with irreparable consequences and requires immediate action, its root cause cannot be ignored, and small deeds will not help much here. For example, if you personally sort on a regular basis garbage and give plastic for recycling, the world's oceans will not be cleared either the next day or ten years from now.
When choosing the theory of small deeds as your strategy, keep in mind that tangible change will require a large number of people willing to do these small deeds, or a margin of time. If you do not have either the first or the second, it is better to refuse this approach.
Why Practice Small Deeds Theory?
The theory is not a panacea and does not promise guaranteed success, but there are several good reasons to try it.
To express my position
Abramov formulated the theory at a time when the regime became more rigid and any opposition activity was strictly suppressed. Under those conditions, doing small things was one of the few ways to make a difference without the threat of going to jail.
When it is not possible to have an equitable dialogue, small deeds themselves become a message and show that something is not working in the system and there are people who see this and want changes.
To not be idle
Suppose a light bulb has burned out in your entryway and the management company is in no hurry to change it. It's their job, and doing it yourself is unfair. It is more logical to wait until the Criminal Code fixes everything, or send them an angry message. But you can spend 5 minutes and just screw in the light bulb right now so as not to walk in the dark. And if there is a desire - to make a scandal after.
Empty talk and indignation, unlike actions, will not make life better here and now.
Not to give up
We have already written that small deeds of one person will not fix big and complex problems. But even in such cases, it makes sense to do something, because a little real action will help not to fall into complete apathy and cope with the feeling of one's own helplessness. Even if globally nothing changes, you will know that you have not been sitting idly by.
You can look at this argument from another, more positive side. By practicing theory, you will develop the habit of not being idle and taking responsibility for your life and the lives of your loved ones. It seems that these qualities are not superfluous. For example, if you once complained about poor snow removal in the yard and saw that after that the public utilities cleared it faster, then next time you will not pass by other problems. After all, you will know that your actions can affect the situation.
To decide for more
It is terribly difficult to take on a task that looks impossible. If you do not set too ambitious goals at first and focus on specific small steps, this peak will not seem so impregnable. Even the first modest successes will help you feel more confident and enthusiastic to take on more.
And also, starting from the bottom and gaining experience, it is much easier to understand more global problems.
To motivate others
Everyone likes to feel right and good. Do a little good deed and don't be shy tell about your action. Show that there is an easy way to feel like a hero for a while too, and involve more people in the problem to act more effectively.
How to use the theory of small deeds in your life
Theory is most often mentioned when it comes to activism, politics, and philanthropy, but this approach is also useful for achieving personal goals.
Start small to learn new things language or achieve success at work. Try these tips. They will be useful to those who plan to change the world, and those who still want changes in their own lives.
To make the recommendations clearer, consider them on the example of a person who wants to improve his physical shape.
Set up for a marathon
The theory can give a noticeable result after a long time. So set yourself realistic goals right away, get ready to play for the long haul, and turn the little things into regular practice.
If you decide to improve your form, then it is more logical to start with a daily fifteen-minute exercise, and not sign up for one exhausting workout and get on the scale immediately after it.
Find like-minded people
Even if the task is very small, this does not mean that you need to do it alone. With people who share your views, moving forward is easier. Share your idea with friends and look for allies in thematic communities in social networks.
For example, arrange with someone to go to the gym together and share the results. This will give both of you more motivation not to skip classes.
Don't wait for the right moment
The beauty of small things is that they do not require significant resources and preparation, so you can do them at any time. Don't waste time waiting for the new year or Monday and go for a short run or learn five new words in a foreign language right now.
Turn small things into big things
Imagine a coordinate axis. Its beginning is complete inaction, and far ahead is a heroic, selfless deed, which only a few will decide on. Between these two points there are an infinite number of possible actions, each of which requires different efforts. Start with what you can almost easily, but gradually test the waters, listen to your feelings and raise the stakes. So the likelihood of success will be much higher.
For example, a person with zero physical fitness can start with a quick walk, each time increase the pace and distance and someday run a marathon.
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