What made the party pursue Yeltsin were his production accomplishments. In remembrances of the building industry, he credited them to a grueling schedule and ramrod organizational techniques. He was, he says, “exacting” (trebovatel’nyi): “I required people to keep strict discipline and to stick to their word. Since I never used profanity and . . . did my best not to raise my loud and piercing voice in front of people, my arguments in the fight for discipline were my own dedication to the job, my unflagging high standards and checking on the work done, plus people’s trust in the fairness of what I was doing. Whoever worked better would live better.”61 There is a truth to this chesty self-description. Eyewitnesses are in agreement that Yeltsin worked marathon days (and six of them a week), ran a tight ship, and stayed away from the swear words that sprinkled workplace communication in the industry. He was unfailingly punctual and levied fines for truancy and malingering. He accepted criticism, so long as it was made to his face. And he valued effort: He gave morning pep talks that singled out productive employees, dispensed yearly incentive pay, and, after his promotion in 1965, issued workers overalls lettered with “DSK,” the Cyrillic initials for House-Building Combine.62 At the combine, which because of its importance was staffed by older engineers and foremen, “At first no one perceived Yeltsin as a serious person—he was ‘a young whippersnapper.’ But, by demonstrating his competency, he very soon compelled people to take notice of him. Many listened to him more and more.”63 This regard was as common below as at the top: “Yes, he was feared, but we respected him for his fairness and attention toward people. He knew every crew leader by name. He demanded discipline from all and forced each to put his shoulder to the wheel, while sparing no effort himself.”64
Yeltsin’s rise was meritocratic, made without the windfall of a well-connected parent, spouse, or friend. The measure of merit was performance within the Soviet administrative system. For all managers in the USSR, the motto was “Fulfill the Plan!”—which meant “Fulfill the Plan or Else!” Fulfillment was computed in inelastic physical indicators—for housing, it was square meters completed—while quality, durability, and monetary cost were subsidiary. Leaders who met their targets were recompensed and promoted; those who did not were penalized or demoted. In the construction sector, the visibility of the product, unpredictable weather, and a lackadaisical labor force made for a notoriously campaign-driven work ethos. Two pieces of Soviet slang express the culture of the industry: shturmovshchina or “storming” to complete a project on time; and avral, a hard-to-translate term for “all hands on deck” or “hurry up and finish.” Thirty to forty percent of the entire annual housing plan in Sverdlovsk was completed in December.
Given what is known of his behavior as a student and athlete, Yeltsin was well suited by character to the frenetic aspect of the Soviet construction business. One afternoon in 1959, about to commission a worsted-wool mill, he discovered that SU-13 had not built a fifty-yard tunnel between two buildings and had mislaid the drawings. By six the next morning, he and his charges redid the drawings, excavated the passageway, and poured the concrete. In 1962–63 Yeltsin formed a model brigade (work crew) consisting of about one tenth of SU-13’s personnel. He opened up a cache of scarce construction supplies to the workers and enabled the brigade to shine and to set a USSR record by doubling its rate of completion. It was another feather in Yeltsin’s cap: As much a tutelary as a production feat, it got him and the brigade accolades in the Sverdlovsk press.65
