---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A commune of library employees in Moscow…"
description: "\"“A commune of library employees in Moscow created an \"extreme\" commune in which all clothing - including undergarments - was collectivized. According t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg"
---

#  A commune of library employees in Moscow created an…

![“A commune of library employees in Moscow created an &quot;extreme&quot; commune in which all clothing - including undergarments - was collectivized. According to Mehnert, if a communard preferred to wear his or her own underclothes &quot;it would be characterized as a backslide into darkest capitalism; as…” quote by Stites Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg)

> ““A commune of library employees in Moscow created an "extreme" commune in which all clothing - including undergarments - was collectivized. According to Mehnert, if a communard preferred to wear his or her own underclothes "it would be characterized as a backslide into darkest capitalism; as prejudice originating in a petit-bourgeois ideology".””

[Stites Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stites-richard/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A satirical anecdote about extreme collectivism, mocking the absurdity of enforcing uniformity even in personal attire, and labeling any deviation as capitalist regression.

**In simple terms:** Extreme collectivism can absurdly regulate personal choices, labeling dissent as capitalism.

Key Takeaway

Question the limits of enforced uniformity.

Themes

satire political commentary absurdity

Mood

ironic critical thought‑provoking

Type

satirical commentary humorous

When to use this quote

- library workplace
- political satire
- social experiments
- cultural critique

Key Concepts

collectivism individualism ideology bureaucracy

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this tale reveal about attitudes toward conformity?
- How might humor expose ideological extremes?

A Different Perspective

The story may be exaggerated or fictional, reducing its factual reliability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Clothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothing/) [Collectivized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectivized-883057/) [Collectivized According](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collectivized-according-3649178/) [Communal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communal/) [Commune Clothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commune-clothing-3649176/) [Extreme Commune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-commune-3649177/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Underclothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underclothes-197478/) [Undergarments Collectivized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undergarments-collectivized-3649175/) [Underwear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underwear/)

## Related quotes

> [“We are accustomed to think of ourselves as a great democratic body, linked by common ties of blood and language, united indissolubly by all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/we-are-accustomed-to-think-of-ourselves-as-a-great-democratic-body/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [Socialism, whether it's the 'soft tyranny' of the EuroAmerican management state or the murderously repressive forms taken by Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or Pol Pot,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/socialism-whether-it-s-the-soft-tyranny-of-the-euroamerican/)

[L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/)

> [“If collectivizing highly personal medical decisions is evil, then so follows that collectivized medicine is evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-samaan/if-collectivizing-highly-personal-medical-decisions-is-evil-then-so/)

[A.E. Samaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-samaan/)

> [“The psychology of silk underclothes has not yet been fully considered," mused Miss Pettigrew happily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-watson/the-psychology-of-silk-underclothes-has-not-yet-been-fully-considered/)

[Winifred Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-watson/)

> [“One of the main functions of a push-up bra is to lower the number of mothers who seem like mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/one-of-the-main-functions-of-a-push-up-bra-is-to-lower-the-number-of/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [My hundred dough, Im wherever that money go. Glock 9 in my underclothes, you cop two of them, we frontin 4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/my-hundred-dough-im-wherever-that-money-go-glock-9-in-my-underclothes/)

[Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/)

> [Our underclothes were woolen vests and knickers and an extraordinary, but apparently necessary, concoction called a liberty bodice, which had no freedom about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-cavendish-duchess-of-devonshire/our-underclothes-were-woolen-vests-and-knickers-and-an-extraordinary/)

[Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-cavendish-duchess-of-devonshire/)

## More by Stites Richard

> [“The warming springtime of human hope does not give in to the wintry smiles of the cynic and the realist; it blossoms and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/the-warming-springtime-of-human-hope-does-not-give-in-to-the-wintry/)

[Stites Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stites-richard/)

> [“Stalin was the most audible and powerful spokesman in the campaign against what he contemptuously called uravnilovka (leveling). His hostility - voiced in sarcastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/stalin-was-the-most-audible-and-powerful-spokesman-in-the-campaign/)

[Stites Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stites-richard/)

[Explore all 3 Stites Richard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stites-richard/)

## More Clothing quotes

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [“You should wear whatever clothing you feel most comfortable in. Being comfortable in yourself is the best way to be attractive to others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-should-wear-whatever-clothing-you-feel-most-comfortable-in-being/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [Clothing doesn’t lie, it shows everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yohji-yamamoto/clothing-doesn-t-lie-it-shows-everything/)

[Yohji Yamamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yohji-yamamoto/)

> [I never thought I'd have a clothing line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boosie/i-never-thought-i-d-have-a-clothing-line/)

[Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boosie/)

> [It's always uncomfortable for me when I take off my shirt. No one else is taking their shift off. Why is everyone else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/it-s-always-uncomfortable-for-me-when-i-take-off-my-shirt-no-one-else/)

[Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/)

> [The first clothing line I had was called Very Rue. Then we changed the name and moved to QVC, and the name became A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rue-mcclanahan/the-first-clothing-line-i-had-was-called-very-rue-then-we-changed-the/)

[Rue McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rue-mcclanahan/)

> [“Twice, in half an hour, Hetty had held up Miss Barlow's plans, and prevented her from moving as quickly as possible on to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/twice-in-half-an-hour-hetty-had-held-up-miss-barlow-s-plans-and/)

[Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/)

> [Clothing should be like food. There should never be a $5000 sweater. You know what should cost $5000? A car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/clothing-should-be-like-food-there-should-never-be-a-5000-sweater-you/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [Clothing is art. It's an expression of how you feel. I think that it's not so much a question of a certain style or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/clothing-is-art-it-s-an-expression-of-how-you-feel-i-think-that-it-s/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I'm just showing my personality in my clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/i-m-just-showing-my-personality-in-my-clothing/)

[Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/)

> [That's when you know you know somebody. When you know every piece of clothing they have in their wardrobe. That's friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-glazer/that-s-when-you-know-you-know-somebody-when-you-know-every-piece-of/)

[Ilana Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-glazer/)

> [I am not really interested in clothing as a conceptual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issey-miyake/i-am-not-really-interested-in-clothing-as-a-conceptual-art-form/)

[Issey Miyake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issey-miyake/)

> [For me, the best way to know me is to look at my clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rei-kawakubo/for-me-the-best-way-to-know-me-is-to-look-at-my-clothing/)

[Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rei-kawakubo/)

> [Art is the clothing of a revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/art-is-the-clothing-of-a-revelation/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [“In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and even clothes, the discussion of fur is childish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/in-a-meat-eating-world-wearing-leather-for-shoes-and-even-clothes-the/)

[Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/)

[Browse all 336 Clothing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“A commune of library employees in Moscow created an \"extreme\" commune in which all clothing - including undergarments - was collectivized. According to Mehnert, if a communard preferred to wear his or her own underclothes \"it would be characterized as a backslide into darkest capitalism; as prejudice originating in a petit-bourgeois ideology\".”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stites Richard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow-created-an-extreme-commune/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Clothing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow-created-an-extreme-commune/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66e/stites-richard-79444_clothing_a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow_1207903.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A commune of library employees in Moscow created an \"extreme\" commune in which all clothing - including…” — Stites Richard",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Stites Richard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stites-richard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“A commune of library employees in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow-created-an-extreme-commune/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stites-richard/a-commune-of-library-employees-in-moscow-created-an-extreme-commune/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
