RABIS

RABIS (Russian: РАБИС) or Sorabis (Russian: Сорабис), the widespread Trade Union of Art Workers in Bolshevik Russia and later in the Soviet Union, was a Soviet creative union (a type of Soviet trade union) formed in May 1919. The Russian РАБИС and Сорабис are the abbreviations of the Russian phrases "РАботники ИСкусства" (English: "Art Workers") and "СОюз РАботников ИСкусства" (English: "Union of Art Workers"), the two first characters of the words "СОюз", "РАботники" and "ИСкусства" used to add abbreviations.^[1]

In 1920 a massive professional organization was formed in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and named Vserabis (Russian: Всерабис) — "ВСЕроссийский профессиональный союз РАботников ИСкусства" (English: "All-Russian Regions Trade Union of Art Workers"). The abbreviations RABIS or Sorabis were used for local and regional Trade Unions and sometimes as short names of "Vserabis".^[1]

After the creation of the Soviet Union, from 1924 the Vserabis (Russian: Всерабис) was known by the abbreviation "ВСЕсоюзный профессиональный союз РАботников ИСкусства" (English: "Soviet Union Trade Union of Art Workers").^[1]

Some big cities or regions adjusted the name RABIS to incorporate the name of their region: Petrorabis (Petrograd RABIS);^[2][3] Mosgubrabis (Moscow guberniya RABIS);^[4][5][6] Gruzrabis (Gruziya RABIS).^[7][8]

RABIS, Sorabis and then Vserabis united all art workers "on the voluntary commencements".^[1] The Russian phrase "на добровольных началах" (English: "on the voluntary commencements") includes sarcasm, which means that each art worker entered into this trade union voluntarily (voluntary commencement), but the rest of the art workers, who left or had not joined the trade union organisation, would have difficulties with finding and holding jobs. In such cases Russians speak of "joining the organisation voluntarily-compulsorily" (Russian: "присоединиться к организации добровольно-принудительно").