Month: March 2018

Bree,

This was a really interesting and unique post. You’ve found a way to look at WWII Russia in a very different light than most. I find it very interesting how in the grand scheme of this war, which was brutal, violent, and unforgiving, romance and love still seemed to find its way into the culture of the period. I also agree with your discussion of how the poetry and other media of the time draws attention away from the fact that there were women out there fighting to return home to loved ones too- not necessarily husbands, but children, parents, siblings, etc. Great Job!

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Ethan,

I really enjoyed your post. Your discussion of the necessity of the church revival despite Stalin’s hesitancy helps depict the truly dire condition the Soviets were in at the time. It is interesting to read about how Stalin, in his typical fashion, was able to take something like religion and manipulate in a way that coincided with his agenda. Thank you for introducing us to this lesser known part of Russian history, I look forward to reading more about it!

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I can’t imagine a government not providing for veterans after them sacrificing so much for the state. I understand it however due to their devastated economy and the amount of men they conscripted into the war. I like how you focused on the post-war period.

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What i saw when i originally came across the photo was a feeling of sadness. The look on the soldiers face is worth a 1000 words. I think it echoed how many other veterans around the time must have been feeling.

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Thanks! I did read somewhere that Tarkovsky hated war and that this was his antiwar film – I wanted to mention it but didn’t find any super-reliable sources about it. I can definitely see why postwar audiences might have been uncomfortable with it! It’s very gritty and real.

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I enjoyed every word of this! I think your analysis hits lots of the key (and easily overlooked) points about gender and childhood in war. I’m so glad you found Ivan’s Childhood on Kanopy! We can talk more in class, but one of the reasons this film is so unusual and important is because it does not romanticize war. Ivan’s childhood is about loss and terrible sacrifice. This was a bitter message for postwar cinema audiences — one they weren’t really ready for — too close to home! (Check out some other Soviet war movies from the time and you’ll see what I mean).

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That’s fair – I don’t think they’re equivalent either, of course. Just that it’s a dangerous path to dehumanize an entire population.

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This is such an important topic and I’m really glad you wrote about it. I’m intrigued by the first painting. What does it tell us about veterans? And why did you choose this image? (would be good to cite the source, BTW).

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I am in the same boat as you. While the Nazi’s led one of, it not the most, horrific massacres during WWII there are numerous others that are over shadowed. This doesn’t mean that they are any less heartbreaking and terrible though. I was glad to be able to read and learn about this tragedy although I know there are likely more that I and many other people do not know about.

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I’m always going to associate zemlianki with the Shire from now on…..

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