Backed by Lenin as, “the most important of all the arts for us” and campaigned for by Trotsky as “the weapon excelling any other”, cinema roared into the minds of the Bolsheviks and the eyes of the masses(1,2). The Bolsheviks believed that this new and revolutionary form of culture would be able to shape the … Continue reading →
Read moreLeon Trotsky’s Vodka, The Church, and The Cinema outlines a the importance of three fundamental aspects of Russian society and culture during the Russian Revolution. First of all, Leon Trotsky was a Marxist revolutionary who was the founder and leader of…
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After the Bolsheviks gained power of Soviet Russia, one of their first priorities was to start a war on religion. The decree of January 20, 1918 was one step in the direction of a godless Soviet Union. The decree would disestablish the Orthodox Church and designate all clergy, no matter what religion, as second-class citizens the … Continue reading The Godless Communists →
Read moreThe Little Red Devils, written by P. Blyakhin is Russian Revolution adventure story about two young revolutionaries who find themselves at the fore front of the revolution. The film begins with the two main characters (Mishka and Dunyasha) working in a…
When a revolution takes over a country, the every day lifestyle begins to change. Revolution needs morale. To topple a government, the people have to be inspired to support the cause. The Bolsheviks had to maintain this revolutionary day to day lifestyle for their followers to support them. The Bolshevik was tough, eager for equality, […]
The Young Guard is a classic Soviet poem written by Aleksandr Bezymensky, who was a member of the first wave of Soviet poets and literary minds who came after the Revolution of 1917 occurred. The poem is about the men and women who led the Russian revolution, known as the Young Guard. The poem outlines their […]
Leon Trotsky phenomenally described the noticeable flaws in popular cinema in his editorial from Pravda titled “Vodka, the Church, and Cinema”. This article initially describes changes in early Soviet life such as vodka prohibition and the eight hour cap on working days, but then expands on the potentially devastating, but useful role of cinema during the […]
Leon Trotsky, a influential Bolshevik and one of Lenin’s top lieutenants, foresaw the great power and influence that Cinema would have over popular culture. In a 1923 issue of the state controlled news magazine Pravda (“The Truth”) Trotsky detailed how the newly blooming cinematic industry would be a key tool of Bolshevik Soviet in the fight… More Kommunist Kino
Trotsky’s essay on the role of cinema in the revolution gives a unique look into the philosophical foundations for almost ubiquitous policies in the USSR. Firstly, the analysis by Trotsky of the 8 hour work day interested me, because I’d always though of the 9-5 work day being an institution of the western world, whereas … Continue reading Cinema, the new Vodka, the new Church.
Read more“Vodka, the Church, and the Cinema” This writing by Leon Trotsky provides a glimpse into what Trotsky envisioned the new culture as. As one of the leaders of this new soviet endeavor Trotsky looked towards the future but also the past. He saw how the old fit with the new, and how the old would […]
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