This week our focus in class shifted from the more positive visions of building socialism to the darkness of the purges and preparations for the coming war. For your next post, please choose a primary cultural artifact from MC pp. 287-329 and explore it’s connection to the broader context of the development of Socialist Realism or popular mass culture. You […]
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Thursday we will continue our discussion of the trials and tribulations Soviet writers and musicians faced during the thirties. We will start with Andrei Zhdanov’s “Soviet Literature: The Richest in Ideas” (RR 413-416). Please bring the text and a nugget with you. Several questions should arise from this reading, but one we must address is: What duties did Socialist Realism […]
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The early years of Stalin’s reign provided a multitude of revolutionary systems. The main goal focused on expanding and modernizing the economy and culture, pushing for a futuristic country. Along with the surge of industry, the technology and scientific realm saw a massive growth. The upbringing of the radio was one huge innovation with the […]
Every citizen of a country can universally stand behind one thing, a sports team. Every international competition draws the attention of the population and builds national pride. The Olympics, the World Cup, the Tour de France, these events bring a country to sit and watch cheering for those athletes who represent their country. Countries strive … Continue reading I’ll Make a Red out of You →
Read moreIn the 1930s, the Soviet government became firmly established and Stalin was seen as the clear leader of the Russian people. With an economy that was now booming and food now available for most people after the horrors of the early stages of collectivization, culture was free to bloom once more. Cinema prospered in the […]
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The 1930s saw a great shift in Soviet Culture. The nation was moving from a time of internal conflict and struggle that surrounded the Revolutions and Civil War of the 20s, to an era where Soviet Culture began to sculpt a more optimistic identity for the nation. The decade saw the concept of the “ideal” … Continue reading “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” →
“Sportsman’s March” was the theme song for the popular 1936 Russian film Goalkeeper. The film stars an individualistic young athlete who is determined to achieve personal success. However, the protagonist eventually learns the value of teamwork and unity, so he…
Read moreThe 1930s were a time of great growth and advancement in the Soviet Union. The goals of the First Five Year Plan had been achieved and the Soviet Union was finally industrialized and considered a world power. The pain, suffering, and hunger that was widespread in the late 1920s was starting to go away and […]
On the night of August 31st 1935, a 30 year old coal minder named Aleksei Stakhanov cut 102 tons of coal in under six hours, more than 14 times the standard coal quota for his mine. In a single evening of fervent work, the new soviet workers movement, Stakhanovism, was born, and a hero of […]
Read moreThe 1930s saw a great shift in Soviet Culture. The nation was moving from a time of internal conflict and struggle that surrounded the Revolutions and Civil War of the 20s, to an era where Soviet Culture began to sculpt a more optimistic identity for the nation. The decade saw the concept of the “ideal” … Continue reading “The Old has Passed Away; Behold, the New has Come.” →
