After his ascension to the position of General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev faced numerous problems both in Soviet society and in government. A combination of inefficient industry, lack of free press, and an undemocratic political system created an ineffective government and stagnant economy. To tackle these problems, Gorbachev launched the revolutionary campaign of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). Perestroika […]
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Following Stalin’s death, the Soviet Union experienced a cultural Thaw under the new government. Krushchev’s government loosened the government’s grip on art and popular culture, allowing the Russian people to experience new subjects like never before. One of the most interesting results of the thaw is the Soviet government’s deal with the United States, which […]
Read moreIn 1940, following the 1939 invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union was faced with a self-caused problem. Holding thousands of Polish officers prisoner proved to be very costly, given the need to provide them with food, water, clothing, and shelter. To solve this problem, Stalin came up with his usual solution — execute the Polish […]
Read moreIn 1929, following disappointing crop yields, the Party recognized the need to consolidate Soviet farms under the guidance of the government, otherwise known as “collectivization.” Stalin’s First Five-Year Plan was devised in order to modernize the Russian economy and modify the way in which agriculture was handled. In the eyes of the Party, and most […]
Read moreFollowing the Revolution, the Party faced many problems left over from the Old Russia. Not only did they have to battle alcoholism and contain the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, but they had to establish a new culture altogether. Leon Trotsky, in a Pravda article titled “Vodka, the Church, and the Cinema” proposes […]
Read moreWhile the structure above looks like a gigantic, confusing roller coaster, it actually is an impressive and ambitious blueprint for the Comintern headquarters. Vladimir Tatlin’s “Monument to the Third International” is meant to be both a work of art for the world to marvel and a functional structure with an important purpose. Tatlin aimed to make […]
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Ivan Shishkin, a member of the artists’ group known as the Peredvizhniki, was known for his intense attention to detail in his paintings. He had such a deep love and respect for nature that he would settle for nothing less than a perfect depiction of it, earning him the title of “singer of fields and forests.” […]
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