Finding the Big Deal – Prompt #8

Reconstructing Soviet society after the war involved a complex re-articulation of what communism meant in light of Soviet victory. The regime also needed to finesse the hopes of democratization raised by the war and avert potential conflict over postwar rewards. Vera Dunham has called the resulting social contract “the Big Deal.” For this post please explore a cultural aspect of the Big Deal. Make sure to tell your audience how your research connects to the Big Deal. Good places to find artifacts and context:

17 Moments: Any topic in 1947 EXCEPT Cominform and the Soviet Bloc, Cold War, and Ukraine after the War. 1954: Stilyaga; Final section of MC (pp. 411-486)

*if you are interested in the stilyagi, check out this contemporary Russian movie (with subtitles: https://youtu.be/BXEzpdEFsPc )

Level up challenge: If you haven’t hyperlinked within your post yet, this is the week!

Reminder: Cite your sources! This means videos and images as well as texts.

Image: B. Porokov: Papa’s “Triumph” (1954)