Songs of Victory and Class on Thursday 10/29

This week’s stars include standout posts about popular song (with Temnaia Noch’ and Wait for Me getting top billing), the new national anthem, the rehabilitation of the Orthodox church, the intersection between the personal and political (in the contest for love and loyalty at home and on the battlefront), and poster art of some the war’s major battles.

We also have new entries in the “iconoclasts and conservatives” section of the site: Explorations of the new national anthem remind us of the resonance of tradition in crafting a hymn for the new nation. Similarly, the effectiveness of Stalin’s leadership during the war derived in no small part from his successful mobilization of popular nationalism and historical traditions testifying to Russia’s greatness and ability to prevail. Finally, the restoration of the Patriarch and the revival of popular religious expression speak to important role that Orthodoxy played in supporting the war effort.

As we transition from the war to the postwar period of reconstruction, we will notice a big shift in the modes and tone of cultural production. For Thursday’s class, we will start with the deterioration of the Grand Alliance and the advent of Cold War by looking at Simonov’s play “The Russian Question” (MC 422-430).

Before class: please read the Subject Essay on the Cold War in 17 Moments and watch the videos (on the 500th Anniversary of the Autocephalous Church and the Russian Question). Then read the excerpt of the play in MC (pp. 422-430). Our cast for the in-class read through of the play is as follows:

MacPherson: Kendall

Gould: Craig

Smith: Sean

Preston: Luke

Hardy: John Mark

Murphy: Casey W / Casey P

Jessie: Mallory