On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin died. A few days later, massive crowds of people turned out for his funeral procession. His coffin, draped in red, not only had his military cap draped on it, but also had a window where his face was, so that the Russian people could gaze upon the face of … Continue reading Stalin Put the Fun in Funeral
Month: April 2019
Bulat Okudzhava: The Russian Bob Dylan
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Composers hate him! Learn his secrets in one easy article. Bulat Okudzhava is the best poetic-bard this side of the Ural mountains.
Khrushchev’s American Tour
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“The Thaw” was an era following the death of Stalin that ushered in an era of liberalization within the Soviet Union. During this time, people were allowed to express themselves more freely than during the Stalinist era. The USSR witnessed the emptying of the Gulag’s, as well as the liberalization within the realms of music, … Continue reading Khrushchev’s American Tour →
The New Line
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After the death of Iosif Stalin in 1953 a power struggle ensued among top-ranking members in the Soviet regime. In 1955 Nikita Khrushchev was named First Secretary of the Communist Party, effectively outmaneuvering Georgii Malenkov and Levrentii Beria after a period of “collective leadership”. At the 20th Party Congress in 1956 Khrushchev denounced Stalin’s totalitarian … Continue reading The New Line
From “Not One Step Back!” to Postwar Reconstruction
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By G. Savitsky, USSR Post. – свой скан бумажных марок из личной коллекции, Public Domain, Link
The imperative of order 227 (and the potential punishment for failure to obey the command to not retreat) conveys the all-encompassing urgency of the Soviet Union’s struggle to defend itself and repel the German invaders during World War II.This weekly edition features a rich assortment of posts on the many facets of that costly defense — from the evacuation of factories from the country’s West to safety behind the Urals, to snipers, Arctic Convoys, a new national anthem, and the broader reasons for the Soviets’ lack of preparedness for the war and for their eventual success.
Another set of posts takes up the challenges of rebuilding Soviet society and the economy after the devastation of the war. Gender and the family, the challenges facing returning veterans, and the emergence of the car as a symbol of postwar prosperity prove to be fascinating topics to explore how military victory conditioned the peace that followed.
Enjoy reading. We will be back with more features on the transition to life after the Vozhd’ next week.
5th Blog Post Guidelines: Thaw and Refreeze
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Dramatic changes in Soviet society, culture and politics followed Stalin’s death in 1953. This week we turn to the initial period of “De-Stalinization” and “The Thaw.” The modules on 1954, 1956 and 1961 from Seventeen Moments in Soviet History are good starting points. You might also be interested in the photographs and films from the Martin Manhoff Collection on Radio Free Europe’s website. These materials offer fascinating views of everyday life and a rare perspective on Stalin’s funeral.
Icy Convoys, Icy Hearts
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Amid the myriad debates regarding Soviet relations with the rest of the World War II Allies, often emphasized are the timing of the opening of a second front, the convenience of the alliance in the first place, what was said at what conference, and the various other dysfunctionalities one exhibited towards the others. Yet so […]
Man’s Best Friend is His… Car?
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For a multitude of years, Russia struggled to catch up to Western modernization, and across the board, from her economy to her technology and military, Russia was always a few steps behind the West, which was a hindrance in World War II and was one of the reasons the Germans so easily invaded Russia. Cars … Continue reading Man’s Best Friend is His… Car?
All the Single (Russian) Ladies
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All The Single (Russian) Ladies In 1943, World War II raged on. Already, it had wrecked the world. It appeared that no region was untouched, and Russia… Read more “All the Single (Russian) Ladies”
Stalingrad (Never Again)
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I originally was planning on skipping this blogpost, but I could not refuse writing about Russia and World War Two. The Russian role in World War Two has always been of interest, Russia acting as “the enemy of my enemy” quite possibly shifting the entire course of the war. If there was a dictionary definition … Continue reading Stalingrad (Never Again)
