1.3 Prolekult, avant-garde and Socialist Realism 1917-53 Flashcards
1
Q
what were Bolshevik attitudes towards the arts and popular culture during Lenin’s time? (4)
A
- in 1917, according to Lenin culture was vital, but his cultural tastes were conservative
- early on after his seizure of power, Lenin created a Commissariat of Enlightenment, a ministry of culture to support and encourage artist
- this encouraged many artists to work with the new regime
- lenin seemed prepared to accomodate those artists who were not communists but who were sympathetic to the ideals of the revolution, not all Bolsheviks were happy with this approach
2
Q
What was Prolekult? (7)
A
- means Proletarian Culture
- was promoted by the head of the Commissariat of Enlightenment, Bogdanov
- he felt that a new group of proletarian artist should be assembled, for whom art was to serve a social and political purpose
- key strand of this group was the Constructivists
- government made use of festivals to develop a new culture based on socialist values
- the achievements of the workers were reinforced through the arts
- prolekult was popular for a time, but by the early 1920s the government was concerned at the variety of viewpoints expressed through this culture from the people and started to restrict it
3
Q
what was the aim of the Constructivists? (2)
A
- aimed to create a new socialist culture with the emphasis on the collective of the workers as a class, rather than individualism
- workers and peasants were encouraged to produce their own culture
4
Q
What was Avant-Garde? (4)
A
- in art= the influence of modernism, with its emhasis on abstract art, coupled with that of futurism resulted in artists attempting to convey visions of a new futuristic world
- in poster art= the Bolshevik regime acquired the services of the poet and playwrite V. Mayakovsky, who produced slogans and posters for the government
- in theatre= led by Vyachslav Meyershold, who produced a fantasy based on the workers defeating their exploiters, but it was so confusing to the audience that it was cancelled after one performance
- in cinema= was especially open to development, as it was a relatively new development
5
Q
Cultural revolution (6)
A
- late 1920s, during the time leading up to the five year plans and collectivisation
- was part of an attempt to sweep away the old borgeois elements within society
- included a full-scale assault on traditional writers and artists
- those tolerated under Lenin were removed and replaced by artists loyal to socialism
- theatre productions of suspect plays were distrupted by booing and whistling
- the RAPP made increasingly bitter attacks on the ‘Fellow Travellers’ and condemned the individualism of writers
6
Q
what was RAPP? (4)
A
- the russian association of Proletarian Writers
- preffered works that stressed the achievements of the workers, in what became known as the cult of the ‘little man’
- did its best to encourage cultural activities in factories, such as the reading of drama groups, with some success
- closed down in 1932 and replaced by a new Union of Soviet Writers
7
Q
Socialist Realism, 1930s (4)
A
- followed the Cultural Revolution
- term used to describe art that presented idealised images of life under socialism to inspire the population towards its achievement
- was used to convince the population that Stalin’s statement : ‘Life has become more joyous’ was true
- the Union of Soviet Writers, which had replaced the RAPP, was to control the movement, rewarding those who complied and restricting those who did not
8
Q
Art under Socialist Realism (3)
A
- there was to be no experimentation with form, avant-gard styles such as abstract art were rejected
- art was controlled by the regime to project ideal images of life under the five year plans (images of workers and peasants working for socialism)
- included the fusion of Socialist Realism with Stalin’s cult of personality because Stalin told artists that it shoudl be made clear who was responsible for the achievements of socialism (statues of stalin)
9
Q
Literature under Socialist Realism (4)
A
- a change of emphasis from the cult of the ‘little man’ to heroes connected to the Party
- general plot was of a hero from the people who is guided by the Party to greater things
- the low price of these books and the growth in libraries ensured the population had easy access to them
- through government agencies the Party controlled what was published and by whom
10
Q
Music under Socialist Realism (3)
A
- government favoured military songs
- government was concerned over the perceived decadent associations of jazz, which led to the banning of the saxophone in the 1940s
- better not to experiment
11
Q
Architecture under Socialist Realism (2)
A
- promoted the style known as ‘Stalinist baroque’ (wedding cake) architecture, with mostly classical lines
- examples= Moskow university, Moskow metric system with chandeliers and murals showing workers
12
Q
Film uder Socialist Realism (4)
A
- achievements of the revolution were portayed
- example= Einstein’s ‘October’
- served the interest of the Government in presenting the revolution as a mass movement
- during the second world war, cinema was used to promote patriotism in defence of Mother Russia and Socialism
13
Q
What were the results of Socialist Realism? (4)
A
- its focus on accessible art and popular culture was a useful tool for propaganda
- despite being very out of touch with reality, socialist realism drew attention to a range of purposes the arts and cultures could have
- it presented an image that some commited Party members were willing to believe, while others that did not believe found them to be method of escapism
- gave the government many opportunities to use the arts and popular culture to mobilize support at a range of levels for the regime
