1.3a How did the Soviet government exercise control over the media, propaganda and religion? Flashcards
Define cult of personality
The adoration of an individual through media
Why was Stalin being presented as being close with Lenin part of his cult of personality?
Lenin hated Stalin
What quote associates Lenin and Stalin?
‘Stalin is the Lenin of today’
What major city was renamed Stalingrad as part of his cult of personality?
4) Tsaritsyn
How was Stalin presented in the media?
Tall and in military uniform or down to earth normal clothes
How tall actually was Stalin?
5’6”
What was Stalin’s media nickname?
Gardener of Human Happiness
Why was Stalin often pictured with children?
To be seen as a father figure
What was the issue with Stalin’s media image not being reality?
People often didn’t recognise him
Give 3 ways in which the cult of personality was a success (general)
Provided a figurehead for Socialism / focused loyalty and unity / filled a gap left by the restriction on religion
What was listed as one of the reasons for Khrushchev’s dismissal in 1964?
His cult of personality
How was Khrushchev hypocritical in his de-Stalinisation?
He condemned his cult of personality
What personality trait did Khrushchev have that made a COP fitting?
Egotism
What position did he appoint his son-in-law to?
Editor of Isvestiya
How many medals was Brezhnev awarded?
Over 100
Why was Brezhnev’s cult of personality so vital to him?
Sought to emerge as victorious through a power struggle between Kosygin and Podgorny / unable to lead for the final 6 months of his tenure through illness
Define Glavlit
Censorship office needed for every publication
Define Pravda (Truth)
Daily soviet paper full of propaganda (Truth)
Define Izvestiya
(news)
Define Partiinost
The guiding principle of the soviet press (being cheap to keep high readership)
Define Trud (Labour)
Paper of government run trade unions
How many readers did Pravda have?
10.7 million
How many Trud were printed?
13.5 million
What happened in the 1957 Kyshtum disaster?
disaster where a nuclear waste storage tank exploded
Why was the Kyshtum disaster significant?
It was covered up by the media
How many fatalities were there & how many were exposed to radiation in the Kyshtum disaster?
Fatalities: 200
Radiation: 270,000
Why was radio so significant?
65% of the population were illiterate
What did radio Maika play?
Foreign music popular with youth
How did the government try to stop foreign music?
Producing radios with poor range
What significant thing was broadcast live on radio?
Stalin’s speech from the Red Square
How far from the Red Square were the Germans when Stalin’s speech was broadcast?
50 miles
What did the Bolsheviks install in streets to get their message across?
Public loudspeakers
How were capitalism and communism portrayed on USSR TV?
Capitalism – rife with crime
Communism – joyous
Mass production allowed most houses to have a TV by what decade?
1980s
What 3 things were banned from magazines?
Sex, crime and religion
Name the very popular sports magazine in the USSR
Sovettskii
Why was it more difficult to influence Islamic views in society?
Their beliefs were more ingrained
What Islamic thing was removed under collectivisation?
Mullahs
What happened to the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1918?
He was put under house arrest
In the mid-1920s, a survey revealed that __% of people were still Christian
55%
Why did Lenin purge so many priests?
He had a personal hatred for them
What Marx quote condemns religion?
“religion is the opium of the masses”
How many churches did Khrushchev close down?
10,000
What did Brezhnev do to a Priest who set up the Christian Committee for the defence of Believer’s rights in order to draw international attention to human rights breaches?
Sentenced to 5 years in prison
Why did religion grow under Brezhnev?
Because he allowed unregulated groups to meet
Why did Brezhnev allow religion to grow?
He was aware that religious persecution didn’t go down well in the West
