Culture and Society- Complete Flashcards
Religious legacy under Lenin?
Allowed freedom of religious worship whilst destroying the Orthodox church. Church lands were seized, births, marriages and deaths were secularised and priests were persecuted
In 1927 what did the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church offer?
To stay out of politics in return for recognition of the Orthodox church
Orthodox Church under Stalin?
Came more under attack, religious schools were closed down and the teaching of religious creeds were forbidden, worship was restricted and many churches were physically destroyed
What was abolished between 1929 and 1940?
The holy day of Sunday
Workers were employed for 6 days a week
Sixth of workers having each day off
Stalin’s 1936 Constitution?
Criminalised the publication or organisation of religious propaganda- priests did regain the right to vote however
Priests as victims?
Victims of the 1930s purges- accused of political involvement and large numbers were deported to the Gulags
How did Soviet Muslims suffer?
Property and institutions were seized and their Sharia laws abolished
Pilgrimages to Mecca were forbidden and frequency of prayers, feasts and fasts reduced
The wearing of a veil was forbidden
What outcome of the persecution of the Muslims would Stalin have been happy with?
The emergence of the split within the Islamic Church where a new Mosque movement taking place taking a pro-Soviet line
Negative social consequence of Muslim persecution?
Traditionalist Muslims murdered those who obeyed Soviet injunctions
How did persecution extend to the Jewish community?
Jewish schools and synagogues were closed down
By 1941 how many Christian churches had been closed down?
40,000
By 1941 how many Mosques had been closed down?
25,000
What were churches and mosques converted into?
Schools, cinemas, clubs, warehouses, museums
In 1937 census how many people described themselves as religious believers?
Over half a million- with the real number being a lot higher
How effective was Stalin’s attempt to destroy religion?
Unsuccessful it was impossible to destroy all religious beliefs
Why would Marx have supported religious persecution?
He saw it as the upper class peoples excuses to justify their power of the people
Role of women under Lenin?
He had praised enthusiastically the new liberation of women, where sex discrimination was outlawed, divorce and abortion made easier and women took jobs along side men. Family was a bourgeois relic of society
What was Stalin’s ‘Great Retreat’?
Conscious rejection of post revolutionary experiments as he reverted to more traditional policies. The family became the main propaganda campaign where the father was presented as the ideal family man and divorce and abortion were attacked
What caused the Great Retreat?
Population growth fell
Family break ups
Fear of war
How was the importance of marriage emphasised?
Wedding rings were introduced, new marriage certificates were issued
How did the presentation of women change?
Women’s image as muscular in the 1920s was replaced in films with females being portrayed as feminine family women
When was the family code created?
1936
Terms of family code?
Abortion= illegal - would increase birth rate
Divorce made more difficult- cost more, both parties had to attend
Mothers with over 6 children had tax exemptions
Children who committed violent crimes were treated as adults when over 12#
Adultery criminalised
Did divorce rates improve?
No, they remained high e.g. 37% in Moscow
Did women working in factories decrease?
No it increased, large numbers also worked on collective farms where conditions were poor
How many abortions were there to live births?
157,000 abortions to 57,000 live births
What percentage of men and women in their 30s were marriage in 1937?
91% of men
82% of women
Consequence of being single?
Less likely to be employed and would not get compensation, women therefore often turned to prostitution
Was there a significant change for women in the 1930s?
No, poorer women were still expected to look after their children and homes even though they had the additional burden of contributing more to the full-time work force as part of the drive to construct socialism
Education in the 1920s?
Key to building a socialist structure
Was free for everyone
Stalin’s opinion on 1920’s education?
Failing to produce skilled workers, scientists and technicians
School structure under Stalin?
Provided by Narkompros (the people’s commissariat for Education) which provided nursery schools for children at 3 years, infant schools until 7 years and secondary school until at least 15 years. Adult educations institutions were also established
What did Stalin abandon in 1935?
The quota system where a high proportion of working class children were given places at secondary schools
What were selective secondary schools?
They had a rigid academic curriculum, formal teaching, report cards and uniforms where the core subjects were reading, writing and science. Nationalism was promoted and military training was incorporated
What was encouraged in schools for the less able?
Increasing the amount of practical work to help with the industrial drive
Role of teachers within society?
Their loyalty increased their likelihood of being a party member
However teachers and university lecturers were closely watched and could be arrested if they failed to live up to the expected high targets
If students failed they could be blamed and purged
Success of 1930s education?
Spread of literacy especially in rural areas- by 1941 94% if the 9-49 age group were literate and 86% were in the countryside - this was a success for the party as it meant that more of the population could understand the propaganda
What was Komsomol?
Youth organisation that catered for those 10-28 , where communist values were taught
What did Komsomol discourage?
Smoking, drinking and religion
What did Komsomol encourage?
Volunteer social work, sports, political and drama clubs were organised to inspire socialist values
Members oath to Komsomol?
To live, study and fight for the Fatherland and help carry out party campaigns and assisted the Red Army and Police
What was Komsomolskaia Pravda?
A Newspaper encouraging young people to respect their parents
Who did Stalin’s policies most benefit?
Skilled workers- spread of technical education, more opportunities for training, introduction of wage differentials and the Stakhonivite movement, workers therefore found new ways to improve themselves
How did unskilled workers suffer?
They were unused to the harsh labour discipline, and would often move from place to place to avoid staying in one place too long to avoid a bad working record
Living conditions for workers?
Overcrowded and put a strain on family life- there was little privacy
Petty crime and drinking flourished
What was a kommunalka?
A communal dwelling or housing bloc where most urban families lived, space was allocated according to family size, with each family having its own room, serving as a living, dining and bedroom
Conditions in the streets?
Many cities were without sewage, street lighting and public transport despite the showcase of the Moscow metro
Water was rationed
Considerable hooliganism and urban violence
1933 worst living conditions?
Overall food consumption was lower than it was in 1900 and meat consumption was a third of the 1928 figure
Black market was depended on for survival
Who coped better with the Stalin’s changes?
Urban workers- changes were fewer, at least factory workers had regulated hours and wages and could benefit from work canteens and even shops providing goods for employees to buy- peasants had all produce taken from them
Who coped better when the war came?
Peasants they had their private land to fall back on
Rural communities became very harsh and rationing was reintroduced
What was a socialist man?
A person who was publicly engaged and committed to the community - had a profound sense of social responsibility
What was the attitude to independent thoughts?
Was viewed as a curse rather than something to be admired
Socialist man- urban or rural?
Urban
Unlikely to be rural as a backwards peasant could be influenced by outdated religious beliefs
How did the creation of the Socialist man influence industry?
Industrial city complexes were built where the socialist man could flourish- one where the community took precedence over the individual and behaviour was held up to the scrutiny of neighbours
Scientist Lysenko outlook on the Socialist man?
If the socialist man acquired the right characteristics- these could be passed on through the generations, therefore old class enemies attitudes could be eliminated Discredited by scientists outside the USSR
How successful was Stalin at imposing a refined culture?
The most popular cultural value= the cinema, where Hollywood movies appeared more popular than Soviet propagandist films
Argument that only 1/5 Soviet workers supported the Stalin regime
How much influence did Lenin have in Stalin’s culture?
Stalin used methods in which Lenin had established- internal security services and class warfare Argument that Stalin undermined Lenin's work rather than continued it
Similarities between Lenin and Stalin USSR culture?
Both controlled a one party state
Both had a secret police
Centralised state
