Extra detail: Culture and society Flashcards
How did Lenin destroy much of the ‘earthly’ power of the Russian Orthodox Church?
- Seizing church lands
- Secularising births, deaths, marriages and schools
- Persecuting priests
- Circulating atheistic propaganda
When was there a brief relaxation of the anti-religious campaign?
1935
What was the impact of Stalin’s 1936 Constitution on churches?
- Criminalised the publication or organisation of religious propaganda
- Priests regained the right to vote
How many mosques had been closed down by 1941?
25,000
What were mosques and churches converted into?
Schools, cinemas, clubs, warehouses, museums, grain stores
What proportion of the population described themselves as religious believers in the 1937 census?
500,000+ (real number almost definitely higher)
How were women shown in films and art during the ‘Great Retreat’?
As feminine family women with adoring children, rather than muscular and plainly dressed
How did the ‘family code’ affect child support payments?
Child support payments by fathers fixed at 60% of income, but difficult to collect because many men married several times
How was the importance of marriage re-emphasised in the ‘Great Retreat’?
Wedding rings were reintroduced and new-style wedding certificates issued
How did the ‘family code’ deal with prostitution and homosexuality?
New decrees were to be enforced against them, but in practice the authorities regarded them as ‘capitalist vices’ and were reluctant to acknowledge their existence or extent
Who was put in charge of many schools?
Collective farms or town enterprises
Who was put in charge of universities and why?
Veshenkka, because they were seen as agencies for delivering economic growth
What changed for teachers (and lecturers)?
- Given a higher status and increasingly likely to be Party members
- Closely watched and could be arrested if they didn’t live up to standards
- Encouraged to set high targets for themselves and their students under the Stakhanovite system and could be blamed or purged if students didn’t do well
Why was a literate population so desirable?
They could more readily absorb propaganda
What was a kommunalka?
A communal dwelling or housing bloc where most urban families lived. Space was allocated according to family size
How was distrust prevalent in daily life?
- People learnt to whisper so their neighbours couldn’t overhear
- Apartment block concierges spied on individuals
What was the worst year for living standards?
1933
How did food consumption compare to previously?
Overall food consumption lower than in 1900, meat only 1/3 of 1928
What was the best year for living standards?
1937
Why did living standards improve?
It became legal for some small trades to operate privately e.g. shoe repair, hairdressers, plumbing because the State couldn’t resolve shortages
Why did living standards decrease again?
The bad harvest of 1936 and the growing urban population put strain on public services
What happened when Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District was critqued?
Shostakovich avoided arrest but a theatre director who spoke in his defense was seized, brutally tortured by the NKVD and shot and his wife was stabbed to death
What was the Party like under Lenin compared to Stalin?
Lenin: One-party State; limited Party membership
Stalin: Strong Party control; large membership
What was policy like under Lenin compared to Stalin?
Lenin: Leading communists debated policy in the Politburo
Stalin: Policy making directed by Stalin; Party organs often bypassed
What was centralisation like under Lenin compared to Stalin?
Lenin: Centralisation and bureaucracy had emerged in the Civil War; Lenin feared it would stifle progress
Stalin: Highly centralised state with large bureaucracy which was privileged, self-perpetuating and resistant to change
