Opposition From Cultural Dissidents Flashcards
What was a Soviet Dissident?
Someone who disagreed with aspects of Soviet ideology and spoke out about it.
Explain why a genuine desire for revolution was limited among dissenters.
Around the time, critics of the government were essentially loyal to the ideology of Marxism-Leninism.
Explain protest in the first half of the Khrushchev era.
Criticism of the authorities and protests were on a scale that had not been seen witnessed since the end of the civil war.
Was dissidence popular?
Yes, it was seen in practically all levels of society and within every region of the country.
What was ‘tamizdat’?
Writers published their work abroad in hope it would relay back to the USSR.
What was ‘samizdat’ ?
The duplication of material by hand or typewriter which was then circulated by personal contacts.
Who was Mayakovsky?
He was a poet who criticised the Stalinist regime.
When was Mayakovsky’s monument unveiled in Moscow?
28th June 1958.
How was the Mayakovsky event used by Soviet dissidents?
The event was celebrated by public poetry readings, which Soviet dissidents used to criticise government.
What were regular attendees of the poetry readings arrested for and when?
In 1961 some of the regular attendees were arrested for subversive political activity.
Who was Ginzburg?
He was an editor and publisher for one of the ‘dissident’ magazines. He was arrested in 1960 and sent to a series of labour camps for exposing human rights abuses and demanding reforms.
What was the Komsomol?
A Soviet organisation set up for young people.
How many students did the Komosol recommend be expelled in Leningrad alone and why?
4,000, after comments made in relation to the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
How many students did a Daily Mail report from December 1956 claim to have been expelled from Moscow State University?
1000
