Revision cards - culture Flashcards
What was the cult of Stalin?
Stalin became and icon
His images were everywhere
Every achievement was linked to Stalin
Russians were fed a daily diet of Stalin’s achievements via Pravda
What was socialist realism?
1932 - Socialist writers were engineers of the human soul
Artists to envision where the soviet state was going and what it would be like
Artists could not show their own interests
Artists had to promote the regime and Stalin
What limits were placed on all types of literature?
1934 - Soviet union of writers formed
Had to conform to socialist realism and advance the cause of socialism
Novels glorified the ordinary worker
Some writers such as GOrky conformed, others didn’t
What happened to art and propaganda under Stalin?
1929 - Union for artists
images had to conform
1930s art = industrial workers, peasants or Stalin
1931 - union of architects - Moscow metro completed - as a series of palaces for the workers
1932 union of soviet composers - controlled all music
19302 radios popular and used to spread governemtn messages
Cinemas popular - films used to promote Stalin’s successes
What were conditions like for agricultural workers?
- Many fled in the hope of a better life in the city
- Life was hard and most did not support communism
- Peasants didn’t own their land and got little reward for their labour so little incentive to work hard
- Collectivisation process was devistating with between 9.5m and 10m exiled during the deKulakisation process
- Living standards fell dramatically
How successful was cultural and social change?
The church
Partially
1941 - 40,000 churches and 25,000 mosques closed
in 19202 = 60,000 priests in 1941 = 5665, rest sent to Gulags
BUT 1937 census 1/2m say they are religious believers
How successful was cultural and social change?
Women
Partially
Family code 1936 - Abortion illegal, contraception banned
Birth rate 1935 - 25 per 1000, 1940 - 31 per 1000
Divorce harder, prostitution illegal
BUT divorce rate high 1934 - 37% in Moscow, 150,000 abortions per 57,000 live births and an increase in prostition
1928 - 3m workers in factories but 1940 13m, despite the fact women should be at home!
How successful was cultural and social change?
Youth
Successful
Reformed the education system - better educated and more skilled workers
1917 - 65% literacy, 1941 - 94% in cities
Komsomol membership
1928 - 2m, 1939 - 7m, 1945 - 15m However, even at the height memebrship only 30% of 15-24 year olds
How successful was cultural and social change?
Socialist man
Partially
Homosovieticus - opposition was rare, but estimated that only 1/5 workers enthusiastically supproted
Campaigns to improve men’s behaviour to women and reduce alcohol consumpton failed
Culture was enjoyed by many - 600,000 cinema tickets sold annually at Magnitogorsk and in 1936 - 40,000 books sold
But culture was often out of reach of ordinary citizens
