Stalin Cult Flashcards
Components of the Stalin cult
-an infallible leader
-tsarist symbolism.. cult borrowed from the ‘little father’ image associated with/ tsars
-propaganda- paintings, poems, posters, slogans and scriptures glorified Stalin, written works prefaced with/acknowledgments of his genius
-seen as successor to Marx, Engels and Lenin
-patronage, inner circle assos w/ cult… cities factories named after them
-falsification of hist.. st overplayed his role + downplayed others
Lit + art
From 1932 all writers had to belong to the union of soviet writers, all artists + critics… Sov union of artists
Union dictated what was allowed… risked exclusion if did not follow guidelines
Writers + other artists required to create work that embodied ‘socialist realism’
Frame of reference for writers laid down in 1934 at first congress of the Union of Soc workers
During 1930s renewed int in Rus works from 19th century eg Tolstoy to allow Sov proletarians access to bourgeois culture
Folk music & dance, and peasant arts celebrated.. Nat values
Pavkk Morozov
Denounced his father to NVKD for helping kulaks + other peasants for hoarding grain
Murdered by kulaks.. state-made martyr
Education
Use of ‘history of the communist party of the Soviet Union: short course’ edited by Stalin
All students had to use
Used to create excitement for ex over 5 year plans
Workers
Stakhanov movement- idealisation of heroes so workers wld exceed targets
Statues of workers + peasants built… ‘worker + kolkhozniks woman’ was 24.5 m high built for 1937 world triad fair in Paris
Posters + murals widely displayed showing achievements of Sov states or warnings about USSRs enemies
Q over message..
Many peasants resisted coll by slaughtering their livestock.. when coll briefly relaxed % if coll households dropped by 50%- 20%
Evidence Stakhanovite annoyed workers bc their targets incr bc of efforts. Managers found diff bc of their power to criticise their working conditions
Com party archive… letters of complaints from workers ab housing condos , lack of prod in shops, corruption etc
Jokes, graffiti and pop songs crit the 5 yr plan.. for ex 1 song talked ab 5 year plan in 10
