Stalin's Cult of Personality

Question 1

What were the factors of Stalin’s Cult of Personality?

Answer 1

• Propaganda
• Censorship
• Education
• Social Circumstances
• Manipulation of religion
• Komsomol

Question 2

What was the descriptor for music under Stalin?

Answer 2

Folk music was to be happy. Music generally was to be played in a major key (more joyous and positive).

Question 3

What was the style of art adopted? Name the title of such a piece of art from 1938

Answer 3

Socialist Realism e.g. Stalin and Voroshilov in the Kremlin

Question 4

What widespread book was published in 1934? What was the basic storyline?

Answer 4

The Great Conveyor Belt – Stalin informs a tractor plant executive how to overcome production problems

Question 5

How many cinemas were there in 1933? 1940?

Answer 5

1933 - 7,000 cinemas

1940 - 30,000 cinemas

Question 6

How was Stalin’s fatherliness and relationship with children shown?

Answer 6

Through images of him holding and being with happy children – such as the image of him holding the child printed in Izvestiya

Question 7

What was the title of the image from 1940 which tried to show Stalin as a hard worker for he nation?

Answer 7

‘Stalin in the Kremlin cares about each one of us’

Question 8

What example of photomontage attached Stalin to the industrial successes in Russia?

Answer 8

An image of Stalin overseeing the Dnieper Dam (which was a key example of gigantomania and the success of Russian industrialisation)

Question 9

When was control of poster design centralised? Who became in charge of this?

Answer 9

1931 – Izogiz

Question 10

What were set up to bring artists/writers/playwrights etc into line?

Answer 10

Unions

Question 11

What genre did the likes of Isaac Babel and Boris Pasternak adopt due to such high degrees of censorship?

Answer 11

“The Genre of Silence”

Question 12

Into what photos was Stalin added to secure the idea of being the successor of Russia?

Answer 12

Photos of Lenin

Question 13

In what year was the History of the All-Union Communist Party published? What was its other name?

Answer 13

1938 - the Short Course

Question 14

What did the short course became for educational institutions? How many copies had been sold domestically by 1948?

Answer 14

The main history text. 34m copies sold by 1948.

Question 15

How did the growing fear of war help fuel the cult?

Answer 15

The war scare meant people felt they needed a strong leader to deal with the chance of a war – Stalin provided this

Question 16

How did industrialisation contribute to the cult?

Answer 16

It led to worsening living conditions for many and hence why they turned to Stalin as the sign of hope and something to believe in

Question 17

How many priests were there in 1924? 1941?

Answer 17

1924 = 60,000
1941 = around 6,000

Question 18

What proportion of church buildings were still operating as a church by 1941?

Answer 18

1/40

Question 19

What happened to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour?

Answer 19

It was destroyed and turned into a swimming pool

Question 20

How many peasants still saw themselves as Christian according to a survey in the 1930s?

Answer 20

55%

Question 21

What was Komsomol?

Answer 21

Komsomol was a political organisation for 14-28 year olds. It organised activities and events.

Question 22

How many members did Komsomol have by 1927?

Answer 22

2 million

Question 23

How did Komsomol help feed the personality cult?

Answer 23

It spread the communist belief and stressed the role of Stalin as the leader of the socialist movement. Since being part of Komsomol led to better employment and progression, many bought into the cult and ideology to receive such perks. The organisation would hold events in the name of and celebrations for Stalin.

Question 24

What were education levels in 1926? 1937?

Answer 24

1926 = 56.6%
1937 = 75%

Question 25

How many counter-revolutionary crimes were there in 1930? 1936?

Answer 25

266,000 in 1930

191,000 in 1936