State Control of Mass Media and Propaganda Under Khrushchev Flashcards
What happened to media under Khrushchev and Brezhnev?
It changed
How did the media change under Khrushchev and Brezhnev? Why?
Magazines proliferated - as did radios and television sets
This was part of their attempts to create a new consumer society
What were magazines encouraged to publish as part of the drive to create a consumer society? Why?
Letters sent to them by readers
They hoped the readers would praise the achievements of socialism
What did these letters often expose?
Long-term problems with Soviet society
What did readers complain about in consumer magazines?
The quality and scarcity of consumer goods
Women writing letters to magazines like Rabotnitsa (the Woman Worker) highlighted serious issues such as…
Male alcoholism
unequal sharing of childcare and housework - as well as domestic violence
What did the media NOT do in response to these letters?
It did not blame men for failing at home
What did the media do in response to these letters?
They targeted male hypocrisy and a lack of commitment/devotion to Communist ideals
What was Krokodil (Crocodile)?
A satirical magazine published in the Soviet Union - founded in 1922
What did Cartoons in Krokodil poke fun at?
Men who arrived at parades drunk and late - or not at all
Soviet cinema also changed under Khrushchev. Why?
A broader cultural Thaw - or liberalisation
What does the Khrushchev Thaw refer to?
The Soviet period from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s
This was when repression and censorship in the Soviet Union were eased
What did many of the films of this era focus on?
Traditional themes - such as the Soviet victory in the Civil War
The films focused on the role played by ordinary people - rather than focusing on the contribution of Stalin
What films focused on the role played by ordinary people?
The Forty-First (1956)
The Cranes are Flying (1957)
Television also took off between 1960-1964. What was it successful in doing?
Supporting the regime
