The Cult of Stalin

Question 1

Why was Stalin’s Cult of Personality INVALUABLE?

Answer 1

linking him to Lenin during 20s power climb

Reinforcing his personal dictatorship in 30s

Question 2

First phase of Stalin’s cult of personality focused on what ?

Answer 2

Highlighting his links to Lenin

(Closest colleague,
hero of civil war,
saviour of revolution from assaults by leftists and rightists-85: enemies,
TROTSKY REMOVED FROM PHOTOS)

Question 3

Which town was renamed Stalingrad, and when?

Answer 3

Tsaritsyn, 1925

Question 4

Soon after Lenin’s death (1924), which phrase was used widely by sections of the Rank and File

Answer 4

“Stalin is the Lenin of today”

Question 5

When were images used to reinforce Stalin’s power, by giving impressions of an ALL PRESENT, ALL KNOWING leader?

Answer 5

1930s

Question 6

Stalin: artists presented images of ___________

Portraits also made him look like a __________

Answer 6

“the big hero” or Vozhd (the boss)

Hollywood film star

Question 7

An example of a painting identifying Stalin with the Five-Year Plan achievements

Answer 7

1935- Stalin posing at Ryon hydroelectric complex

Question 8

Paintings of Stalin’s with _________ were common: he was a father figure, children giving flowers and looking up to their hero.

Answer 8

Children

Question 9

During WWII, how was Stalin presented as the defender of Mother Russia?

Answer 9

Posters of him in military UNIFORM, in front of masses of Soviet TROOPS, or military HARDWARE

Question 10

During WWII, Stalin was highlighted in posters as a

Answer 10

Man of the people: Stalin and worker, Stalin and peasant

Ironic- he rarely met the average citizen after 1930 YET seen as down to earth, happy in plain clothes and with pipe.

Question 11

After what year did Stalin rarely meet the average citizen?

Answer 11

1930

Question 12

The images were so large in Number that they must have had an ________ impact on the population

Answer 12

Intimidating

Question 13

In official biographies, what happened to Stalin’s early life?

Answer 13

It was embellished, or completely invented.

Question 14

Stalin’s family home in Georgia was turned into

Answer 14

A shrine

Question 15

Why is it ironic that a happy family life was invented for Stalin, with him as the devoted son?

Answer 15

He saw his mother 3 times in 40 years

Often referred to her as “old whore”

Question 16

Which official book (and when) have Stalin a PROMINENT ROLE in all policy developments since Lenin’s death?
Made him appear essential in SAVING THE REVOLUTION?
Was less history than pure HAGIOGRAPHY?
Praised him as a GENIUS?

Answer 16

“History of the All-Union Communist Party” 1938

Question 17

Who wrote the official Stalin biography, what was it called, and when?

Answer 17

G. F Alexandrov
“Stalin, a short biography”
1947

Question 18

Examples of the ridiculous titles and honours Stalin received

Answer 18

“Gardener of human happiness”

“Brilliant Genius of Humanity?

Question 19

What is an example of poets being used during Stalin’s Cult of Personality?

(Name of poem, date, poet)

Answer 19

Song about Stalin, late 1930s, M. Izakvosky

Question 20

Why were poets used during Stalin’s Cult of Personality?

Answer 20

To increase the QUANTITY of propaganda

Question 21

RECORDINGS of what were produced and distributed to distant reaches of the USSR hurriedly? (S, C.o.P)

Answer 21

Stalin’s speeches

Question 22

Statues of Stalin, in most cities and towns, have him the stature of….

Answer 22

Tsar Alexander III, despite being only 1.6m tall!

Question 23

Stalin’s height?

Answer 23

1.6m

Question 24

Cinema films featuring Stalin were used to highlight

Answer 24

His prominent role in big events

Question 25

Which actor made a career out of playing Stalin?

Answer 25

Mikhail Gilovani

Question 26

Which film depicted Stalin’s role in the fall of Berlin to the Red Army in 1945, in which he received a rapturous welcome on arrival? WHEN

(In reality Stalin rarely flew! Didn’t visit Berlin till end of WWII)

Answer 26

The Fall of Berlin 1950

Question 27

The Fall of Berlin film

Answer 27

1950

Question 28

By ______ the Cult of Stalin was so different from the real Stalin that government officials wouldn’t recognise him walking around the kremlin

Answer 28

Late 1940s

Question 29

Cult of Stalin by early 1950s?

Answer 29

Risen to ever more ridiculous heights

By 1953, MANY towns has been renamed

Question 30

Which canal carried little traffic, but was littered with statues of Stalin?

Answer 30

The Volga-Don Canal

Question 31

Yes, the Cult of Stalin was an orchestrated propaganda campaign, but it wasn’t…

(Word)

(Three back ups)

Answer 31

Entirely manufactured—

WWII popularity growth, respect if not like, gulag weep

Question 32

By the end of WWII, many citizens viewed Stalin as

Answer 32

Benefactor, inspiration, saviour (of revolution).

His popularity had grown.

Question 33

Don’t like Stalin? If you’re a soviet citizen during his era, you’re still likely to

Answer 33

Respect his leadership

Question 34

REVEALING: even _________ wept upon his death

Answer 34

Gulag prisoners

If only Stalin knew what was happening to us, he would no allow it.

Question 35

A quote from “Song about Stalin” - M. Izakovsky

Answer 35

“He carried our holy banner”
“the dearest person”
“our sun”

Question 36

Quote from G.F Alexandrov’s book: “Stalin, a short biography” - 1947

(Commissioned and approved by Stalin!)

Answer 36

“the genius, the leader and teacher of the Party”

“cogent and invincible force of Stalin’s logic”