Development of the Stalin cult Flashcards
When was the cult of personality established?
Onwards from Dec 1929, Stalin’s 50th birthday
What was Stalin hailed as?
‘mighty leader’, ‘father of the nation’, ‘universal genius’, ‘shining sun of humanity’
When was the cult fully established?
1933-39 (although it did not reach its height until after WW2)
What textbook was published to falsify history in 1938?
The History of the All-Union Communist Party
How did Stalin use photographs to curate his image?
Photos doctored to remove Stalin’s enemies and show Stalin at Lenin’s side
Was the ‘History of the All-Union Communist Party’ popular?
Yes - sold 34 million copies in USSR by 1948
What was Stalin’s role in development of the cult?
Ambiguous - claimed he did not encourage it
However, his successor Krushchev revealed that when Stalin read a pre-publication version of his biography, he insisted it be edited to highlight his achievements
Role of art in cult
‘art for its own sake’ had no place in Soviet culture
Socialist realism - depicting life as what it may become
Examples of portraits developed to amplify Stalin cult
Portraits of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin in continuous progression, bringing enlightenment to the Russian people were developed
Example of poetry about Stalin
Poet Mikhail Izakovsky wrote a poem called ‘Song about Stalin’ in praise of the regime
‘He has lit the clear dawn of spring’
‘For the sake of our happiness he marched through all storms’
What did ‘The History of the All-Union Communist Party’ state about Stalin?
Inflated his role in the 1917 revolutions and the Civil War, while Trotsky and other old Bolsheviks were portrayed as ‘enemies of the people’
What did the extent of the Stalin cult show about his position?
Although it was manufactured, the Stalin cult showed the strength of support he had gained
How did peasants and workers participate in the Stalin cult?
Created their own ‘red corner’ of the great leaders in their homes, in the same way they may have had a saints’ corner in tsarist times
Examples of propaganda in Pravda?
Published a series of articles and cartoons entitled ‘With Us’ (glorifying Soviet socialism) and ‘With Them’ (depicting the hardship of life in the West)
Examples of bodies to regulate art?
Union of Soviet Writers, Union of Artists etc… which exerted control over what was created and who was allowed to create
