state and cultural change Flashcards
(25 cards)
what was Lenin’s attitudes about culture
culture was a vital but inferior
his tastes where conservative as he liked classical Russian culture and wanted to keep high calibre writers and artists on his side.
what did Lenin set up to support artists
Commissariat of Enlightenment (ministry of culture) to support and encourage artists which replaced heavy censorship and restrictions of the old regime
welcoming non communists artists who were sympathetic to the regime as Fellow travellers
what was the second culture policy and who established it
Anatoly Lunacharksy head of commissar of enlightenment set up the Proletkult
what did the Proletkult do
helped to nurture artistic talent among working people. by 1920 300 studios set up in russia.
The art was argued to serve social and political purpose.
workers were encouraged to produce their own culture, by writing stories or performing plays government made theatre based on social values and parades set up directed by the party (propaganda)
what happened to proletkult
Lenin believed work was too avant-garde and Lenin wanted to produce work that represented human spirit .in 1920 Proletkult lost its independence and funds for radical project were cut and diverted to traditional art e.g. ballet.
what was avant-garde
revolution led to experimental movements of new styles, abstract art including geometry and dreams. they collaborated with communists to make propaganda as literacy rates were so low.
examples of avant-garde artists who promoted propaganda
Mayaovsky made graphic poster for civil war but was innovative
Rodchenko used technques such as photomage to make posters celebrating the revolution
what movment was introduced in the late 1920’s
cultural revolution, to purge all bourgeois elements of soviet rule e.g. Fellow travellers were condemned and replaced by socialist artists. theatre plays were booed etc.
what was Stalin’s view on art
he was suspicious of avant-garde and argued that art should use traditional technique to serve the government
what did Stalin start
socialist realism
what did socialist realism entail
art and culture that would present ideal images of socialism to inspire population of its achievements, those who refused were restricted by the union of soviet writers and ended up emigrating or were sent to labour camps. art was used as propaganda and to mobilise population
socialist realism effect on art
no avant-garde, used to protect the regime and project ideal life under 5 year plans and peasants working. pushed Stalin’s cult of personality
socialist realism effect on literature
away from cult of the little man and towards hero’s of the party e.g. standard plot of books was of hero from the people who is guided by the party to do great things. population had easy access due to low cost of book and increase in libraries.
socialist realism effect on music
banned saxophones in 1940 due to decadent view of Jazz. favouring military songs
socialist realism effect on architecture
Stalin baroque, e.g. metro was designed with chandeliers and elaborate murals showing endeavours of the workers
socialist realism effect on film
achievements of revolution conveyed through film e.g. Eisenstein’s October (1927),
change between 1917-53
soviet art transformed from free and experimental to controlled and conservative
culture during Stalin’s last years
after WW2 nearly changed as unorthodox poetry readings were allowed in Moscow in 1946 but western culture campaign dispelled element of change
what did Khrushchev want for culture and art
he wanted to allow more freedom, due to de-Stalinisation previous work that was banned was allowed to be published
but did have freeze periods were government re-imposed tighter control once artists went too far e.g. criticism on Leninism
Khrushchev’s thaw’s examples
jazz music reappeared, Issacs babel who was shot during the purges works were published
The thaw was published which was critical of Stalin’s terror, books published critical of Stalin’s rule
western culture of tight suits and short skirts, rock and roll and pop music developed. USSR broadcasted voice of America in 1955
what did Krushchev challenge using art and krushchev’s restrictions
non-conformity e.g. lazy government officials and alcoholics
began poster campaigns to challenge non-conformity e.g. the alcoholic poster
started a campaign against women in western clothing saying fashion was wasteful
Komsomol groups employed to patrol streets and dance halls to stop inappropriate behaviour
Khrushchev hated abstract art and jazz music
Brezhnev’s view on cultural and art
narrowed the boundaries of what was acceptable in Khrushchev’s cultural thaw. but artists stilled tried to push the boundaries
culture still pushed for propaganda and achievements of socialism.
examples of non-conformity in Brezhnev years
soviet culture became more conservative
rock and western culture still influenced youth
artist’s used subtexts to undermine government
Brezhnev’s restrictions on art and culture
trial of Joseph Brodsky 1964, Brodsky read poems in secret gathering and was arrested for not being a licensed poet under writers union and accused of parasitism and sentenced to 5 years in hard labour camp to send message to non conformity. he was released in 2 but expelled from soviet union
trial of Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel 1966, they wrote novels on soviet life as harsh and surreal and sentenced Yuli to 5 years and sinyavsky to 7 years imprisonment to send message under anti soviet propaganda
control and clampdown examples, state subsidies to ensure access to radios and venues to control and direct cultural output
employment could be withdrawn from troublemakers
abstract and experimental art still band, head of local art gallery was sentenced to labour camps for displaying art by dissident painters.
bulldozed a open air illegal exhibition but incident was filmed and art was put back on display.
