Socialist Realism

Falshcards on Stalin's socialist realism in art and literature.

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Socialist Realism celebrating Collectivisation

  • Samuil Aklivankin -  voting to expel the Kulak from the Collective farm painting.

 

  • July 1930 - 200 painters taken to collective farms to paint inspirational paintings.

 

  • Vasilev - they are writing about us in Pravda - group of happy peasants sitting down happily eating a meal, whilst a member of the Communist party reads to them from Pravda.

 

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Socailst Realism celebrating Industrialisation

  • Kutaev - Foward Oh Time - novel that celebrated steel production.
  • Gladkov - Cement novel
  • Sculptures made to Celebrate Moscow's New Ball Bearing Factory.
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Stalinist Baroque

  • A style of architecture very common to this era.
  • Aimed to show Russia was the  most blessed country in world.
  • OPULENT, GRAND, "WEDDING CAKE" ARCHITECTURE.

Examples:

  • Moscow Metro
  • Moscow University
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Art for the Leaders

  • "Myth of 2 leaders" emerged by late 1930's
  • Rivals such as Zinoviev and Trotsky were written out from history e.g. (names erased from books).
  • Stalin made to appear as Lenin's natural successor.

 

  • "The tale of Lenin" by Maria Krickova describes Stalin that takes over the darkness i.e.(Trotsky) after Lenin's death.

 

  • "3 Songs About Lenin" by Vertov  describes Stalin as Lenin's pupil and Lenin as a RAY OF TRUTH who brought life to the desert.
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The cult of personality

  • Really begins by mid 1930's.
  • Pravda talked about Stalin's wisdon and greatness on a daily basis.
  • A new idelogy came forth "Stalinism" along with Leninism and Marxism.
  • Each year birthday of Stalin celebrated with parades and marching troops.
  • Once war started Stalin seen more as a military hero - his clothes in  painting become much more official.
  • After war Stalin's childhood birth house became a shrine.
  • He even published an article about the theory of language which press described as an intellectual breakthough.
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Stalin and his private life

  • Prior to 1936 Stalin made no mention of his private life with his family or his wives and children.
  • Stalin discouraged people to write personal biographies about him.

Stalin & Public life:

He preferred to be photographed with Stakhonovites or people who had travveled to the North Pole and back. This way his cult of personality focused on the great things Russia had done, and not on him as a individual.

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