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“ The Thaw ” (1953-1964)

“ The Thaw ” (1953-1964). Nikita Khrushchev General Secretary of CPSU 1953-1964. Destalinization …. Prisoners released from the GULAGs Opening up the arts: film, poetry Reaching out to the third “ non-aligned ” world Building of houses, movie theatres USSR becomes a nuclear power.

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“ The Thaw ” (1953-1964)

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  1. “The Thaw” (1953-1964)

  2. Nikita KhrushchevGeneral Secretary of CPSU 1953-1964

  3. Destalinization… • Prisoners released from the GULAGs • Opening up the arts: film, poetry • Reaching out to the third “non-aligned” world • Building of houses, movie theatres • USSR becomes a nuclear power

  4. Waltzes and poetry (Evtushenko)… Freedom within limits: jazz underground Boris Pasternak, author of Doctor Zhivago, forced to refuse Nobel Prize

  5. The Denunciation of Stalin • February 1956: 20th congress of the Communist Party: secret speech denouncing Stalin • Stalin removed from the Mausoleum • Stalingrad becomes Volgograd • Conservative faction plots against Khrushchev…

  6. October-November1956: Budapest Russian tanks suppress uprising

  7. The sputnik: 4 October 1957 The USSR leads in the space race…

  8. The Cuban Revolution • Fidel Castro takes power in 1959 • Becomes an ally of the USSR • October 1962 Cuban missile crisis

  9. The Stalinists win • 16 Oct. 1962 Cuban missile crisis • October 1964 Khrushchev removed from power – replaced by Leonid Brezhnev. • Solzhenitsyn cannot print anything in the USSR. • 1966 Show trial of Joseph Brodsky.

  10. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1918-2008

  11. Early years • Studied mathematics at Rostov University • Moscow Institute of Philosophy, Literature, and History • During war becomes commander of artillery, twice decorated.

  12. GULAG • 9 February 1945 arrested. • 1945-53 eight-year term in various GULAGs. • 1953 internal exile “for life” inKazahkstanю Taught mathematics and physics in schools. • 1954 Successfully treated for cancer in Tashkent. • 1956 released from exile, returns to European Russia.

  13. Print at last • 1961 22nd Communist party congress • Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich published in literary journal Novy Mir, November 1962. • Matriona's Home. January 1963.

  14. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn “Matryona’s Homestead” (1963)

  15. Socialist Realism: Meaning? • Literature must be realistic (i.e., believable) and didactic. • Appeal to the newly literate masses of workers and peasants. • “Party-minded” (Marxist-Leninist) • Optimistic – apotheosis at end, reflecting Marxist view of history.

  16. Sotsrealism in literature • “Bildungsroman” – about the education of an individual with whom the reader is supposed to identify. • “young positive hero”of correct class background, i.e., son of worker, • overcomes difficulties thanks to help of older Bolshevik, perhaps party member, • triumphs over difficulties at the end and has his consciousness raised.

  17. Questions to consider • When are these events happening? • What motifs do you find significant? Why? • Is the story optimistic or pessimistic? • What kind of picture do we get of the Russian countryside under communism? • How important is the narrator telling the story? • What values does the story reflect? Does the story hint at a political program for Russia?

  18. Russian vs Soviet. • Didacticism: returns to tradition of “critical realism” of Tolstoy, Turgenev of 19th century • Didactic – but anti-Soviet • Tone of restrained irony

  19. “Un-Socialist”Realism • Pessimistic, treats two taboo themes: the state of the villages, and the GULAG • Education of the narrator, hence the reader • The final words sum up the moral • Extols values of honesty, modesty, hard work – but in the “wrong” character

  20. Nationalism vs internationalism • Creating a Russian national myth as opposed to the Communist international myth • The myth of the Russian narod: personified in the figure of Matriona… • Critique of Soviet society: greed, hierarchy, corruption…

  21. Social and Ecological disaster • Image of village post-collectivization: decline, decay, arrogance of director. • Linguistic decay of Russian language • “khamstvo” with which Matriona is treated. • Train and tractor destroy house: mechanization, progress vs traditional values.

  22. Russian Nationalism • Religion • Morality • Hard work • The Russian language • = a national ideological program for Russia

  23. Questions What have you learned about Russia after Stalin from this reading? How is the story written: is it effective at conveying its message to the reader?

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