control

• Purges, overcrowded urban apartments, family break-ups, fears of war – 1930s fall in population growth and reverting to traditional policies
• Lenin

  Terror against real or potential enemies
• Stalin

  Widespread terror and purges used in a tyrannical way
• Totalitarianism

  Strong elements of - minimised opportunity for independent thought and action
• Cultural figures urged to fight for socialist realism


  • Author Gorky – Russian writers had lost nothing but the right to be bad writers; persuaded by Stalin to return as he helped develop social realism
  • Many silenced by regime – Pasternak and Akhmatova remained silent
  • Punished by being sent to work on industrial or agricultural sites to ensure they were fully imbued with socialist values
• Control of art and culture

  • Union of Soviet Writers and Artists – control the narrative and portrayal
  • 1936 Pravda published critique of Shostakovich's opera, calling it 'Chaos instead of Music' – composer accused of leftist distortions
• 1/5th workers fully supported regime
• 4/5th unpersuaded by propaganda
• Shostakovich avoided arrest
• Events to celebrate socialism – Stalin's birthday and festivals glorifying it
• Great Famine 1932/3 – influx of refugees and broke down the rationing system
• Apartment blocks spied on by concierges
• Only favoured Party members had right to more substantial and private accommodation
• Water was rationed
• 1935-37 improved conditions: legal for small trades to operate privately
• 1936 Bad harvest – strains on public services
• Regime policed countryside more
• Religion, friendship and traditions were questioned and changed
• Fear induced by the Terror therefore lack of trusts and strain in old traditions of opened and cooperation
• Peasants viewed as inferior citizens
• Great Famine 1932-3 caused millions of deaths
• Post 1930s peasants; produce taken from them
• 1941 War – harsh and reintroduction of rationing