Russian Culture

Lesson 1: Myths and Legends of Soviet Russia

Conclusion

Soviet history is a tricky subject to tackle, as there are numerous accounts of what happened and then again, not one or two different points of view, (especially now that people are free to write and talk about it) but many opinions as what really happened. Communism began as a savior for the people. Literacy went up to nearly 100%, people had homes and jobs, the country entered into the industrial revolution, the economy had it’s up and downs, but every country has those.

The Great Patriotic war was a horrific time in Soviet history and many of the impressions we have of Russia stem from this time period and were no longer true of Russia ten years later. In the 1960 and 1970’s, Russia was full of cultural and social reform. The housing crisis was beginning to be addressed. The economy was on an up swing again. Women had always been allowed into the universities, but now they were entering in greater numbers. Another myth of Russia, is that of the subjugation of woman in a patriarchal society. But this was not entirely true either. Before the revolution of 1917, women had few rights. But the communists believed in equality; to the communists, men and women were equal citizens and workers. A women could do what we considered a man’s job (like construction) if she wanted. While in the home life, the wife may have been, and still is expected to clean and put dinner on the table, She was also free to pursue her career, take jobs, or to study at a university. During WWII, there were even woman fighter pilots. They had their own special units. They were not used very much, as Russians do love their women, but the opportunity to fight for one’s country was still there.

While the communists were responsible for some of the worst atrocities (work camps, denying religion to the people, and no free speech), they were always striving for something more, and they were striving together. Communism was not about oppression, it was about sobornost (an ideal which states- that for society to work efficiently, everything must have a place and everything must be in place. It means that everybody has value to the greater society, and that the society provides for every person). The Russian communist was striving to attain a Neitczhein Superman position on the ladder of humanity. Individuality was blasphemous as communists believed that when everybody worked for the society then the society worked for all the people.

Optional Reading

For further reading you can read chapters 5, 6, & 9 of the Russian’s World by Generva Gerhart. These chapters are about more practical things like housing, food, and shopping. You can also take a look at stories, I Believe! and Cutting Them Down to Size, from Stories from a Siberian Village, by Vasily Shukshin.

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