No More Learning

4. The Arts
The Soviet government considers art to be an important part
of everyday life, and subsidizes the arts in many ways. Great
recognition is given to creative artists, and cultural workers are
among the highest paid of all workers. The Soviets make wide
use of art galleries and museums, not just as repositories for
valuable collections but as a means of arousing the conscious-
ness of the people to their rich cultural heritage. Theatres have
been as much a part of the Five-Year plans as have been dams
and steel mills; drama and opera are performed in sixty differ-
ent languages; and over a hundred children's theatres have been
opened. The arts are not limited to professionals. Five thousand
non-professional theatres are run by clubs and collective farms
for amateur performers. The best amateur musicians and dancers
come to Moscow from all over the Soviet Union to compete in
the Moscow Olympiads of Music.
In architecture the revolt against the past has produced a
style that features rather severe, straight lines. No great dis-
tinction has been won by Russians in sculpture or painting, ex-
cept for the early icons. The work of pictorial and graphic
artists has attracted considerable attention. While the Soviets
hold the literary man in high regard, little has been produced
by Soviet writers which is comparable to the work of the great
masters of the past. Until 1932 the work of writers was hampered
by the rulings of the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers.
Hostile critics say that Soviet artists are serving propaganda pur-
poses. The Communists admit the truth of the statement, but
hold that artists always do reflect the point of view of the ruling
class from which they earn most of their living.
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? 58 MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS
References on the Arts:
Vernadsky, A History of Russia, Chapter 19.
Williams, The Soviets, Sections 71-76.
5. Publications and the Radio
Since the masses have acquired the ability to read, their appe-
tite for learning is tremendous. The supplying of enough books
and papers to satisfy the demand has become a problem. At the
end of the First Five-Year Plan, book production exceeded that
of England, France, and Germany combined. One publishing
house alone in Moscow publishes books in eighty-five languages.
This interest in reading has brought about a great cultural
awakening. While more titles are published each year than in
any other country, and editions are quickly exhausted, the paper
is inferior in quality, and the books are for the most part paper
bound.
Newspapers and weekly and monthly periodicals are even more
widely read in the Soviet Union than in the United States. This is
in spite of the fact that Soviet newspapers omit many of the
features which we consider essential in order to secure a wide
circulation. Soviet papers are wholly occupied with public
affairs. The function of the press is to carry on educational and
propaganda campaigns in order to organize the support of read-
ers behind government policies. Most important papers are
Communist Party organs, and an agent of the censorship sits in
every printing establishment. No publication which attacks the
ideals or general policies of the Party is allowed. This does not
mean that no criticism is possible. Newspapers furnish the chief
means of "self-criticism. " Correspondence from the people is
invited and thousands of letters are sent in criticizing officials
for the inefficiency of management. Informal wall-newspapers
are published in institutions as a means of securing criticisms
from the workers.
Radio broadcasts are made in sixty languages. Programs are
centrally planned, and are "official" in the same sense as applies
to the press. Many facilities for group listening are provided
on collective farms, in factories, apartments, schools, and in
other public places.
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? MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS 59
References on Publications and the Radio:
Harper, The Government of the Soviet Union, pp. 73-76.
Webb, Sidney and Beatrice, Soviet Communism; A New Civilisation?
p. 1026.
Williams, Albert Rhys, The Soviets, Section 73.
6. Recreation and Sports
The recreation and sports program is intended to supplement
other features of the public health program. Its purpose is to
produce a more healthy, vigorous race. Factories, clubs, and
collective farms provide places wherein workers may study,
relax, and enjoy themselves. Music, games, and folk dancing
are available for public participation. While in Tsarist Russia
the masses of the people had no form of physical culture, now
the whole population takes part in sports and exercises more
and more. As long as a person is physically capable he or she
is apt to take part in some form of athletics, usually until well
past middle age. Cities provide Parks of Culture and Rest for
recreation and entertainment. Here are libraries, lectures, con-
certs, and exhibitions. Anyone who wishes may exercise in the
parks, or may join a sports club. In these ways the Soviet Union
tries to develop a strong, healthy population. Some observers
think the training provided by the sports program is one thing
that has enabled the Red Army to do such a good job in the war.
References on Recreation and Sports:
Life magazine, March, 1944, "Russians Like Athletics. "
Sigerist, Henry E. , Socialized Medicine in the Soviet Union, pp. 167-189.
Williams, Albert Rhys, The Soviets, pp. 313-316.
Some Suggested Activities on Cultural Life:
1. Read the article "100,000,000 Have Learned to Read and Write" in
Life magazine for January 11, 1943. Write a brief summary of the
ways in which this has been achieved. You will find additional mate-
rial in the Survey Graphic for February, 1944.
2. You probably recall that Peter the Great tried to "westernize" Russia.
If you do not recall it, review his work by referring to some history
text. Why have the Soviets been able to accomplish much more in
the way of cultural transformation than Peter the Great was able to
do in his life time? Put your reasons down on paper so that you will
have them for ready reference. A class discussion will be held on this
topic
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? 60 MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS
3. A visitor to the Soviet Union heard a woman say, "I liquidated my
illiteracy in 1934. " What did she mean? Construct two bar graphs,
showing on one the percentage o? illiteracy in 1914, and on the other
the percentage of illiteracy in 1939. (See Life magazine, March, 1943. )
The abolition of illiteracy is one of the aims of the Soviet Govern-
ment. What methods are being used to bring this about?
4. You are a Soviet citizen, twenty years of age. Write a careful account
of the educational training you have had to date, and tell what plans
you have for continuing your education. You will find material in
Beatrice King's book, Changing Man: The Education System of the
U. SS. R.
5. Lunacharsky, Commissar of Education in the Soviet Union, after lead-
ing the attack on the church, made the following remark: "Religion is
like a nail, the harder you hit it the deeper it goes into the wood. "
Review the persecution of the early Christians by the Romans, and
study the effects of the persecution of religion by the Soviets. This
topic is discussed in the books by Pares, Timasheff, Anderson, and in
Margaret Bourke-White's Shooting the Russian War. Write a brief
summary of your conclusions about the effects of religious persecutions
in each of these two instances.
6. You may be interested in the official correspondence between President
Roosevelt and Maxim Litvinoff at the time of our recognition of the
U. S. S. R. You will find this exchange of letters on pages 31-33 of the
American Quarterly on the Soviet Union for November, 1940. Pre-
pare a list of the rights respecting religious freedoms which the U. S. S. R.
agreed to guarantee.
7. In Life magazine for January 11, 1943 you will find an article by
Walter Graebner, who had just returned from a four months' stay in
Moscow. The article is entitled "Moscow Today. " Study the pictures
and read the article. Select a few of the dramatic highlights of the
article to tell to the class.
8. Paul B. Anderson, in his book, People, Church and State in Modem
Russia, says, "It has become abundantly clear that the Church and
the believers generally are wholeheartedly behind the Red Army
and its Commander-in-Chief, Stalin. . . . "
Make a list of the items of evidence you are able to find in support
of this statement. Refer to the books by Anderson, Timasheff, Pares,
or others.
9. In Survey Graphic, February, 1944, is an article entitled, "Cannon Have
Not Silenced the Muses. " Read this article and make a report to the
class on how the arts are being used in time of war.
10. If you are interested in photography, you will no doubt be interested
in Margaret Bourke-White's book, Shooting the Russian War. After
some other students have read it, hold a group discussion with those
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? MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS 61
who are interested. Let the group decide whether or not to make a
brief report to the class on it.
11. Read the pamphlet entitled Drama in Wartime Russia by Henry Wads-
worth Longfellow Dana. Give a brief report to the class on the way
the Soviets are using drama to help win the war.
12. In the magazine, Art News, for May 15, 1942, is an article describing
an exhibition of Russian icons at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Study
the pictures of icons, and read the article. Would you care to study
this topic further and write a brief report on it? Perhaps you can
include a sketch of an icon that you liked especially.
13. Arrange to play a recording of a piece of modern Russian music which
you like. Find out what you can about the composer and tell the
class before you play the record.
14. Soviet scientists have "caused rain to fall in Ashkhabad, the dryest
spot in the country by sprinkling passing clouds with chemicals from
airplanes. " Many other interesting developments of Soviet science
are described in Chapter 45 of Albert Rhys Williams' book, The
Soviets. Read this chapter and any other interesting material you find
on this subject, and answer the following questions in writing:
a. How do the Soviets attempt to enlist all citizens in "storm-
ing the fortress of science"?
b. List some of the unusual achievements of Soviet science in
the following fields: synthetic products, weather control, devel-
opment of new plant life.
15. The Soviets believe that science is their ally in building a new life
for themselves. Science was assigned definite duties in the Five-Year
Plans. List the ten key problems assigned to the Academy of Science
in the Third Five-Year Plan. Prepare to explain to the class one of
these problems which interests you. (See Albert Rhys Williams, The
Soviets. )
16. Read H. P. Smolka's book, 40,000 Against the Arctic, or Ivan Papanin's
Adrift on an Ice Floe, to get a picture of the Soviet Arctic. After sev-
eral of you have read one or the other of these books, get together for
a discussion.
17. "We must not wait for the favors of nature," Michurin, Soviet scien-
tist, said in 1922. "We must wrest them from her. " To what extent
has the Soviet Union struggled against nature in: (a) the Arctic;
(b) desert areas; (c) adapting vegetation to the climate; (d) adapting
the climate to vegetation. Prepare an oral or written report on one of
these. See the chapter on science in Albert Rhys Williams, The Soviets.
18. "An empty futile amusement," said Nicholas II, the last of the Tsars,
in speaking of the cinema (motion pictures). "Only an abnormal per-
son would put this vulgar circus on a par with art. "
Lenin said, "For us the cinema is the most important of the arts. "
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? 62 MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS
Consult the available references and see what you can find about the
cinema in the Soviet Union, and the Soviet "Hollywood.
"
Write a few generalizations on how films have been used in the Soviet
Union.
19. Have you ever seen a Soviet-made film? If so, what was it? Write a
paragraph or two giving your reaction to it.
20. In the violent phase of the Bolshevik Revolution, Lunacharsky, a great
Bolshevik art critic, was so upset by rumors of the demolition of the
famous Basil Cathedral that he became ill. Lenin went to see him
and appointed him to head a special commission to protect and pre-
serve the cultural inheritance of the past. You will find in Williams,
The Soviets, a section entitled, "What Happened to the Art Treasures
in the Revolution? " Find any other material on this topic you can,
and write an interesting paper on it. Members of the class will be in-
vited to read your paper if they wish to do so.
21. "Art," said Lenin, "belongs to the people. " Find out how the Soviets
have made the arts a part of everyday life. Form a group to discuss
some of the things the Soviets have done to accomplish this. Do you
think we should try to make the arts a more common experience for
Americans?
22. Beatrice and Sidney Webb say, in speaking of censorship in the Soviet
Union, "In the first place, nothing is permitted that is deemed 'counter-
revolutionary. ' This does not mean that no criticism is allowed. On the
contrary, there is, as the student will have concluded, no country in
the world in which there is actually so much widespread criticism of
the government, and such incessant revelation of its shortcomings, as in
the U. S. S. R. "
Read the article on "Self Criticism" in Soviet Communism: A New
Civilization? by the Webbs. What are the limits within which criti-
cism must remain? Does this article help explain how so much unfavora-
ble comment on the Soviet Union originated? Write a few general state-
ments on this topic, giving your conclusions.
23. "Russian music in the second half of the nineteenth century entered
into a period of great creative activity. "--Vernadsky. One group of
musicians formed an organization for the purpose of developing Rus-
sian music. This organization contained many persons whose names
are known all over the world. Find out who these men were (Vernad-
sky, 210-211) and see if you are familiar with their compositions. A
group of you may be able to collect a record of a piece by each, and
play it for the class.
24. Tchaikovsky, 1840-1893, wrote many great masterpieces. Ask your music
teacher to discuss his work with you, and play several of his compo-
sitions.
25. Rachmaninov, one of the famous modern Russian composers, died in
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? MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS 63
1942. Koussevitsky is the Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Who are some other famous Russians in the field of music?
26. Shostakovich is the best known in the United States of any of the
contemporary Soviet composers. You may recall that his "Seventh
Symphony" was written during the siege of Leningrad. Read an ac-
count of his life, and arrange to hear one or more of his symphonies.
27. Many people think that Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace is one of the
greatest books of all time. This book tells the story of Napoleon's
defeat by Tsar Alexander I. The modern Russian book which has been
compared to that great epic is Mikhail Sholokov's The Silent Don, of
which there are two volumes, And Quiet Flows the Don, and The Don
Flows Home to the Sea. Read either of these books and discuss them
orally either with your teacher or with another student who has read
them.
28. Maxim Gorky is a much-loved Russian author who died in 1936.
One of his most famous books is entitled Mother. Read this book and
report to the class whether or not you think they would like to read
it, and why. You may enjoy discussing it with your English teacher
also.
29. The "middle school" in the U. S. S. R. offers a ten-year course of study
for pupils from the ages of eight to seventeen. Since 1943 these schools
have not been coeducational for students in large cities. Can you find
out why this change was made? Chapter XII in Beatrice King's
Changing Man: The Education System of the U. SS. R. describes the
ten-year school. You may want to read it so that you can compare
and contrast life in the Soviet schools with that of your own school.
30. The Soviets have become tremendously interested in athletics. You
may be interested in making a special study of this topic. A detailed
report on Soviet athletics by Eric A. Starbuck is soon to be pub-
lished as a pamphlet by the National Council of American-Soviet
Friendship.
F. The Position of Women
The vocational opportunities and special protection afforded
women in the Soviet Union are best stated in the words of
Article 122 of the Constitution of 1936: "Women in the U. S. S. R.
are accorded equal rights with men in all spheres of economic,
state, cultural, social, and political life. The possibility of exer-
cising these rights is ensured to women by granting them an
equal right with men to work, payment for work, rest and
leisure, social insurance and education, and by state protection
of mother and child, pre-maternity and maternity leave with
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? 64 MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS
full pay, and the provision of a wide network of maternity
homes, nurseries, and kindergartens. " In 1940 there were eleven
million women wage-earners in the Soviet Union, representing
thirty-seven per cent of the total number of wage-earners. Nine-
teen million more were working on collective farms. More and
more women are becoming technicians and are entering the
professions. With the coming of the present war the number of
women in industry increased from eleven million to fifteen
million. Soviet women are not only at work on farms, in mines,
and in factories in increasing numbers; they are also serving
as nurses, as guerilla fighters, pilots, ambulance drivers, and in
many other types of work. While the Soviet Union does not
encourage women to join the fighting fronts, they may do so if
they wish, and many of them have performed great feats of
daring.
References on the Position of Women:
Halle, Fannina, Woman in Soviet Russia, The Viking Press, N. Y. , 1935.
Maurer, Rose, "Those Russian Women," Survey Graphic, February,
1944-
Williams, The Russians, Chapter 16.
Some Suggested Activities on the Position of Women:
1. You will be interested in the contrast between the attitude toward
women in the Soviet Union and in Nazi Germany. Form a committee
to study this question, and arrange to report your findings to the class
in a panel discussion. See the pamphlet, Soviet Russia versus Nazi
Germany by Corliss Lamont.
2. Prepare a paper on the subject, "The Status of Women in the Soviet
Union. " Refer to the book by Fannina W. Halle, Women in Soviet
Russia.
3. Collect a set of clippings from newspapers and magazines on how the
women of the U. S. S. R. have contributed to victory in the war. Mount
these clippings and place them in a folder so that they may be of
use to others who are studying this topic. Remember that the source
and date of each clipping should be given.
4. The pamphlet, Soviet Women in the War Against Hitlerism, contains
highly dramatic descriptions of the exploits of individual Soviet hero-
ines. Read several of these, and select one to tell to the class. A group
may plan this together, and present one or more brief, interesting ac-
counts to the class.
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? MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS 65
5. Using the pamphlet mentioned above, write the script for a radio
interview with one of the famous Soviet heroines.
6. Prepare an exhibit of pictures showing how Soviet women have helped
to promote victory in the war. You may wish to include sketches of
your own. (Pictures may be obtained for a modest rental fee from
the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, ' 232 Madison
Avenue, New York City. )
G. Family Life
In the early years of the post-revolutionary period family
relationships were unstable. The tendency toward the disinte-
gration of the family was accentuated by the new economic in-
dependence of women, the socialization of many of the functions
of the home, and the decline of religion. The war, the Revolu-
tion, and the famine were disruptive forces, and many of the
old standards were discarded. The economic independence
of women required new ways of caring for children, and new
methods of feeding people. Nursery schools were set up to
care for infants up to two or three years of age, thus releasing
the mother for, work. Public kitchens and dining halls were
organized. At present the main meal of the day is usually eaten
at the place of work. However, many women still do double
duty in carrying on household duties as well as a job. This is
especially true of women over twenty-five years of age.
The Soviets have come to regard the home and family as the
central agency for child care, with public institutions supple-
menting this work. Members of the family all have the same
free day, and all go to the club for amusement together. A
tightening up of the marriage and divorce laws has tended to
strengthen the family as a social institution. When divorce
occurs, any children of the marriage must be protected from
hardship. In spite of the loss of some of its social functions,
the family is held together by love for the children and by the
common bond of work, as well as by the mutual affection of
husband and wife. During the war every effort has been made
to protect the family. When large numbers of people and fac-
tories were moved eastward, whole families were moved as a
unit when possible.
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? 66 MEET THE SOVIET RUSSIANS
References on Family Life:
Kingsbury and Fairchild, Factory Family and Woman in the Soviet
Union, G. P. Putnam's Sons, N. Y. , 1935, pp. 238-250.
Maurer, Rose, "Recent Trends in the Soviet Family," American Socio-
logical Review, June, 1944.
Maurer, Rose, Soviet Children and Their Care, pamphlet.
Sigerist, Henry E. , Socialized Medicine in the Soviet Union.
Some Suggested Activities on Family Life:
1. "The air is good in the country because the peasants use so little of
it" goes an old Russian saying. Housing in the Soviet Union has been
pitifully inadequate, but even so the majority of the people are better
housed than they were in the past.
Read Section 49 in Albert Rhys Williams, The Soviets, and you will
find some amusing anecdotes on the subject of housing. After you have
read this, draw a series of cartoons illustrating some of the ideas which
interested you.
2. The Russian people take a particular delight in festivals and holidays.
Make a calendar of important holidays in the Soviet Union, identi-
fying each. Make a similar calendar for our own national holidays.
3. The "Young Pioneers" is an organization of Soviet children from ten
to sixteen years of age. Read the section in Williams, The Soviets, on
the Young Pioneers. You will also find information on this organiza-
tion in Beatrice King's Changing Man: The Education System of
the U. S. S. R. What similarities and differences do you note between
this organization and our own Scout organization? Form a group of
students who are interested in discussing this topic.
4. Lenin said, "The actual building of the new society will begin only
when women are freed from petty, dreary, futile drudgery. Housework
in itself is utterly inconsequential and stultifying. "
As a preparation for a class discussion on home life and the position
of women in the Soviet Union, answer the following questions:
a. How have the Soviets tried to free women from household
duties?
b. What effect does such a provision have upon home life?