The De-Stalinization of Soviet Culture After 1953

Russia – Soviet Art and Culture, 1953-1991

In this course, Dr Simon Huxtable (Birkbeck, University of London) discusses art and culture from the death of Stalin until the collapse of the Soviet Union, 1953-1991. In the first lecture, we explore the de-Stalinization of art and culture orchestrated by Stalin’s successor, Nikita Khrushchev. In the second lecture, we investigate the evolution of Soviet youth culture as greater freedom allowed for a growth of alternative style and music. Third, we look at art and culture in the years of Leonid Brezhnev and the increasing repression of culture leading to a growth in popularity of underground cultures. Finally, in the fourth lecture, look at art and culture under Mikhail Gorbachev and understand how Soviet culture in these years contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The De-Stalinization of Soviet Culture After 1953

In this lecture we think about de-Stalinization of Soviet Culture after 1953, focussing on: (i) the impact of Joseph Stalin’s death, creating an atmosphere in which Soviet art and literature saw a brief period of greater freedom, allowing artists to experiment and criticize Stalinism, exemplified by works like Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962); (ii) Nikita Khrushchev's conservative tastes ultimately led to a return of state control, limiting artistic freedom, however not to the extent seen under Stalin; (iii) although some works challenging Soviet ideals were published, the limits on creativity remained tight, with repressive censorship still in place.