Narkom Yezhov
While one part of the 1930s seemed to focus on how much life in Russia had improved under the Soviet Union and specifically the policies of Joseph Stalin, on the other hand, there was a great amount of fear, due to domestic policies like the Purges and international pressures, like the eve of World War II. As a result of the pressures faced by the artists, a new form of art known as Soviet realism became quite popular. The poem “Narkom Yezhov” by folk poet Dzhambul Dzhabaev is an excellent example of Soviet realism, as it incorporates accessibility to the newly literate Russian (dostupnost), Russian ideals and spirit (narodnost), and the spirit of the Soviet Party (partiinost).
“Narkhom Yezhov” is based on the Soviet leader Nikolai Yezhov. Yezhov was the head of the NKVD during the deadliest stage of the Purges. He helped to create the Purge Commission, and used that position along with his role at the helm of the NVKD to extend the Purge from Stalin’s enemies within party leadership to the general Russian population as a whole. Millions died in the ensuing liquidation processes. However, by 1940, Yezhov himself had displeased Stalin, and found himself executed by the very process he had helped to create.
Yezhov reached the height of both his power and cruelty in 1937, the year that Dzhabaev came out with his poem that exalted him. In the poem, Yezhov is depicted as being a god-like man who “Lenin and Stalin sent to us” in order to aid the Kazakh peasants in their fight against the rich landowners who abused them. Dzhabaev addresses Yezhov in the poem, saying, “You are a sword, bared calmly and fiercely… You’re the eye of the nation, brighter than diamonds.” This praise hardly seems fitting for a man known throughout most of the Soviet Union as “Stalin’s Poison Dwarf” (a reference both to his cruelty and his short stature).
The poem “Narkom Yezhov” is a great example of Soviet realism, as it is in the form of traditional Kazakh folklore, which makes it accessible to the common peasants, and it also incorporates the spirit of both Russia and the Party by praising Yezhov’s valor and by making a Party leader seem like a god. The glory of the poem can also be seen as an attempt to mask the horrors of the time period in which it was written, another key facet of Soviet realism.
Sources: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikolay-Ivanovich-Yezhov
http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1934-2/socialist-realism/
Mass Culture in Soviet Russia, “Narkom Yezhov”, pages 298-300.
http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/49304/Stalin-s-poison-dwarf
October 19, 2015 @ 4:43 pm
Good choice of topics! Dzhabaev’s incorporation of Kazakh lore and imagery into this ode to the NKVD leader is really interesting. How do you think people responded to Dzhabaev’s poem — both during Yezhov’s reign of terror and then after his fall? (Also – fix references to “Socialist” (not “Soviet” ;-)) Realism”)
October 19, 2015 @ 11:11 pm
This was great! The post really captures the reality that the purges represented and how Soviet artists responded to this new norm. It is interesting how Yezhov’s own beast came back for him later, and how he fell victim to a fate he himself had created. This post helps establish the mindset that the 1930s in the USSR were not all happy go lucky. Good job and good analysis!
October 20, 2015 @ 12:13 am
Good example of realism! I also love how you used Yezhov as a concrete example of Stalins paranoia and cruelty! This definitely shows how he got rid of higher ranking offices because he was afraid of their attempts to over throw him. Great Post!
October 20, 2015 @ 1:45 am
I think it is incredibly interesting to see how our art is changed by the surrounding world. Art is resilient and will always be a part of human nature and no matter how natural the instinct is, our art is always reflective of our external disposition. Whether is is paint or poems like “Narkom Yezhov” our creative abilities are expressed in all forms.
October 20, 2015 @ 1:59 am
I am so glad you included the altered picture in your post. I came across it during my research and made a mental not to look up the back story at a later time. It just encapsulates the nature of soviet politics.