Author Archives: leahw93

Hero of the Final Frontier

Growing up in the American public school system, I distinctly remember learning several times about the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. We were taught about Apollo 11, the American flag they placed on the surface, and of course, … Continue reading →

Festival On the Streets

3 Nov ’13

After Stalin’s death, the new regime worked hard to dismantle his infamous system of secrecy, suppression, and the like. This greatly affected the political system, but it certainly extended into the cultural realm as well. Known as the Thaw, … Continue reading →

The Iron Curtain Descends

18 Oct ’13

The Cold War began in the aftermath of World War II as an “ideological, political, economic, military, and cultural” struggle for power between East and West (Seventeen Moments). Because the Cold War was not always a literal war fought on … Continue reading →

The Richest In Ideas

10 Oct ’13

In 1934, Soviet culture (and specifically literature) took a major turn with the adoption of socialist realism as the official state method. The movement was surprisingly conservative in part; it represented a return to the old Russian realist tradition … Continue reading →

The New Soviet Person

4 Oct ’13

One of the most interesting elements of the Soviet era, in my opinion, is how they completely created a new way of life for their people. It was not just a change in power or government or economy, but a … Continue reading →

The Cultural Battlefield

22 Sep ’13

As the Bolsheviks came to power, they faced many of the same social, economic, and national challenges that ended up destroying the previous regime. At the same time, they faced an even bigger challenge: that of completing the transition from … Continue reading →