Oct 27 2014
The Great Russian Melting
Image URL: http://img5.douban.com/lpic/s4033446.jpg
“The Thaw,” written by Il’ia Ehrenburg in 1954, is a novel which follows the lives of three different types of Soviet men, including the stark contrast of the life of an industrial manager and an artist. What makes “The Thaw” so special is that Ehrenburg intentionally breaks from the Stalinist belief that communism was the best form of government for a country and that Communists were the best, most important members of society (“The Thaw”).
Life was getting better, for alcohol was now becoming more available after Stalin’s death (Vrobyev). The Thaw turned out to be one of the most important things that happened to Russia in the post-Stalin era. Prisoners were released from the Gulag work camps, festivals were held, works by foreign authors were allowed into the country, international trade opened up again, and the Soviet Union began competing in international competitions under Nikita Kruschev’s rule (“Kruschev Thaw”).
As we all know, the new openness to international competition the Soviets were enjoying inevitably led them to the Olympics, leading to one of the most iconic and well known moments in all of sports, when the United States faced off against the Soviet Union in ice hockey. See the final minute here.
However, it was not all good during the post-Stalin reforms. Kruschev had to deal with two revolts and attempts to remove
him from power. Despite all this, Kruschev managed to open the Soviet Union’s borders and made it much more globally involved. There was an American magazine distributed in the USSR, and a Soviet magazine was distributed in the United States. He lessened media censorship, allowing works by foreign and banned authors back into the country. Music experienced its own little renaissance and resurgence. Perhaps most importantly, Kruschev’s efforts to restore the Soviet Union to a nation of pride and unity, instead of one ruled with an iron fist, provided a slight cessation of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, and delayed the Cold War. Kruschev even went and visited Camp David (the President’s “vacation home”) in 1959 (“Kruschev’s Thaw”).
After Stalin’s death, life got significantly better under Kruschev’s rule, thanks in no small part to his numerous reforms and attempts to ease tensions with the United States. Kruschev can arguably be considered the most American-friendly leader the Soviet Union/Russia has ever had.
Works Cited:
“Khrushchev Thaw.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Subject Essay “The Thaw” by James von Geldern, pulled from 17 Moments in Russian History. Source URL: http://soviethistory.macalester.edu/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1954thaw&Year=1954
Youtube Video “Final Minute of the ‘Miracle on Ice.'” Published 5 February 2010. Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYscemhnf88
October 28, 2014 @ 12:48 am
I like how you connected the book named “the Thaw” to the “Khrushchev Thaw”. Is that where the name came from? You were not too clear on that. You also connected the Thaw to wider trends in Soviet history, which was nice to see although I am not too sure you can call Khrushchev the most American-friendly president since he was involved in the Cuban Missel Crisis, one of the most tension-filled points in US-USSR relations
October 28, 2014 @ 1:31 am
While the Thaw was definitely important, I am unsure as to whether or overall standard of living and opportunities available improved very much. While the Thaw turned back many Stalinist policies, they were forced to turn to a more moderate approach following the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. I feel that initial attempts to improve after Stalin were not as progressive as they were portrayed to be.
October 28, 2014 @ 2:38 pm
Khrushchev’s commitment to “overtaking capitalism” did indeed produce improvements in quality of life, housing, and the availability of goods and services. Jimmy is correct that reform efforts often suffered from a gap between inspiration and implementation, but overall, the trend favored more liberal cultural and social policies.
November 3, 2014 @ 5:20 pm
Having Russia participate in sports and be able to experience the outside world is a reason communism started to fail. The openness of media led to the Soviet people being able to see how western life is better.