The picture above is an example of some of the posters that workers made quickly before their march on the Communist Party Headquarters in 1962. Workers once again were angered with the low wages they were receiving, especially since food prices were going through the roof at the same time. Many of the posters […]
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Feelin’ a lil corny
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Similar to the grain problem of the previous decade, Russia also began to see a shortage of corn around the turn of the 1960s. Nikita Khrushchev, also the mastermind behind the Virgin Lands Campaign, decided it was time to run … Continue reading →
Thawing Out
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Change was the watchword of the Soviet fifties, and this weeks’ posts speak eloquently to that fact. A record number of Red Star and Comrades’ Corner posts speak to the often contradictory, and sometimes staggering social, cultural and political transitions following Stalin’s death in 1953. While many wonderful submissions continued to rely on the bounty…
Eighth Blogpost Guidelines
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Generational struggles, the space race, crisis in Czechoslovakia, and the shift in leadership from Khrushchev to Brezhnev defined the Soviet sixties. This week we will use the modules on 1961 and 1968 from Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. Please also consult and use the Current Digest of the Soviet Press and cite the articles you…
Insane in the Ukraine
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Ukrainian national identity struggled to gain support during the early 20th century while Ukraine was controlled by both Polish and Soviet state powers. When Poland was divided between the USSR and Nazi Germany, the underlying identity of those who considered themselves Ukrainians was split once again. The West began to side with the fascist ideas […]
Crimean Conundrums
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World War II is relevant to the current situation in Ukraine because it solidified Soviet influence in the Crimean Peninsula. After liberating the peninsula from 2 years of Nazi rule, the Soviets deported many remaining non-ethnic Russians, such … Continue reading →
Hungry in Hungary
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In 1956, Nikita Khrushchev totally denounced Stalin (following his death in 1953) at the Soviet Communist Party’s Twentieth Congress in February. This condemnation led to multiple crises in Europe, particularly in Hungary and Poland. In particular, Poland and Hungary had communist parties with … Continue reading →
Akademgorodok, or ‘Science City’
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Hidden away in the frozen forests of Siberia and away from the eyes of the bureaucracy resides a city built for the scientist and the researcher. It was believed that Akademgorodok would be the harbinger of scientific breakthroughs that would … Continue reading →
Cleaning Up the Mess
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In March of 1953, Joseph Stalin died under suspicious circumstances, ending his quarter-century-long reign over the Soviet Union. With his death, the party machine he established gradually crumbled as various personalities tried to consolidate power. The eventual victor was Nikita … Continue reading →
The Mysterious Gift
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In February of 2014, the world was shocked on February 26, just three days after the Sochi Olympics ended, and the days following when reports began to surface that Russian troops were deployed in Crimea. Russia had poured billions of dollars into the 2014 Winter Olympics and other things in order to attempt to portray […]