The Bolshevik regime had an extensive effect on art and popular culture. In the art world many of the traditional aspects were challenged. Other angles on art such as Modernism which was a movement based upon abstract symbols, became increasingly popular. However the Bolsheviks did not have much control over their viewpoints so set about either restricting them or by rivalling them. They employed an artist called Mayakovsky to produce slogans and posters as propaganda; they were however particularly striking and is a good example of an artist who used his creative talents for the benefit of the Bolshevik regime. The economic restrictions however did not hold back futuristic Constructivism throughout the early 1920’s. Sculptors such as Tatlin laid plans for lavish buildings such as his Tower that would be creative yet purposeful for the communist regime.
In terms of high culture it was the theatre that was largely behind the revolutionary aims of the Bolsheviks. There where many plays produced such as Mystery Bouffe by Meyerhold which showed the workers defeating the exploiters. However high culture such as ballet and opera where severely dislike among the Bolsheviks as they saw it as ‘bourgeois art’. High culture under the Bolsheviks rapidly decreased, although some high quality work did survive. The Bolshevik revolution had accelerated some of the trends evident in the arts pre 1917.The greater freedom for expression that artist had yearned for did not come, as the party exerted its influence and control.
How successful was Stalin's drive to transform Soviet society 1929-39?
Despite the great social and humanitarian cost of Stalin’s changes could be deemed a success as much was done in the departments of urbanisation, economy and increasing industry. By 1939 Stalin had achieved a state in which he said existed only 3 classes, increased production of heavy industry and a swift increase in urbanisation.
Stalin had many different plans and ideas on how to achieve a transformation in Russian society. His economic ideas where of a titanic proportion, none of them being straightforward and easy to implement, such as the five year plan in which Stalin wanted a good 10 years industry in 5. The first Five Year Plan was aimed at pushing the nation ahead economically at a great speed with no regard for the possible implications. Stalin stated in November 1929, "we are advancing, full steam ahead along the path of industrialization to Socialism, leaving behind the age-long Russian backwardness”. Beginning in 1929 peasants were removed from their homes and forced into collective farms. This collectivization affected an enormous amount of Russian people. The actual implementation of this project, though pre-meditated was not planned carefully. The lack of planning lead to increased chaos and brutality which in turn made collectivization an arguable economic failure. Stalin's collectivization campaign resulted in the 1929 harvest to be less than the 1928 harvest. There were severe shortages of grain, sugar beets, and hemp. To make matters worse, peasants refused to sell what they produced because prices were so low. The peasants destroyed crops and tools rather than give them up to the Bolsheviks. Overall, production in agriculture dropped by 20 percent and did not reach pre-collectivization levels until after World War II.
The industrial drive of the Five Year Plan made the conditions in the Soviet Union more severe. "The rate of investment in heavy industry was considerably increased over the original estimates mainly at the expense of investment in the light industry". Due to the extreme investment increase in heavy industry many small scale industry sectors and the private sector of agriculture suffered dramatically. New heavy industrial projects (the commanding heights) had increased the labour force more than was expected and additional workers had to be hired. Consequently these workers burdened the agricultural sector because they had to be fed. Basic goods production such as toiletries etc. was limited in favour of heavy industry. While some basic goods industries continued to do well most did not. They took a back seat to heavy industrialization this caused a major problems with in the industrial economy of the Soviet Union. However it is clear that it was a great turn around in the fortunes for Russia’s economy, it was now much stronger and there wee substantial achievements in the heavy industry. There wads an enormous growth in industrial production, for such a short space of time. (As seen in my nice little table below)
Despite its initial success it is arguable the First Five Year Plan was not as successful as Stalin had anticipated. Most of the failure of the plan was due to poor planning and from Stalin setting unrealistic goals for economic performance in Russia. It was said it took the Bolsheviks decades to make up for the lost revenues from agriculture due to collectivization. Agriculture was treated as a means to an end and because of this it was near collapsing. However the industrialisation of Russia bought an increase in urbanisation, which was very important in the modernisation of Russia, almost doubling in cities such as Moscow and Leningrad.
The economic changes did not occur without a tremendous cost to the Russian people. To meet the goals of Stalin's plans, the workweek was changed from five to seven days. Workers were placed on rotational shifts to keep factories and mines producing to meet quotas. Little or no time was permitted for workers to be away from their jobs. If a worker skipped their job for more than one day, without good reason, they could be kicked out of their house and be fired. The workers lost much of their freedom. They were restricted in movement by an internal passport system so that they would have to stay at their jobs. There were few consumer goods to improve their lives. Even basic necessities were sold at inflated prices to workers by the state in order to generate money. However the peasants suffered most. In order to increase its heavy industry, Stalin had to buy machinery and tools from America. In order to afford this, they needed money. They generated this money by confiscating the grain grown by the peasants and selling it to other countries. Many of the peasants tried to resist, however they where executed in mass, and many hundred thousand peasants died.
Despite the great social and humanitarian cost of Stalin’s changes could be deemed a success as he had achieved a great deal of reform in a relatively short period of time. Considering the time and nature of 1930's Russia the cost of life of which was great throughout the changes was arguably inevitable, in a drive towards a more modern Russia.