National Bolshevism: Stalinist Mass Culture and the Formation of Modern Russian National Identity, 1931-1956

by David Brandenberger

During the 1930s, Stalin and his entourage rehabilitated famous names from the Russian national past in a propaganda campaign designed to mobilize Soviet society for the coming war. Legendary heroes like Aleksandr Nevskii and epic events like the Battle of Borodino quickly eclipsed more conventional communist slogans revolving around class struggle and proletarian internationalism. In a provocative study, David Brandenberger traces this populist "national Bolshevism" into the 1950s, highlighting the catalytic effect that it had on Russian national identity formation. Beginning with national Bolshevism's origins within Stalin's inner circle, Brandenberger next examines its projection into Soviet society through education and mass culture--from textbooks and belletristic literature to theater, opera, film, and the arts. Brandenberger then turns to the popular reception of this propaganda, uncovering glimpses of Stalin-era public opinion in letters, diaries, and secret police reports. Controversial insofar as Soviet social identity is commonly associated with propaganda promoting class consciousness, this study argues that Stalinist ideology was actually more Russian nationalist than it was proletarian internationalist. National Bolshevism helps to explain not only why this genre of populism survived Stalin's death in 1953, but why it continues to resonate among Russians today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Russia, History

400 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2002

Reviews

[Serhiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

У розвідці професора історії Університету Річмонда досліджується процес переходу радянської ідеології від пролетарського інтернаціоналізму на початку революції до націонал-більшовизму сталінської доби.

Бранденбергер вважає, що це було зумовлено в першу чергу практичними причинами: марксизм вивявився не спроможним сгуртувати радянських громадян для індустріалізації і колективізації, та виробити для них спільну ідентичність. Для розуміння марксизму потрібна була освіта, а більшість населення була малограмотним або зовсім безграмотним. Російській націоналізм виявівся зручнішим інструментом для досягнення цих цілей, бо був простішим і зрозумілішим народу. До того ж початок репресій проти старих більшовиків ускладнив викладання сучасної історіі в школах і університетах, бо постійно приходилось переписувати підручники, вікреслючи прізвіща вчорашніх героїв революції. Безпечніше було звертатись до дореволюційної історії, виховуючи молодь на прикоадах Олександра Невського, Івана Грозного, Петра Першого, Суворова та інших. Друга світова війна підкінула дров у багаття, створивши нову російську національну міфологію, і завершилась відомим тостом Сталіна за російській народ.

Найцікавіший висновок, який робить Бранденбергер з усього цього - національна самосвідомість росіян сформувалась саме в сталінську добу. За часів Російської імперії це було неможливо, бо більшість населення була неграмотними та ідентефікували себе з локальною сільською общиною. Більшовики, подолавши неграмотність, одночасно впровадили в масову культуру російський історичний нарратив, що став піґрунтям російської ідентичності. Тому критика сталінізма в сучасній Росії сприймається настількі травматично, бо є посяганням не стількі на радянське як епізод російської історії, скількі на російське взагалі.

[Ondřej Plachý · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy book. Not very easy to read, it goes into a lot of detail (good for historians, worse for ordinary people I guess).

National Bolshevism was a Stalinist mass culture that tried to create a modern national identity during the 30-40s. The concept of National Bolshevism (NB) came from the surroundings of Stalin’s closest associates. It was introduced radically and became a tool of propaganda both at school and outside of it. At its beginning, there was a complete paradox - on the one hand, it elevated Russian history and culture, on the other hand, it promoted the idea of a unified Soviet Union. Russian identity and its propaganda took place at the expense of all other nations and ethnicities in the USSR. NB succeeded - it created a national identity that did not exist during Leninism, and strengthened Stalin’s power. It also helped significantly during the Great Patriotic War, as it boosted morale both on the front and at home. Compared to the previous period, NB completely abandoned the difficult-to-explain concepts of internationalism and international revolution. One of the reasons according to the author was also that Russian society in the 30s was extremely uneducated and was not actually able to understand the basic elements of Marxism-Leninism. This had practical consequences - intra-party criticism, inability of cadres to explain the basic points of Marxism-Leninism, etc. This resulted in unclear goals for the future, something that lowered the overall morale in society. The main heroes of NB, who were strongly pushed by propaganda, were: Alexander Nevsky - a medieval Russian prince who defeated the Teutonic Order in the 13th century. Ivan the Terrible - the first tsar of Russia, depicted as a strong and decisive ruler who expanded the borders of the country and supported the Orthodox Church. Peter the Great - modernized Russia and expanded its borders. These personalities became heroes and were subsequently used for mass propaganda. It did not matter at all that they were nobles and therefore factual enemies of the Bolsheviks. The whole period of NB ideology was based on the fact that the end justifies the means. Many Bolsheviks who stood at the beginning of the revolution in 1917 were either executed or sent to the Gulag in the 30s. So there was also a practical reason why it was necessary to use heroes who could not be endangered by any political development (they had been dead for a long time). After Stalin’s death, Khrushchev distanced himself from his cult of personality, but NB remained in the game - there was still a huge emphasis on Russian identity, inventions (including Russian scientists working in the West, where it was said that these inventions were more or less stolen), culture, etc. NB and its concept more or less survived until Putin’s regime, but that probably surprises no one. TL;DR: The ideological transition from Lenin to Stalin was not homogeneous, there was a radical overhaul of the entire ideology and a significant departure from Marxism-Leninism. Russian identity became dominant, as the first among equals in a range of nations of the USSR. The bet on National Bolshevism paid off - it increased the enthusiasm of ordinary people and led to better military and economic performance. After Stalin’s death, this ideology did not disappear, but continued in various transformations until today.

[Dimitrii Ivanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Просто и последовательно организованное исследование, прослеживающее причины и проявления русоцентризма в официальной идеологической продукции сталинского периода - учебники, кинофильмы, публицистика и пр., а также - что особенно важно - их рецепцию населением СССР. Наследие этих кампаний, кажется, и ныне с нами. Особенно хороша структура: много маленьких главок, а тяжёлые, но нужные вещи (вроде подробностей историографических битв) отнесены в сноски.