Socialist Realism

What was the communist policy of socialist realism?

Socialist realism was a communist policy on art and culture which portrayed life under socialism in a positive way. It was focused on ordinary people.

When was the communist policy of socialist realism in force?

Socialist realism was official Communist Party policy from the 1930 to 1953 under Stalin's rule.

Who was involved with the communist policy of socialist realism?

There were different people involved with the socialist realism movement:

• ❖ Stalin ordered that all art and culture should follow the artistic style of socialist realism.
• ❖ The film director, Eisenstein, was very popular.
• ❖ In literature, writers Sholokhov, (1928's 'And Quiet Flows the Don'), and Kataev, (1932's 'Time Forward'), were popular.

How did the communist policy of socialist realism affect art?

Under socialist realism, art:

• ❖ Often showed peasants with plentiful harvests and successful industrial workers.
• ❖ Became part of Stalin's cult of personality.
• ❖ Showed happy and positive images of ordinary life in the Soviet Union.

How did the communist policy of socialist realism affect music and dance?

Under socialist realism, music and dance:

• ❖ Traditional folk music and dancing as well as ballet dancing were encouraged.
• ❖ Jazz music was banned.

How did the communist policy of socialist realism affect literature?

Under socialist realism, literature was:

• ❖ Focused on ordinary workers or peasants.
• ❖ Centred on life in the Soviet Union, such as a record-breaking shift in the steel factories or life on a collective farm. War and detective stories were also popular.

How did the communist policy of socialist realism affect cinema?

Under socialist realism, the cinema focused on glorious tales from Soviet or Russian history, such as the Russian Civil War.