Modern Russia

DOCUMENT ANALYSIS #3

Go to www.SovietHistory.msu.edu. Click on 1924. Write a 3 page (minimum) paper in which you discuss all of the text examples from one of the sub-headings (such as Antireligious Propaganda, Nepmen, Socialist Cinema, Young Communists). NOTE: the text examples are at the top of the page. Also: do not write on the subject essays at the beginning of each sub-section. Only write on the text examples. If you wish, you can also include the related text examples. If the text example is too short, write on an additional one from a different sub-heading. You can also write on the images, photo essays and videos.

Here are some suggestions:

Nepmen:

Text – from Cement (a novel). [Note: it is café in the text – the accented letter does not reproduce correctly]. [A verst is a unit of length about equal to 0.6 miles]. What is the author trying to say in this passage? What is his point? What strikes you most about this passage?

Images – [Need to click on each image to see full size] – Aleksandr Grinberg: What does this picture tell you about young women during NEP?

Vladimir Kozhuskin: What does this drawing mean? What emotions does it evoke?

Dmitrii Kardovskii: What is the author’s attitude toward Nepmen? How does he show this?

Socialist Cinema:

Text – Lenin on Most Important of the Arts: How do you think Lenin views film? What is the purpose of film?

Related text – Trotsky on Vodka, the Church and the Cinema; AkhRR Manifesto

Eizenshtein [also spelled as Eisenstein]: [montage = a rapid series of images] [also it is l’art in case you are tempted to read it a different way]. How does Eizenshtein compare bourgeois film and socialist film?

Video – Kino-Eye – Dziga Vertov. What is he trying to evoke in this film? Is this how you think farmers normally come back after working in the fields? If not, then why does he film it this way?

Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West: If any of you are familiar with US films of the time, how does this compare? How is this film different from Kino-Eye?

Strike – Eisenstein: How does this film differ from Kino-Eye and Extraordinary Adventures? Look at how this film is put together. Is it effective? Why or why not? Does this film follow what Eisenstein says in the text that you read?

Young Communists:

Text – Lenin: Lenin on the Komsomol

Bringing Up the Young Generation

Related Text – Diary of a Communist Schoolboy

Chubarov Alley/ Vl. Khediashev, Human Beasts: note that this is a newspaper article – what is this article about? Why do you think the newspaper reporter wrote it?

Trotsky on Civility and Politeness: why do you think Trotsky needed to write this?

Images: Always Prepared!

In the Pioneer Club

Komsomol Ticket

In the Light and to Knowledge

A Village School