Part2:SovietCulture

1. WhatwereSovietvaluesconcerningReligion/Nature/Kinship?
TounderstandSovietvaluesregardingthetopicsofreligion,natureandkinship,itis
importanttoappreciateSovietideology.Ratherthanobservingthesetopicsassomethingtohold
worth,theyareviewedassubjectsorobstaclestobeovercomeandcontrol.PlusElectrification
(Sovietcartoon1972),brieflydepictshowSovietsocietyvaluesnature.HereinaSoviet
propagandacartoonitdisplaysnatureasanobstacle,which,bythepowerofscientific
advancements,canbecontrolled.RiversaretobecontainedandharnessedforSoviet
hydroelectricdams,fieldsaremeanttobeplowedandtoyieldaharvest.Itisnotinnatures
worththatvalueisfoundratherinwhatnaturecanprovidefortheadvancementofSoviet
society.
Anotherexampleofthestruggleofhumansversenature(aswellassovietkinship)isthatof
theBaikalAmurmainlinerailway.Amonumentalconstructionprojectwhichrequiredmass
migrationsofSovietpeoplestodesolateregionsofSiberiaandtheFarEastofRussia,makingit
possibletoexploitthevastnaturalresourcesintheseregionsandbringcivilizationtothese
isolatedplaces.Thisprojectdefined(anew)theSovietvalueofkinship,itdemonstratedself
sacrificebytheUSSRcitizenswhomovedtotheseplacesandfraternalcooperationthevalued
brotherhoodinSovietsociety(Ward).Itisinthisfraternalcooperationthattheunderstanding
ofSovietkinshipisobtained.Sovietkinshipistheunitingofworkersandtheeducationofthe
peasants,tobringthemthelightoftheworkingunion(WithoutGod,withman).Thevalueof
Sovietkinshipisinthehammerandthesickle,itisintheworkersstrength.Sovietkinship
valuedoesnotapplysolitarytofamilyconnections;itappliestotheentireunion,tothesolidarity

oftheworkersthroughouttheUSSR(ABCofcommunism,pg180).Thereforeitisthedutyof
theworkertoeducateallonfunctioningtowardthecommongood.Partofthiseducation
processinSovietideologywastousereligionasamodelofcorruptionofthecurrentsystem.
Religionistheopiumofthepeople.KarlMarx(CommunismandReligion,ch11),this
ideathatreligionnumbsthemindsofthepeople,wasindirectconflicttothevaluesoftheSoviet
system.Thereforereligion,inSovietterms,founditsvalueasoppositiontocommunism.It
helpedintheargumentforchangeclaimingitkeptpeopleinignorance,notallowingthemto
followthedefinitelinesofsocialism(CommunismandReligion,ch11).Religionundermined
Sovietlogicthereforeifoneisthemostcorrect(socialism)thananyothermustbeconsidered
incorrectorignorant(religion&science).
2. HowwerethesevaluesexpressedinSovietpropagandaaboutSiberiaandcallstoits
citizenstoworkandlivethere?
SiberiaunderSovietvalueswasperceivedasagreatareaofgrowthfortheUSSR,aplaceto
expandtheSovietvalues(anopportunitytopromotetheidealSovietcitizen),vastnatural
resourcestobeexploited,andanopportunitytocivilizetheseregions(includingcivilizing
indigenouspeoples).SovietpropagandaemphasizedthesemassmigrationstoSiberiaasan
opportunityforadvancementandtoservethecommongood.Heedingthecalltoexpandinto
Siberiaandwork,meantapersonwouldbefulfillingsuchthingsasfraternalcooperationas
wellasanopeningtoperpetuateandworkonsomeofthegreatSovietprojects(Sellingthe
ProjectoftheCentury:PerceptionsoftheBaikalAmurmainlineRailway,inthesovietpress
19741984,Ward).PropagandaabouttheseSiberianprojects,includingtheProjectofthe
century,BAMrailwaywereusedtohelpmaketheoldvariancesdisappear,promotingthenew

equal,classlesscivilization(TheNewSovietCitizen,pg.219).AgainreferringtoPlus
Electrification(Sovietcartoon1972),hereisadvertisedoneofthemostfundamentalSoviet
values,progress.Itstartswithelectrificationofthecountry,andportraysconstantprogress.
Illustratinggreaterandgreateradvancementsacrosstheentirenation,includingrevelatoryscenes
ofwhattheSovietpotentialcanbeifrealized.Anotherformofexpressionusedisthatof
degradingexistingcultures.Ifthepastistoberejected,andprogressachievedthenthepastmust
bediscredited.SamoyedBoy(SovietCartoon1928),isanexampleofdiscreditingpropaganda.
Revealingtheevilintentofindigenousknowledgeanditsreligion.Anexpressionoftheneedto
beeducatedcorrectlyisshown,andwiththis,correctknowledgetheindigenouspeoplecan
conformtotheidealoftheSovietcitizen.
3. WhatwastherealityforSovietcitizenswhomovedtoSiberia?
TherealityforSovietcitizenswhomigratedtoSiberiawas,forthemajority,muchdifferent
thanpropagandized.HoweverSovietvaluesandidealswererealizedinpart,inAkademgorodok
Reborn,heretheideaofaSovietutopianforlearningandacademicprogressiscontinued.Based
offcitiesbuiltthroughoutSiberiatopromotetheeducationoftheSovietUnion.Unfortunately
mostSovietprojectsoverpromisedandunderdelivered.Manypeople,menandwomen,were
arousedtomakethemovetoSiberiabecauseofprojectssuchasBAM.Withthisexample,the
notionofworkingforthebetterofthenation,bringingthemanynationalitiesoftheUSSR
together(Propagandaworkingtomakepeoplewanttotakepart)andcreatingjobsandbetter
wagesforthosewhowouldgo.HoweverlivinginSiberia,meanslivinginanextremelyharsh
environment.LivingandworkinginpunishingcoldispartofthelifeinSiberia(BAM:Soviet

ProjectoftheCenturyVideo).Peoplehavetotravelgreaterdistancestoobtainwhattheyneed
whenlivinginthispartofRussia,ortheymusttraveltotheirclients(ConqueringPermafrost:
PeopleoftheBAMrailway).Makingisolationanothermajorissueforthosewhomigrated.
Howeverevenfacingthesechallengestheseakademgorodokswereinmanywaysbetterthan
EuropeanRussia.