| Unit name | Engineers of the Human Soul: Soviet Culture and Politics 1917 - 1941 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | RUSS20060 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Connor Doak |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Russian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Sweeping to power in the revolution of October 1917, the Soviets aimed to transform not only politics and society, but also culture, including literature, film, visual art, and music. For Soviet leaders, culture was not merely a form of entertainment, but rather a tool to forge the New Soviet Man and Woman. Writers were expected to become, in a popular phrase of the day, ‘engineers of the human soul’. We begin by considering competing ideas about the function of culture in a socialist state after the Revolution. The 1920s saw a lively debate about what type of artistic expression would be appropriate for the Soviet Union, as well as a wave of experimentation in all of the arts. However, by the early 1930s, Socialist Realism had become established as the only acceptable art form in the Soviet Union, and those who did not comply were repressed.
This unit aims to familiarize students with the relationship between culture and politics in the Soviet Union between 1917 and 1941. Students will become familiar with the key figures in Soviet cultural policy in the period (Lenin, Lunacharskii, Trotskii, Stalin, Zhdanov). We will also look at a variety of cultural expressions and trends in the period, which may include: (i) avant-garde writers, such as Maiakovskii; (ii) socialist realist writers, such as Ostrovskii; (iii) satire, such as the works of Bulgakov and Zoshchenko; (iv) visual culture, such as Rodchenko and Malevich; (v) films by avant-garde filmmakers (Vertov and Eisenstein) as well as socialist realist film genres including musical comedies and adventures (vi) composers such as Shostakovich; (vii) life-writing including diaries and memories, including those written ‘for the drawer’ (such as Chukovskaia). Not all of these will be covered every year; the course material will depend on the member/s of staff teaching the course and their research interests. However, in all years we will pay attention both to canonical Soviet figures and dissidents who used culture to challenge the regime. Students will evaluate the competing ideas about art (in the broadest sense) in a socialist society, as well as looking in detail at key works from the time.
On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:
1 weekly lecture
1 weekly seminar
A collaborative research project (3-4 students) which includes a presentation and individual portfolios containing initial plan, co-authored introduction, individual talk, reflection (total 2500 words) (50%) (ILOs 1-4)
1 x 2000-word essay (50%) (ILOs 1-4)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. RUSS20060).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
