The Cult of Stalin

Why was it created

it put stalin beyond criticism

made him seem like the one person who could control things in chaotic times

Presented stalin as "the new lenin"

hoped to make people more loyal to stalin

to continue the cult of lenin

to increase support for the communist regime

offered a way of working around problems without needing to question one party rule

How was stalin presented?

Presented as a political genius who fully understood the communist way

praised for economic advances. he was pictured against a background of factories and happy collective farmers.

Propaganda/Media

Graphic art

Written and spoken word

Stalin was presented as fatherly, kind, and loved by everybody. Posters pictures Stalin surrounded by children being happy and applauding workers

Posters were put up in factories, at collective farms and on the streets.

Stalin specially commissioned prints to make him seem a better person/leader than he was e.g. some paintings suggested: he had a good relationship with the people; was a close friend of Lenin; was involved in planning important events (e.g. the October revolution, which was actually planned by Trotsky.)

They were paintings- so did not have to be based on reality.

Books

Poems 🖊

Songs :

Plays

  • Two histories of the communist party - published in 1938, rewrote history and placed Stalin in the centre of events, exaggerating his roles in the October revolution and winning the civil war
  • spoke of him as if he was superhuman, some used religious terms

Painting were released by 'state apporoved artists'

Though he was presented as fatherly and kind, Stalin rarely mixed with ordinary people outside his close circle within the government.

To remove those who went against Stalin/ his point of view from history

Confidence in Stalin

One night a writer called Boris Pasternak said 'If only someone would tell Stalin about all this!' in relation to the mass arrests happening.

Propaganda had been so successful that he assumed that the 'kind and fair' Stalin knew nothing about the mass arrests

click to edit

How others viewed Stalin

Leading Russian writer Gorky compared Stalin to a 'monstrous flea'.

Stalin was praised for economic advances and there were posters picturing Stalin at factories and farms though in reality, he rarely went to them.