Lecture 9: Neither Capital nor Province

Since the 1920s, Soviet power has increasingly resembled the Russian Empire—not the era of Alexander III, but rather Peter I. Ideology becomes an instrument of state policy: any deviation is treated as an escape, and punishment follows immediately. However, this is also a period of the flourishing of the Leningrad school of art, the rise of the S. M. Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, the appearance of films «The Trilogy about Maksim» and «Chapaev», as well as architectural landmarks such as Tractor Street and the houses on Karpovka built by Fomin and Levinson. Especially significant is the Children’s Editorial Office of the State Publishing House (Detgiz). Leningrad of that time is a combination of cultural blossoming and darkness. The next lecture by Lev Lurie will tell you about it.