The Effect of the Bolshevik Rule on Russian Culture

The Effect of the Bolshevik Rule on Russian Culture

Bolshevik cultural policy was based on spreading their values to the

population. They attempted to promote equality to create a classless

society. In addition to removing class differences they attempted to

give equal status to women and to young people. In order to encourage

women to work state funded crèches were established and laws passed to

give women parity in terms of pay with men. The state tried to destroy

the old concept of families by legalising abortion and enabling people

to obtain divorces much more simply. This was against the teaching of

the Orthodox Church which was not tolerated by the Bolshevik party as

it had been deeply involved in the Tsarist system and the belief

propagated by it that the Tsar was God's representative on Earth was

the basis of its power. Religion in general was considered the "opium

of the masses" as it was described my Marx the founding father of

communism. The church's physical resources were taken from it and its

ability to spread its message was damaged by the outlawing of

religious education outside of the home and by the activities of the

League of the Militant Godless a Bolshevik sponsored organisation

intended to spread anti-religious propaganda. Bolshevik success in

this area was varied as it did succeed in destroying the church as

organisation but surveys of the peasantry in the 1920s found that 55%

of peasants were still practicing Christians. The survival of religion

is probably due to the often more lenient policy practiced locally

which would often permit religious people to join the party in

contravention of central policy. Islam was also prominent in the east

of Russia however this was affected little partially due to wariness

of the Bolshevik leadership and probably also due to the distance from

Moscow which made enforcement of central party policy difficult.

The Bolshevik approach to the arts and popular culture was split into

two broad views the first held by Lenin that culture was important but

subordinate to class conflict.