September 11, 2013

Patriotism: A USSR Story


Patriotism: A USSR Story

Patriotism in general is no simple concept. But on this Patriot Day in the US, perhaps it is worth appreciating that at least patriotism in the US is not nearly as complex and dangerous as it was in the Soviet Union.

Patriot Day in the US commemorates an attack on US soil – and in that, at least, we have a clear parallel: a solid portion of Russian and Soviet patriotism revolves around the troubled memories of World War II. Russians still give thanks to their fathers and grandfathers (occasionally mothers and grandmothers) who saved the country from “the fascists,” and praise the heroic deeds of soldiers, civilians, batalions, and even entire cities. Support for the current armed forces is also an accepted patriotic form – certainly a familiar one to the American observer.

What happens, though, when the Communist Party enters the picture? They certainly did a good job riffing on the same themes of military strength and victory over the invaders. However, under Communist leadership patriotism became a duty, a necessary prerequisite for success, with an obligatory component of praising the CPSU specifically, or at least Lenin and the current leader. Like a piece of gum chewed a little too long for lack of a trash can, patriotism became an inescapable, tasteless burden.

Soviet-style Patriotism: November 7th Parade, 1983
Military display with "Praise to the CPSU!" in the background

No one felt the pressure more than cultural icons of the day: writers, singers, directors, actors, etc. To be successful – or even to survive – they had to curry favor with the Party. Currying favor with the Party often meant creating or performing work that was artificially patriotic, which was selling out – and therefore became an obstacle to success. And yet the Soviet Union did have its own set of wildly popular performers. How did they ever navigate this Catch-22?

Joseph Kobzon

Joseph (Iosif) Kobzon, who turns 80 today, is a perfect case in point. A popular singer who remained on stage for over 50 years, he managed to both satisfy the party leadership and become an idol to many Soviet listeners. He was known both as a singer of patriotic songs – always a suspicious kind of fame – and as “one of us” in a system where the government was always “them.” In fact, over 80 percent of his songs were love songs, like the playful “If you love me, find me” (just look at that mischievous smile!).

So how did he avoid listeners’ disdain? At least he sang about the war, not about “giving the Earth to children” or other, more politically-oriented themes. Politics, however, is very insidious: Kobzon’s song “Malaya zemlya,” which at first seems like an awkwardly named run-of-the-mill WWII song, is in fact a blatant sell-out, as a musical tribute to General Secretary Brezhnev’s memoir The Small Land. In a society so ideologically controlled by the Communist Party, it’s not really patriotism until you’ve honored and sucked up to the current party elite.

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955