1. 9. THE STALIN CULT

2. TODAY’S QUESTIONS What was the Stalin cult? What were its functions?
How does it differ from other personality cults?

3. LEGITIMACY
Legal authority: the right to govern is based on the rule of law, founded on clear principles; leaders are chosen on the bases of legal or legal-democratic procedures Traditional authority: the right to govern is based on an appeal to continuity Charismatic authority: the right to govern is based on perceived unique characteristics of the leader

4. MODERNITY V NEO-TRADITIONALISM
Modernity: Soviet Union is a modern state, which used modern techniques of rule – the welfare state, lauding of science, mass media, surveillance – albeit one premised on a different form of governance (‘illiberal modernity’) Key scholars: David Hoffmann, Peter Holquist, Yanni Kotsonis, Stephen Kotkin, Jochen Hellbeck Neo-traditionalism: The Soviet Union may be a modern state, but it was premised on fundamentally non-modern practices: clan politics, patron- client relations, corruption, personality cults. Key scholars: Terry Martin, Matthew Lenoe What can the Stalin cult tell us about these schools of thought?

6. THE FALL OF BERLIN (1950)

7. STALIN CULT

8. STALIN STATUE

9. VASILY EFIMOV AN UNFORGETTABLE MEETING, 1936-37

10. ALEXANDER GERASIMOV HYMN TO OCTOBER (1942)

11. GRIGORY SHEGAL’ LEADER, TEACHER, FRIEND (1936-37)

12. FEDOR SHURPIN MORNING OF OUR MOTHERLAND (1949)

13. YURI KUGACH ET AL GLORY TO THE GREAT STALIN (1950)

14. STALIN IN THE VISUAL ARTS

15. Joan Neuberger: “One can easily imagine the conceptual circles Plamper proposes, but I can’t see them anywhere in these two paintings. A lot rests on Plamper’s geometrical argument so this discussion of composition is not solely formal. … Circles are historically and conventionally signs of completeness and enclosure. Here, circles are one of the totalizing visual strategies of the Stalin cult… But diagonal lines are considered dynamic, open forms; triangles are powerful wedges, and because the criss-crossing diagonals don’t necessarily enclose space as fully formed triangles, they can be divisive and exclusive.”

16. Jan Plamper: “I think [Neuberger] reads “circles” too literally
Jan Plamper: “I think [Neuberger] reads “circles” too literally. In one place I also speak of “concentric zones” (p. 98) and I believe I can show that the principle holds for most Stalin paintings (I adduce many more in addition to the Gerasimov and Shurpin paintings reproduced in her post). About my point that Gerasimov deliberately broke the railing behind Stalin and Voroshilov in order to allow for the creation of a visual axis between Stalin and the people on the embankment, celebrating the connection between vozhd’ and narod, Neuberger writes that “closer inspection reveals that even if the railing had been unbroken there, the people would have been visible.” I am aware of this, but it doesn’t answer the question of why Gerasimov chose to break the railing in the first place.”

17. Joan Neuberger: “It seems to me, that if we are using the tools of visual studies, we need to see the center of a circle and the center of a triangle and a various groupings of figures on a flat plane as different things. If circular ideas (rather than structures) were so important, why do they not show up in composition? What are we missing by imposing a reading that doesn’t hold up—what else is going on in these pictures? It’s no surprise that Stalin is at the center, so let’s be precise about what is going on around him.” Discussion on the Russian History Blog, April 2012, cult/

24. AND WHAT ABOUT THIS …

32. EXERCISE What values does the Putin cult put forward?
How is his cult similar, and how does it differ from the Stalin cult? Think of:
The conditions of production (political environment, media environment, etc.)
The audience
The nature of leadership, legitimacy
Is the Putin cult effective in your opinion and, if so, why?

33. Source: THE ECONOMIST, feb 2016