Mass Culture in Soviet Russia: Tales, Poems, Songs, Movies, Plays, and Folklore, 1917-1953

by James Von Geldern, Richard Stites, James Von Geldern

Release Date: November, 1995

Edition: Paperback

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Great feel for the Soviet Era

The editors do a wonderful job of finding items of Soviet folklore and putting them together to give the reader a feeling of actually almost being in Soviet Russia. From the chastushki to the luboks to the songs, all the items are wondeful.

The measure of the Soviet experiment through the arts

This book does a great job of giving the reader an overall perspective of the Soviet experience through her arts. From the beginning optimistic nationalistic songs, to the later stories of the youth groups (Komsomol) and futuristic views of the USSR, the reader becomes enveloped in the pride the Soviets had for their country and the hope that they had in her. I became very interested in these passages and consequently became somewhat connected to their cause. I gained a lot of respect for the Soviet artists. However, one cannot help but feel a sense of sorrow that the project went wrong; it was, after all, the greatest social experiment in history. I cannot give 5 stars because I would have liked more visual arts; overall, though, an excellent book.