Russian Culture Final

Collectivization

A policy in the Soviet Union, primarily from 1928-1940, to consolidate individual land and labor into collective farms (kolkhozes) under state control. It aimed to increase agricultural efficiency and fund industrialization, but led to widespread famine and resistance from peasants.

NKVD

The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, operating primarily from 1934-1946, was the Soviet Union's main secret police agency responsible for internal security, political repression, and the administration of the GULAG system.

Industrialization

A rapid process in the Soviet Union, driven by state-led Five-Year Plans from 1928-1941, to transform the predominantly agrarian society into an industrial power, focusing on heavy industry and collectivized agriculture.

Stalinist Purges

A series of campaigns of political repression and persecution orchestrated by Joseph Stalin, primarily from 1934-1939, involving mass arrests, show trials, executions, and imprisonment in forced labor camps, targeting perceived enemies of the state.

GULAGs

The government agency in charge of the Soviet forced labor camp system, officially established in 1930 and in major operation until 1960, which interned millions of political prisoners, criminals, and others deemed anti-Soviet.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet premier who served as leader of the Soviet Union from 1953-1964, consolidating power after Stalin's death, denouncing Stalinism, and initiating de-Stalinization and a policy of 'peaceful coexistence' with the West.

Khrushchev’s speech at the XXth CP Congress

Nikita Khrushchev's 'Secret Speech,' delivered on February 25, 1956, which denounced the crimes of Joseph Stalin, particularly the Great Purge and the cult of personality, marking the beginning of de-Stalinization.

The Thaw

A period in Soviet history, generally considered from the mid-1950s to early 1960s, following Stalin's death, characterized by a relaxation of censorship and repression, leading to increased cultural freedom and rehabilitation of political prisoners.

The Stagnation

A period in Soviet history, primarily from the mid-1960s to mid-1980s under Leonid Brezhnev, characterized by economic slowdown, political conservatism, and a lack of significant social or economic reforms.

Leonid Brezhnev

Soviet leader who served from 1964-1982, presiding over the period of 'Stagnation,' promoting détente with the West, and overseeing military expansion and the intervention in Afghanistan.

Perestroika

A program of economic and political reforms introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev, initiated in 1985, aimed at restructuring the Soviet economy, decentralizing decision-making, and increasing market-like elements.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985-1991, who introduced the reforms of Perestroika and Glasnost', significantly contributing to the end of the Cold War and the ultimate dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Glasnost’

A policy of increased openness and transparency in government activities and institutions in the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, initiated in 1986, promoting freedom of information and public debate.

Solzhenitsyn

A prominent Russian writer and dissident who exposed the brutality of the Soviet GULAG system, most famously in 'The Gulag Archipelago' (published 1973), leading to his exile from the Soviet Union.

Kulaks

A term used in the Soviet Union to refer to relatively wealthy peasants or those who owned larger farms, targeted during the late 1920s to early 1930s collectivization as 'class enemies' and subjected to repression.

Kolkhoz

A collective farm in the Soviet Union, formed by consolidating individual peasant land and labor under state control, established from 1928 onwards during collectivization, intended to increase agricultural output and efficiency.

Dissidents

Individuals who openly opposed the policies and practices of the Communist Party and Soviet state, particularly prominent from the 1960s-1980s, often facing persecution, imprisonment, or forced exile for advocating political and human rights.