The Role and Importance of Theater Critics in the 1940s Soviet Union “Regarding One Antipatriotic Group of the Theatrical Critics”

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Maia Kiknadze

Abstract

At various stages of Soviet Union the processes of art were determined by Communist Party and its management.
Party used to establish rules and priorities and suggest action plan to artists’ cycles. After the end of the Second World War the government of winner country was urging artists to play their roles in the construction of socialist country and to often demonstrate “happy” soviet citizen.


In soviet era, all fi elds of art had their purpose. There were passed special resolutions, decrees for the employees of music, art, cinema, literature and theatre, who were obliged to reflect
modern life in accordance with the determination of party.


One of the aforesaid documents was resolution of communist party (b) “about repertoire of drama theatres and measures of its improvement” adopted in August 26, 1946. Pursuant to the resolution was approved the repertoire policy of theatres and at the same time set an objective of action plan.


Upon consideration of theatre ideology the party was drawing special attention on the discussion of theater criticism. In accordance with the resolution the criticism had to be have
Bolshevik nature and it had imposed certain obligations. Attention to the theater criticismdrawn by party was stipulated by propagandistic nature of this field.


In January 28, 1949 the governmental magazine “Pravda” published letter “about one anti-patriotic group of theater critics”, where was disapproved anti-patriotic activity of theater critics
and operation of the unit of theatrical society. In the opinion of party, theater criticism is the most famous part in literature. Theater criticism has remained some spaces of bourgeois
aesthetic nature. These critics (Iezovsk, Gurevich and et al.) show cosmopolitic, antipatriotic relation to soviet art.


Letter published by magazine “Pravda” had a great resonance even in Georgia. Notes made in “Pravda” had to be
taken into account by the artists of all republics. Consideration and discussion on this theme in Tbilisi was continued at Writers Union and theatrical society. There were considered and criticized theater critics mentioned in this letter. They held a
discussion on the importance of theater criticism and defi ciency
of Georgian theater criticism, who had planned the ways of improvement Georgian theater criticism.

Keywords:
Anti-Critics, Resolution, Soviet Propaganda, Repertoire Politics
Published: Dec 20, 2021

Article Details

Section
Theater Studies