“This country in good hands could become a pearl ...” Romania of early summer of 1945 seen by the members of the delegation of the Soviet intelligentsia Cover Image

«Эта страна в хороших руках могла бы стать жемчужиной…» Румыния начала лета 1945 г. Глазами членов делегации Советской интеллигенции
“This country in good hands could become a pearl ...” Romania of early summer of 1945 seen by the members of the delegation of the Soviet intelligentsia

Author(s): Alexandr Stykalin
Subject(s): Political history, Social history, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a Moldovei
Keywords: the spread of Soviet culture abroad; Romania; World War II; the mood of the Romanian intellectuals; Russian-Romanian and Soviet-Romanian cultural ties;

Summary/Abstract: In early summer 1945 the first visit to Romania by a fairly representative delegation of Soviet artists and scientists took place. It was fully used by the Allied Control Commission and the Romanian Communist Party to propagate the achievements of Soviet culture and science, and indirectly the advantages of the Soviet system and its ideology. The arrival of a number of really outstanding musicians and ballet dancers in the country attracted the Romanian public, and interest in the lectures of prominent Soviet scientists was demonstrated in the academic and university circles. A reduced record of the meeting in Moscow in June 1945 which discussed the results of the trip of the Soviet cultural delegation to Romania is published below. It may be seen that the members of the Soviet delegation, persons formed under the Soviet system and absolutely loyal to the Soviet regime, looked at the realities of postwar Romania through the prism of their ideology. But this view even not objective, but nevertheless, as a rule, benevolent, let them assess the enormous potential of Romania, which, according to Soviet observers – convinced communists, could be realized only under communist rule. Besides, even through the pink glasses of their stereotypes and their ideas about the inevitable triumph of communist project, the Soviet visitors could not help but see the real moods in Romanian society.

  • Issue Year: XV/2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 303-318
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Russian
Toggle Accessibility Mode