Russia & the Soviet Union 1917–1941 Essay (Georgia Morrison)

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TO WHAT EXTENT WAS SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LIFE IN THE SOVIET UNION TRANSFORMED UNDER STALIN’S RULE? Intro: Stalin’s rule utterly transformed the entirety of the Soviet Union through strictly regimenting every facet of Soviet life in accordance with the ideals of the Communist Party and Stalin himself. Stalin’s rule did face some minor limitations in terms of irreversibly transforming the Soviet Union, however these limitations were mostly intangible due to Stalin’s immense successes in depriving Soviet society of freedom and controlling every aspect of their behaviour. Stalin swiftly eradicated all improvements made for women under Lenin’s rule, while also creating the revolutionary Komsomol, which transformed youth culture in Russia irreversibly. Stalinism also uprooted Soviet culture and religion, gradually removing all influence on Soviet people until Stalin was the sole form of authority in Russia. Stalin’s implementation of censorship and the regulation of art in Soviet society also contributed to its profound transformation. Despite the considerable transformation evident, each facet of social and cultural life faced its own limitations in terms of total radicalisation. Stalinism profoundly transformed Russia, rigidly dictating all facets of cultural and social life, however Stalin did face measurable limitations.