USSR: Cults of Personality
- Created by: Safi
- Created on: 21-05-17 14:21
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- Cults of Personality
- Lenin
- After his death the newspapers, cinema and statues all contained images of Lenin
- His body was embalmed and put on display in Red square
- Petrograd renamed Leningrad in 1924
- Although Lenin was against cults of personality the one that was built around him posthumously was used by successive leaders to gain legitimacy
- Stalin
- Tried to create links with Lenin and portray them as close colleagues
- Although Lenin was against cults of personality the one that was built around him posthumously was used by successive leaders to gain legitimacy
- 'Stalin is the Lenin of Today' slogan used by members of party
- 1925, Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
- He gained titles such as 'Brilliant Genius of Humanity' and 'Gardener of Human Happiness'
- Paintings, statues and other art portraying him as omnipotent and the defender and benefactor of socialism, or as a down to earth and humble peasant/ worker
- During WW2 he was often portrayed in military dress in front of an army,
- WW2 massively increased his prestige and people truly saw him as the saviour of 'Mother Russia'
- During WW2 he was often portrayed in military dress in front of an army,
- Films and statues portrayed him as over 6ft when in reality he was 5ft 6
- Film 'The Fall of Berlin' 1950 showed Stalin exiting a plane to applause just after the fall when in reality it wasn't till weeks later
- 'Offical History of he All-Union Communist Party' gave Stalin prominent role in the October Revolution
- Tried to create links with Lenin and portray them as close colleagues
- Khrushchev
- Initially condemned Stalin's use of the cult of personality in Secret speech in 1956
- Cult had helped him gain power in the power struggle with Malenkov
- Photos with peasants on visits to collectives helped to build it
- Developed into adulation through posters, books and articles
- Appointed his son as head of Izvestiya and used the media to feed his own ego and self-publicise
- Although the cult never reached the heights Stalin's did it there was enough for it to count towards his dismissal
- Brezhnev
- Cult was useful to securing power in the power struggle after Khrushchev's dismissal
- Cult became substitute for real power, he had all the trappings but not wish to exercise it
- Awarded over 100 medals
- If they are poking fun at me it means they like me
- As his health deteriorated and he became incapacitated the cult kept up the appearance of leadership
- Lenin
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