Watching the Soviet Sixties Through Children's Animation

The “Appearance of Innocence” Watching the Soviet Sixties Through Children’s Animation AUTHOR: Rebecca Silver EDITED BY: Malika Navruzova, Esti Azizi, and Marisa Coulton The animated cartoon Redhead, Redhead, representation. These cartoons provide a rich Freckle-face begins with an innocent story-line: platform for discussion as they share similarities a young boy ridiculed for having red hair.1 By the regardless of their differences in styles and end, the sun has turned the whole world red to the content. Many cartoons produced throughout the delight of the boy. By using Communist imagery, the sixties in the Soviet Union sent different messages joyful ending of this children’s cartoon clandestinely and signals to those who consumed them. It is, signals the power of the Soviet state through the however, the layers of overlapping similarities spread of Communism. After showing this flm to and multiple divergences between these two flms the class, my Russian language professor looked which provides informed conclusions on the socio- at us with a broad smile and said, “Wasn’t that political atmosphere in the Soviet Union at the time cute? I used to watch that as a child.” These subtle of their production. Through an analysis of Read references to the communist ideology of the Soviet this and Travel and The Three Fat Men, this paper Union, often found within seemingly innocent will argue that Khrushchev’s policies infuenced the childhood entertainment, reveal the pervasive uniquely “Soviet” way the sixties were represented and disturbing nature of Soviet propaganda. in the Soviet Union. Additionally, cartoons can be Propaganda pieces were often used by the Soviet considered representative of an intergenerational Union to maintain stability and control, particularly form of propaganda produced by a centralized during the years of uncertainty following Stalin’s agency. For these reasons, they may inform the death and Khrushchev’s Secret Speech denouncing viewer about policy decisions and the spirit of the Stalin’s legacy in 1956.2 The Khrushchev years also decade. marked an uneasy openness and shift away from the Stalin state-induced fear toward a sixties peace To support the above argument, this movement, Soviet style. Unsurprisingly, animated paper will frst contextualize the culture during the children’s programming produced during the Khrushchev era, as well as Khrushchev’s political Soviet sixties refect broader socio-political trends aims. Next, it will examine the reception and indicative of the time and spirit of that era. Chief audience of animated cartoons: who was watching among these trends are the concepts of socialist them and how they may have been interpreted. internationalism, competition and patronage both Finally, this paper will use both Read this and within and outside of the socialist system, a rise Travel and The Three Fat Men as case studies in Khrushchev-inspired consumerism, and an to examine trends in travel and tourism, socialist increase in travel and tourism.3 internationalism, a rise in consumerism, and competition and patronage both within and outside Two animated children’s shows, Read this of the socialist system. and Travel to Paris and China (hereafter referred to as Read this and Travel) and The Three Fat To determine Khrushchev’s effect on Soviet Men, are prime exemplars of this unique sixties society in the sixties, this paper will enter into a form of promotion of Soviet ideals through dialogue with scholarship concerning the import 10 of Soviet cartoons. Many scholars, most notably Khrushchev’s policies are animated. This analysis Natalie Kononenko, examine these media devices makes arguments about the era itself rather than in relation to folklore inspirations.4 Another scholar on the specifc purpose and use of the cartoons. utilizing the folkloric trope is Brigit Beumers. She suggests that Soviet animation should not be The era of Khrushchev was characterized considered propaganda as the genre was less by many changes in Soviet society, now known by affected by ideology in comparison to other forms historians as The Thaw.13 This period was marked of Soviet art.5 In response, Kononenko argues that by the eradication of the repressive policies the widely held belief that children’s entertainment associated with Stalin, the release of prisoners was innocent and beyond ideology is naive.6 In from camps across the Soviet Union, and the Kononenko’s opinion, it is the “appearance of liberalization of the press and arts.14 A new cultural innocence that allows creators of animated flms shift away from Stalin-era collectivization and […] to exert a powerful infuence on society.”7 This toward individualization resulted in several “thaw” paper will build on Kononenko’s interpretation of policies such as increased consumerism and the animated flms, which proposes the media source privatization or westernization of living spaces.15 did infuence Soviet society in the sixties and may Signifcantly, these “thaws” in Soviet policy were indeed be considered a subtle, yet powerful, form uneven and erratic, often followed by destabilizing of socialist propaganda. “freezes.”16 The limited opening of the Soviet Union exposed many Soviet individuals to the spirit of the Laura Pontieri is another scholar who sixties through contact with the West, yet due to the contends that Soviet animation was not only “thaw-freeze” dichotomy, these westernized ideals produced for a youth audience.8 Pontieri focuses were expressed in a uniquely Soviet way. on the sixties, but suggests that cartoons produced during this period were created with an adult Khrushchev’s foreign policy also refected audience in mind, and with an underlying message the internal changes occurring in Soviet society. directed at a mature audience.9 To support her His global approach was relatively peaceful theory, she analyzes cartoons intended for a youth compared to Stalin’s aggressive stance. Although audience, examining the language and images for Khrushchev frmly believed in socialism’s eventual incongruities in style and substance.10 economic victory over capitalism, he also believed in and encouraged peaceful economic competition In light of these scholarly works, this with Western countries.17 Underlying this policy essay views animation as representative of was Khrushchev’s view that war with capitalist trends in Soviet culture and as direct creations countries was not inevitable nor was it desirable.18 of Khrushchev’s policies during the sixties. This On the contrary, he was convinced that a major contention is supported by the manner in which world war could be avoided through a peaceful, these cartoons were produced. Soyuzmultflm, the world transition to socialism.19 As a result, he Soviet production studio creating these cartoons, supported non-violent, parliamentary transitions was a bureaucratic organ in a centralized state. Its to socialism in other countries, rather than mandate was to produce material consistent with destabilizing revolutionary approaches.20 Instead the party line and state beliefs.11 Such animation of fearing the West, Khrushchev welcomed the refected the state-approved vision that offcials comparison between capitalism and socialism, wanted the citizenry to believe, no matter the age encouraging transnationalism and an easing of or generation.12 Similar to Pontieri’s research, this travel restrictions to Western countries.21 These paper uses the 1960s as a focal point. However, policies were consistent with the general spirit of this paper will use cartoons as the lens through the sixties as envisioned in the West. which to view the 1960s and through which 11 Culturally, Khrushchev denounced Stalin’s 7 individuals per television set within the decade.30 ideologies, which initially created a sense of In 1960, 5 million households in the Russian Soviet dislocation in the Soviet Union. Instead of leaning Republic had access to television services; this on the recent past for inspiration, Khrushchev number increased to 10.5 million by 1963, and revived Leninist norms and embraced the spirit of would reach 25 million by 1970.31 the Russian Revolution.22 This connection with the distant past was taken up by the arts in a search to The increase in production and fnd acceptable stories and morals to teach to the consumption of cartoons which can be attributed next generation.23 The perfect container for these to the rise in television ownership had ideological narratives and parables was children’s literature. ramifcations. In the 1950s and early 1960s, there were some collective areas to watch television, Children’s literature underwent signifcant such as clubs, museums, and for youth, children’s modernization at the time of this socio-political homes.32 However, with Khrushchev’s building shift in Soviet culture. New technological advances scheme and the increase in private apartments, literally brought literature to life through the televised children watched cartoons with their families, medium. As a result of these new technological instead of in a collective and controlled setting. advances and Western sixties consumerism, Khrushchev’s policies and the generally freer spirit Soviet television ownership increased.24 By the of the 1960s allowed for an increase in individual 1970s, Soviet television would be the leading choice, especially in the realm of domestic and source for propaganda as Soviet families fully consumer goods. The interpretation of cartoons embraced the new technology.25 Further, the advent became

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