SOCIALIST CONSTRUCTION IN THE USSR Subscribe to “Socialist Construction in the USSR”, bimonthly illustr­ ated periodical, published by the Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS) published in three languages: English, French ai 1 German. Each volume of “Socialist Construction in the USSR”, replacing the former monthly magazine of smaller size, will be not less than 160 pages. “Socialist Construction in the USSR” will give a comprehensive analysis of the main problems confronting the Soviet Union. Each volume will be devoted to some definite subject or subjects: Vol. 1. Results of the third, decisive year and prospects of the fourth year of the Five-Year Plan. Vol. 2. Soviet agriculture. Vol. 3. Heavy and light industries and labour problems. Vol. 4. Care of public health, social welfare, education and Soviet law. Vol. 5. Jubilee issue devoted to the 16th Anniversary of the October Revolution. Vol. 6. Results of the first and prospects of the second Five- Year Plan. Moreover, each volume contains the following sections: 1. Science and technics, 2. Literature and art, 3. Economics, on which subjects informative articles will be contributed by eminent Soviet specialists. In 1931 a number of articles by the following authors was published in the “V. O. K. S.” magazine: POLITICS AND NATIONAL ECONOMY J. Stalin, A. Enukidze, A. Tadjiev, G. Lomov, N. Miliutin, K. Radek, etc. ART AND SCIENCE Prof. Bashkirov, Prof. Kotliarevsky, Prof. Liubimov, Prof. Petrov, etc. LITERATURE Demian Bedny, A. Bezymensky, M. Gorky, M. Guerasimov, A. Zharov, V. Kirshon, M. Koltsov, V. Lugovskoy, J. Olesha, F. Panferov, L. Pasynkova, E. Selvinsky, V. Semiakin, A. Senkevich, M. Shaguinian, G. Sharipova, K. Tikhonov, S. Tretiakov, A. Tolstoy, V. Vishnevsky, etc. Annual subscription — $ 4.00. 6 months — $ 2.00. Subscriptions to be remitted to the Press Dept., Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS), Trubnikovsky per. 17, Moscow. SOVIET TeVVeT ¡PUBLISHED BY THE SOVIET UNION SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES (VOKS)

EDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING OFFICE: 17 Trubnikovsky, Moscow G9, USSR, Soviet Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS).

1932 No. G

CONTENTS

I. Till- USSR AND THF. MENACE OF IMPERIALIST WAR 1. Lenin and Stalin on the struggle for peace.- 2. Romain R o lla n d . To a'l friends of peace, 3. V. Inber, V. K ata y e v, L. S e i f u I I i n a, L. L eonov, V. Li din: “We want to hear your voice”, appeal of Soviet writers to the western intelligentsia. II. WAR IN SOVIET LITERATURE 1. I. S. A Soviet author on the world war. 2. “ War”, excerpts from the novel by N. T ik h o n o v . — .‘5. I. S er g u iev sk y . Civil War in Soviet literature.----L Daniel F i b i c It on his novel “ Blood Salt”. III. ON THE EVE OF THE WORLD WAR International relations in the period of Imperialism. IV. PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORT IN Till-: USSR 1. N. Z n am en sk y. The part played by the physical culture in the socialist construction. — 2. P. B e lc h ik o v . Training cadres of physical culture workers in the USSR.—3. N. P r o k o fie v . Soviet tourism in the service of the Five-Year Plan. V. TOPICS OF THE DAY B. P ersov. Soviet trade. VI. SOVIET ART 1. Centenary of the former Alexandrinsky Theatre.—2. Exhibition of Kukrynics’ works. VII. CHESS The end of wars, peace among nations, the cessation of plunders and violence — this is our ideal. Lenin Wedon't want to be a hammer for weak nations or an anvil for the strong. We are striving for peace. Stalin The USSR and the Menace of Imperialist War

LENIN ANI) STAUN ON TUB STItl'««LE ГОК PEACE

The problem* о/ наг and oj Ihe straggle ¡or peace lake a prominent place in the a'nrks of Lenin and Stalin, IVc give here some of their statements in connection with these problnns. Lenin was always consistently striv­ the only country which is championing the ing to reveal before the broadest masses genuine conditions making for peace. the real importance of the Imperialist War, “ The projects of‘disarmament ’ are falling to reveal the meaning of those “sophistries” into an abyss and the conferences for the (Lenin) which were used to cover up and reduction of naval armaments are turned to propagate war. into conferences for the renewal and ex­ Basing himself on this conception of war tension of the navies” (Stalin). as a phenomenon inevitably arising out When we compare the slogans of peace of the conditions of the capitalist regime, figuring at such conferences with the pro­ Lenin in a series of writings developed the posals of the USSR (e. g. on general and idea which can be summed up in the fol­ complete disarmament) it is impossible, not lowing statement of his: “The Imperialist to recall to one’s mind Lenin’s ideas on War of 1914—1918 is the continuation of the “slogan of peace”. the imperialist policy of 1898—1914... this “The slogan oi peace can be presented war was born of half century’s develop­ either in connection with definite conditions ment of world capital, of millions of its or without any conditions, as a struggle threads and connections.” not for a certain kind of peace bill for peace Stalin, referring to the contradictions in general. It is obvious that in the latter generated by the development of capital­ case we are confronted with... a slogan which ist society, also shows that these contradic­ is altogether devoid of all meaning and of tions “ inevitably lead to one fundamental all content. Everyone is fo.- peace in danger, the danger of new imperialist wars general. But the point is that everyone and interventions”. Stalin points out that advances imperialist conditions of peace “ the danger of new imperialist wars and in favour of one’s ‘own’ nation.” interventions is the principal question of These ideas of Lenin and Stalin assume the present day”. now a special importance. 1982 supplied This danger is above all directed against us a striking example of a struggle for de­ the Soviet Union. finite conditions of peace. This example is The reason for that is that under the the proposal of the USSR about a general present day conditions “ whenever the ca­ and complete disarmament as a guarantee pitalist contradictions begin to increase against the danger of war. On the other in intensity, the bourgeoisie turns its atten­ hand we find in the same year a great tion to the USSR and asks itself: would deal of slogans of “peace in general” . it not be possible to settle this or that con­ Suffice it to point out to the project of tradiction of capitalism or all the contra­ the so-called “moral disarmament”. dictions of the capitalist system at the ex­ The absolute duly of everyone who pense of the USSR, that country of the is really struggling for peace must be the ex­ Soviets... which is hampering the organ­ posure of the meaning of declarations of isation of a new war...” (Stalin). the type of “peace in general ”. The meaning 'I’he struggle of the USSR for peace of it is not yet clear to everyone. Stalin said: assumes under these conditions the greatest “Many people imagine that imperialist importance. It is but natural that such pacifism is an instrument of peace. This struggle is very complicated. is wrong. Imperialist pacifism is an in­ Lenin’s words: “Whoever imagined that strument of the preparation of war... it was easy to obtain peace was a naive Without such an instrument the prepar­ person” — are being confirmed by every ation of war is impossible under present international action, by every diplomatic conditions...” conference, at which the Soviet Union “They imagine that if there exists impe­ inevitably finds itself in the position of rialist pacifism, it means that there will be no war. This is altogether wrong. On the contrary whoever wants to find out the truth must paraphrase this statement as follows: ‘Since imperialist pacifism 'is flourishing... new imperialist wars and in­ terventions are bound to follow’. ,,Under such conditions “the danger of war will grow at an increased rate”. This was said a few years ago. It is com­ mon knowledge that since that time the danger of war lias been growing at such an increased rate that already in 1931—1932 the world witnessed a war in the East, not to mention the fact that in some form or other, in some part of the world or an­ other, wars have in effect continued to rage throughout the entire “post-war” epoch. The possibilily and danger of war are M. Litvinov, People’s Commissary for Foreign at the present time the greater, because Affairs, at his working-table military operations, as was also proved The real danger of war forces the Soviet by the latest events, are not necessarily con­ Union and all its friends to fight for peace nected with the official declaration of war. still more persistently and with increased “The peculiarity of the present moment vigour. consists in that the boundary line between Lenin described excellently the Soviet the state of peace and that of war is being policy of peace by saying that “ this policy more and more obliterated — people glide is based on solid foundations and cherishes into war and are fighting without an open no illusions”. declaration of war” (Molotov). We have already stated why there are The war danger is wholly directed against no illusions and why there can be no il­ the country of the Soviets. lusions about the struggle for peace being Openly, in hundreds of newspapers, in an easy matter. dozens of speeches and articles by respons­ But what are these “solid foundations” ible and irresponsible persons, appeals of the Soviet policy of peace? are launched for a military attack on the The country of Socialism by its very USSR, for the capture of its territory and nature pursues and can only pursue peaceful for a blockade. From the abortive anti- aims. “The end of wars, peace among na­ Soviet campaigns about “dumping” etc. tions, the cessation of plunders and viol­ they pass on to an utilisation of all kinds ence— this is our ideal” (Lenin). of crimes committed by the dregs of society In 1915, a long time before the victory under the direct guidance of parties inter­ of October, Lenin and his friends indic­ ested in provoking war. Such is the mean­ ated a concrete programme of peace which ing of Stern’s attempt on the life of the should be realised “if State power in Russia German ambassador to the USSR, or the belonged to the Soviets of workers’, sol­ murder of the president of the French Re­ diers’ and peasants’ deputies”. One of the public by the While-emigre Gorgulov. planks of this programme was an immediate They are bold'enough to advance the most and open proposal “ to all the belligerent fantastic inventions such as declaring Gor- powers to conclude an armistice”. This gulov, a sworn enemy of the Soviet Govern­ programme was based on the following ment, lo be a “bolshevik” or spreading the consideration: “The workers and the poorest cynical report to the effect that the French peasants constitute an overwhelming ma­ steamer “ Georges Philippar” whose pas­ jority of the population. They make no sengers’ were saved by Soviet sailors was money on the war, but are ruined and starv­ set on fire by the Soviets. ed by it. They have nothing to do with Events which are taking place in all capital or with the agreements between... corners of the globe indicate the dangers groups of capitalists. They can and sincerely threatening the Soviet Union both from wish to put an end to the war” (Lenin). the West and from the East. It is known that as soon os State power Such are the “chances” of war and above in Russia passed into the hands of workers all of a war directed against the Soviet and peasants they began to realise tlicir Union. peace programme. The struggle for peace 5 began from tlie first days of the Soviet The united masses “ replied to each bloV rule with the first decree on peace published by welding their forces, by consolidate on the very next day after the victory of their economic might”. This unity enable October (Oct. 20 — Nov. 8, 1917). With an Lenin to assert that “ it a military iniei iron consistency this struggle for peace on vent ion were to take place in a few years the part of the land of the working masses it would be frustrated, because we woul.l continued ever since and will go on in the then be stronger than we are now”. I future. Lenin already in 1918 stated that “ a This was distinctly stated in a number of soon as we passed on to the first stage ( speeches and articles by the leading states­ Slate construction” and enabled the t oil I men of the USSR. Stalin, the leader of ers to “practically convince thcmselvei the working masses, stated as follows: that they were building up their own lifel “Our policy is the policy of peace... The it became clear to all and it turned out i)| result of this policy is that we succeeded practice that no power on earth, no counter! in maintaining peace, preventing the en­ revolution, would be able to overthrow th emies from involving us into conflicts in Soviet Government.” spite of a number of provocative acts and Such was the case in 1918. adventurous attacks by the incendiaries of In the course of the last 15 years the eco war. We shall continue to follow this peace nomic and cultural forces of the USSR hav policy with all our might, with all the means grown immensely and so did the clos at our disposal...” unity of the working masses. In the cours The firm stand taken by the Soviet Union of the last 15 years many people even out in the struggle for peace “exposes all and side the Soviet Union became convincct sundry people engaged in engineering wars of the importance and power of the USSR and means at tlie same time that a mighty not to mention the toiling masses of th* repulse met and will meet all the attempts whole world, who always felt and coulc to attack the USSR” (Molotov). not help feeling their kinship with the So Thus the growing might of the USSR — vict Union. a country “hampering the organisation of The following, for instance, was slater a new war”— is under present conditions by one of the foreign statesmen: “ In tin the most important and potent factor of course of a few years the Soviet worker: peace. This might is based on a gigant­ and peasants, in spite of unparallellci ic growth of socialist construction carried obstacles have transformed the first work out by the working masses and on the wil­ ers’ republic from a primitive countr\ lingness of the millions of workers to up­ of the XIYth century into a country of tin hold the conquests of this construction XXIth ccnluiy. Even today the USSR ii from all attempts on them. point of organisation, planning and cul The masses of the people have already tural aims has outstripped the eapitalis demonstrated this willingness in conditions world by at least a century” (Purcell) of Civil War and intervention of 1919—1920. The Soviet Union is strong not only b> The country that fought intervention its internal ideological and material power in 1919 was not like the present country of but by that moral influence which tin Magnitostroy and Dnieproslroy, of giant construction of a new world exercises oi automobile and tractor works, of the laig- millions of people outside the boundaric est system of agriculture in the world. of the USSR. It was then only a newly founded Soviet This had its effect already at the time o Republic. Vet it emerged victorious from the intervention of 1919—1920, and on< the struggle. And how did this happen? of the consequences of the intcrventioi Lenin at that time repeatedly raised this was that the war against the young Rcpub question in his speeches and articles. He lie of the Soviets, in the words of Lenin asked: “How did this ‘miracle’ take place?” “took the soldiers away” from her enemies meaning the victory over the interven­ Simultaneously a certain section of lh< tionists. And lie replied: “We gained a vict­ intellectuals abroad began to agitate agains ory, because we were and could be united... intervention. Lenin in one of his spcechc whereas our enemies, infinitely more power­ mentioned the “declaration of a large num ful, suffered defeat because there was no ber of representatives of the French intel­ unity among them, because there could be ligentsia, the French public organisations“ no unity among them nor will there ever be, headed by Anatole France. Lenin said and every month of struggle against us meant “They opposed intervention in the affaii greater disintegration within their camp.” of Russia, because blockade and slarv

6 alien, which kill children and old men, are war. We have already stated above that inadmissible from the point of view of under present conditions war presents an culture and civilisation.” Lenin acknow­ extremely complicated phenomenon. Lenin ledged the great value of such actions, magnificently defined this complexity when but could not help regarding them as some­ he said that in fighting for peace it was what “vacillating”. necessary “to explain to people the real The enormous growth of the economic environment, to explain to them how power, the amazing successes of new culture great is the secrecy in which war generates” , in the USSR brought about an increase to explain “how war can daily arise over in the friendly actions performed by the a dispute... over a trifling difference of most important representatives of public opinion” on this or that question. opinion and of the world of art and The complexity and subtleness of poccsses science abroad. The attitude of Romain preceding and leading up to war require Holland towards the USSR is common special vigilance, special painstaking at­ knowledge. Everyone knows howG. Bernard tention, special activity from each friend Shaw evaluated everything he saw with of peace, from each friend of the USSR. Ids own eyes in the Soviet Union. The “secret” now enshrouding the war In our review we have published a series which is being engineered, must no longer of friendly and favourable reports on the remain a mystery. The unity of open and construction and life of the USSR, reports secret forces making for war must evoke made by scholars, scientists, educationalists by way of reply a close alliance of all the etc. representing various trends in various friends of peace, of all who value the countries. peaceful existence of a country which em­ Stalin states that in regards to the USSR bodies in life the best ideals of mankind. “ there exist two sets of fac­ tors, two different tendencies acting in opposite directions”. One of the tendencies is to find a way out of the crisis by a war against the USSR. It leads to the preparation of intervention and wars. The other tendency is characterised by “ sympathy for and support of the USSR on the part of the workers of the capitalist countries, the growth of the economic and political power of the USSR, the growth of the de­ fensive ability of the USSR, the policy of peace, persi­ stently followed by the So­ viet Government.” Hence those “solid foundations” of the Soviet policy of peace referred to by Lenin. The consolidation, of the factors of peace and the struggle against the factors and tendencies leading up to war, constitute the duty of every person who regards himself as a friend of peace and a friend of the Soviet Union. Enormous tasks are now confronting the friends of the Soviet Union, above all the task of the struggle for peace, and the exposure of K. Vorodiilov, Peopl es Commie ary for Military Affairs 7 TO ALL FRIENDS OF PEACE

War is coming. The war approaches wish, is to arouse an immense wave of on all sides. II threatens all the peoples. opinion against war, whatever its nature, In fact, it may break out tomorrow. Once from wherever it may come, whomever it sets one corner of the earth on fire, it it may threaten. We wish to arouse the will no longer be possible to localise the conscious will of the peoples, of all that flames. In a few weeks, in a few days, the fire will devour everything. And it will spell the unspeakable calamity, the destruction of the whole of civilisation. All. civilisation, the whole world is in danger. We are sounding the alarm: arise, nil I We appeal to all the peoples, to all the parties, to all men and women of good will. It is not a question here of the inter­ est of one people, of one class, of one party. Everybody is concerned. Everybody must give a helping haiid, otherwise there is no salvation. We must give up the discus­ sions which divide us. Let' us all unite against the common enemy! Down with war! Let us stop it! We call you to a great congress which should turn into a mighty manifestation of all parties against war. We call on all parties wr hat ever thcii social position: trade-unionists, socialists, communists, anarchists, republicans of all shadings, free-thinkers and Christians, 11011-partisans, all the associations of pacifists and resist­ ers, the conscientious objectors, all inde­ pendent individuals, all those in France and in other countries who have firmly made up their minds to stop the wrar by all the means. Romain Rolland We beg them to appoint forthwith repre­ sentatives to an Organising Committee of the World Congress of all parties which is sound in humanity. Let them oppose will fix as quickly as possible the date, the lame and equivocal attitude of thcii the place and the practical procedure of government in curbing the monstrous in­ the forthcoming Congress. There is not stigators to w-ar, the profiteers of blood a day to be lost. shed, the wrar industries, the cannon mer We need not draw' up the plan of action chants, their clients and their agent: in advance. This would mean encroaching provocateurs in the venal press, and al upon the liberties of those whom we con­ those who carry on their intrigues in orde vene. And it will be left to them, in the to catch fish in blood-stained water. Congress, to slate freely their different Let us muzzle war! plans and subsequently to reach a common agreement in regard to action. What we R o 111 a i n Roll a n d.

8 “WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE" ------APPEAL OF SOVIET WRITERS TO THE WESTERN INTELLIGENTSIA

Vera Inber. We are being dragged into the war irresistibly, persistently and by all and “You must say your word in every means. defence of the USSR!" We Soviet authors, active members of the LOKAF, are armed with pen and pen­ The USSR is the help and hope of the cil. But this weapon in our hands must proletariat of the whole world, it is a coun­ be of longer range and more effective than try that acts as a leader. And the capi­ the shell flying 1,500 kilometres. Only talists know it as well as the workers it is directed in a different way. themselves. No distances exist for words in defence During the last few years all the “Great” of the proletarian country. We are talking powers and powers which are not “Great” in Moscow, but we are heard by the whole are openly and secretly preparing for war. world. A great deal has been and is being conceal­ Authors of Western countries, the best ed. Only from time to time the bourgeois representatives of Western intelligentsia, papers in a half articulate way, as if the friends of the USSR, we must hear your voice were to come from the bottom of voice in our defence. In common with the sea, bring to the surface fragmentary us you must say your word in defence of reports about new gases, about bacteria, the USSR and fight in our ranks for the about a shell which can fly 1,500 kilo­ socialist fatherland of the workers of the metres, about dozens of new means of de­ whole world. struction. And all this is directed against the only country which is building up so­ cialism, against ourselves. V. Katayev. “It is not too late as yet.” J personally had the pleasure of enjoying in Odessa all the charms of the interven­ tion. I was well acquainted with the shrill whistle of a heavy shell of a maritime gun flying over a spell-bound city. For the rest of my life I shall always remember the sight of the bodies of the workers hung in the squares and on the railway viaducts, I know what a punitive expedition, a court martial, guns slicks, secret service, “an attempt to escape”, are like. Well, all these lessons have not been wasted on us. We have learned a great deal, yet we have not forgotten anything. The Russian while-guardist monarchist divisions, the foreign international fascist battalions — all that is most conservative and reactionary in the world is flocking together in order at the very first sign to invade the Soviet Union and to try to strangle the only proletarian State in the world, which not only in words but in deeds is capable of making all war impossible, of destroying all armaments, all the military supplies, of disbanding all the armies and of establishing for all times to come peace Vera Inber and fraternity of nations on the earth. 9 L. Seifullina. ‘ \V e a r e w ailing for the voice of support.” The graves of the great imperialist slaughter have not yet been forgotten. The half dead mutilated human beings, the inva­ lids are still alive who serve as an indelible mark of the crime perpetrated by the go-

Wen in Kataev Sucli are the facts. These facts are irre- f utable. I appeal to all the honest toiling sensible people. Do not allow yourself to be deceived! Do not trust the reassuring information of the venal press! Learn to read between the lines. Between the lines it is written: w a r h a s b e g u n . Lydia Seif all ina Do not delude yourselves by the idea that war is being waged somewhere far vernmcnls of all nations. And there is away, that it will not touch you. a new war on. An immediate danger is It will. War is standing at each door. threatening the LT>SR. Millions of toilers It will affect you. Not a single family in arc being placed under the yoke and led the world will be able to avoid its monstr­ to slaughter for the purpose of settling ous, pernicious, irreparable effects. the bankers’ accounts. Remember 1911! The voice of R. Holland must not remain Do not forget that war will not he waged solitary. And not only in France — in all by those who have instigated it... War will countries of the world the voice of those not be conducted by kings, emperors, who create the spiritual values of the na­ presidents, dictators, bankers, manufac­ tion must be heard by us. We are waiting turers or proprietors of newspaper trusts. for it. Tile USSR, as the fatherland of War will be conducted by you, your bro­ the toilers of the whole world, acting in thers, your fathers, your betrothed and self-defence, will find the support of the your husbands! proletariat of each and every country, War has begun. whose capitalists are directing against us It depends on you whether it will be their lethal weapons. averted. But we shall find not only enemies, but It’s not too late as yeti champions too. We know it perfectly and

JO the names of the representatives of culture VL Liciin. who did not raise their voice against the threat of invasion of the USSR in the countries who want to destroy us, will “Why I shall go out to defend cover themselves with shame. the USSR.” I shall go out to defend the USSR not L. Leonov. only because I am a citizen of the USSR, “ If you are silent, who are you?” not only because when called to the co­ lours I shall have once more to join the Once again, trying to find a way out ranks of the Red Army. of the burning house, imperialism is vent­ I shall go out to defend the USSR be­ uring on a new war. In fact such war has cause an attack on our Union will be an already started. attack on the world fatherland of the toil­ We all of us hear its echo, which is always ing mankind, because that which has approaching. The nearest objective of war been built up by us in the course of these is the country which is on the eve of set­ few years will become the foundation for ting up a classless society. We are ready, the future reconstruction of the whole for we know that this war will become world. suicidal for our enemies. Only a futile humanism can produce an abstract idea of an actual state of things and vague thoughts about good and evil in this world. That part of the radical intelligentsia of Western countries which fails to proclaim today together with us: “Defend the toilers! Fight the war menace! Fight the war!” — that intelligentsia will soon be placed by the logic of history into a state of utter and shameful failure.

Leonid Leonov However, the USSR is not only the first proletarian State. It is the real symbol of that true humanity, for which each of us is striving. It is impossible to remain »¡lent, and at this decisive minute we only sail on you to remember, what you bought for blood, shed during the last war? ... And if you are silent, who are you then? Vladimir Lidin

II War in Soviet Literature

A SOVIET AUTHOR ON THE WORLD WAR 1 By I. S

Tikhonov’s book *‘War” is looked upon three scientific inventors who enrich wa by the Soviet literary public as one of the technique with new and perfected mean most important works on the world war for destroying human life. that has been produced during the past few The major Otto von Starke, is a classica years. Indeed, the theme dealt with by soldier type. Discipline and a set of rule Tikhonov in his novel is developed in a arc his religion. Just before the oulbreal very striking and artistic manner, and liis of war, practice manoeuvres take place. Tin characters and the various episodes of this enemy pressing close upon von Starke’ book remind us of the best examples of war troops, finally surrounds the fortress defend fiction that has recently been published. ed by them, when suddenly cascades of wntc There are points of similarity between out of fire pumps are levelled against tin “War” and certain works of Western Europ­ attacking enemy. To the august commander ean literature. It is somewhat like “All in-cliief of the army, highly amazed b? Quiet on the Western Front”, the celebrated such an action, Starke offers the following novel by Remarque. But N. Tikhonov goes explanation: “Bearing in mind the convent further than Remarque. This becomes evid­ ionality of manoeuvres I gave the order foi ent if we study for instance the life of Earnest burning oil to be poured over the ranks o Astcn,one of the characters in “War”. At the enemy”. In the ensuing silence tin the beginning of the novel Earnest Astcn episode assumes huge proportions. Starke’: is a modest student, a humanitarian through idea interests the heads of the army, hi: and through. And it is out of purely human­ project soon becomes realised and during itarian considerations that liejs somewhat the very first months of war, tlie flame opposed to all militant expressions of chau­ projector takes a definite place in the rank: vinism. Later as a member of insurgent of war weapons. troops who occupied the Reichstag in 1917, The second central character of “War’ lie is put in jail for assaulting an officer. is Prof. Carl Faber who in addition to tin Thus Tikhonov differs from Remarque in purely technical military theme introduce: that he shows how the pacifist altitude and into the novel its second theme — thal the lack of interest in politics on the part of western science in its relation to war of the radical European intellectuals in its Faber is a prominent chemist and a scient­ logical development inevitably passes into ist with a world reputation. He is interest ec action. in nothing but himself and his laboratories As a whole “War” is radical.v different “To kill a dozen men, one must have tin from “All Quiet on the Westeln Front”. soul of a demon.” This is his philosophy Not only does Tikhonov graphically describe And it is this same Faber, “a man with : the horrors of war but he also shows its un­ round attractive face”, and “agreat admire derlying significance and meaning. He of witticism and jokes” who becomes thi depicts war in all its hideous details and desired guest of the military staff — i reveals those who arc responsible for it. guest far more important than the old chic The fundamental theme of Tikhonov’s of the fire-brigade, major Otto von Starke book is not war itself, but it is war and its Faber is a chemist and as an aid to tin relation to contemporary science. His main flame-projector he invents gas bombs. “Ar characters arc not the rank-and-file soldiers aeroplane cast off a black cloud of smoki as it is the case with Remarque’s novel and which hung suspended in the air... Bchiiic with the majority of books dealing with this the wisps of clouds the greenish rusty fof particular epoch. His central characters are was visible but it did not mingle with tin clouds of smoke issuing from the shells 1 N. Tikhonov, “War”. Wrilcrs’ Publish­ Like the fog at sea, even and calm, it loomcc ing Association. Leningrad, 1931. ever nearer showing no tendency to rise up into the sky until presently tile whole field of battle was enveloped in its greenish veil... The eorporal lay on his stomach. He was not wounded. He was convulsively pressing his face against the earth, the filthy dark earth of the trenches. Evidently the corporal has lost his mind.” The machine of destruction once started cannot stop. When one of the flame-pro­ jectors is left on the field of battle, its re­ mains fall into the hands of the enemy. And now a third character comes out on the stage, the English lieutenant Hitchens. He becomes interested in this “broken gas container, bullet-riddled and dented from the attackers’ spades. A few days later Hitchens was already on his way to London. His bag contained the German flame-pro­ jector and a report on the feasibility of creating a similar apparatus, but emitting g.is instead of oil”. To the flame-projector and the gas bomb a third invention is ad­ ded - the gas-projector. Hitchens is a second Faber with the only difference that Faber either because lie has not the courage or because he docs not desire it, fails to understand fully the meaning of his work, but Hitchens knows perfectly why and for what he is fighting. He is more cynical and more shrewd than Nicolas Tikhonov, author of “War” Faber. He knows that the wars of the past few years “are like a midsummer night’s secret a long time ago, barred to the other dream compared to that war which is going experimentalists, and guarded like a fort­ soon to grip the whole world”. He knows that ress”,she tells one of her friends. “ I learned “ wars solve all crises, do away with unem­ that he worked out methods whereby poison ployment, that they require supplies of iron gases could be applied for war purposes. and steel, copper and coal, oil and nitrogen, I grew cold from horror at this thought... paper and leather, canned goods and butter, So far no chemist in the world could ever and animals and men, ready for any­ make up his mind to do it.” thing”. And he also knows that it is not Earnest Asteii’s pacifist attitude changes Starke who will be his enemy in this next into action and at first brings him into the war. “We are close friends”, he says to the ranks of insurgent soldiers and later into old chief of the fire-brigade, “grown close jail. Anny’s path is different. It is character­ to each other in the battles which renewed istic for its humanitarian wavering. The civilisation”. Another will be the enemy. disgust Anny feels when she learns of her Hitchens names him: “The world has known husband’s work does not lead her to any wars with the dragon, the crescent, the lions solution out of the difficult situation and and eagles of the empire, but now it shall so she ends it by committing suicide. be at war with the hammer and sickle.” The character of Anny Faber rounds out Starke, Faber, and Hitchens are the three and concludes the idea of “War”. The book characters who unfold the theme of Tikho­ has not I he conventional ending of a fiction nov’s novel. However, theie aie other work, for it is not really a novel or a story. characters in the book. We have already The author himself defines his work as a mentioned Earnest Asten who in live years chronicle: “Learning different facts from changes from a radical pacifist to a rebel the epoc^i of the world war mentioned in who blows up an ammunition dump. A pa­ special literature, 1 could not resist the rallel type is Faber’s wife, Anny. She, as temptation of incorporating into a convent­ a chemist, always used to help her husband ional narrative which sometimes borders in all his experiments. “And recently I found on a chronicle, certain tragic episodes of out that part of the laboratory had become the gas and flame-projector war which were practically unknown to the general his numerous scientific inventions which he reader. ” has been putting to practical use for a period This is a true definition, true in the sense of many years, with an eagerness and zeal that as far as the general idea of the hook of a true humanitarian signs a piotest is concerned, it stands out whole and com­ against the execution of wreckers in the plete in the reader’s mind, although the Soviet I’nion, this final scene of the novel fates of the various characters are left in- admirably crowns the concept ion that Tikho­ finished. And the scene where Faber, after nov sought to bring out in his work.

‘•'WAR" Excerpts from the novel by N. T i k li o n o v

1. ANNY rassed him. my honest Call became confus­ ed, began to lie and began explaining in Professor Faber's wife learns from news­ such a way that I understood that the matter papers of the first gas attacks. This is the was of far-reaching importance, otherwise, work of her husband... surely, Carl would not take casual questions so much to heart. I told him all I thought on “ Have you read the evening paper?” this subject. I said that when two people she asked, looking him straight in the eyes. live together, they share everything half- ITe was surprised by the enormousness of and-half, or else they part and each goes her eyes. his own way. Thus, so far, it was with us. “Ah”, he said, “gases... Evidently, you I can’t help it, Winny, that is the way mean the gas attacks. It must be an amus­ I am. And he told me what I had already ing sight, Anny...” expected. I have no right to tell you this, “ An amusing sight?! You are mad! Winny, you must forget what I tell you, You know nothing. There is one man who for if the others find out about this, it will is responsible for this. The world scientist, be very disagreeable for you. Hut I cannot, your friend, Carl Faber, of his own accord I cannot help speaking. became a murderer.” I learned that he worked out methods As she spoke, her shoulders moved con­ whereby poison gases could be applied for vulsively. war purposes. I grew’ cold from horror “Tell me everything”, he begged, “every­ at this thought. You are not a chemist thing, Anny. It will relieve you...” and you cannot imagine the horror and “Winny, you know Carl. There was no the loathsomeness of such a thing. So man living more devoted to science than fai no chemist in the world could ever he. I, as a chemist, was his assistant. make up his mind to do it. I found out There was nobody happier than I, Winny. that the thing had gone far, so far that I was reproached for my seriousness, but as they say in the newspapers, great success I knew’ how' to laugh and be gay. We knew has been achieved.” that there wras nothing more important in Anny spoke in a tired and hoarse voice, life than science, and when I donned my choking with tears. laboratory dress I felt young, Winny... Those w'ere happy times. Carl was surrounded by splendid assistants. His discoveries are known all over the wrorld. 2. PROFESSOR FARER And recently I found out that part of the laboratory had become secret a long time At the front Prof. Faber talks of the ago, barred to the other experimentalists, and significance of his tcun'ific dicovenj. guarded like a fortress. Military men were now seen in the laboratory. They felt thems­ “My friends in England and France w ill elves quite at home there. I thought they be only loo glad to accept our challenge. were making casual experiments, and asked We must work day and night. \VC must Carl what wras happening. And this embar­ prepare a defense against enemy gas. The

14 Ii on lid race has begun. At this moment we decide whether or not lie was ready to die. have a good start in the race, but \vc shall He spent long hours in front of the broken soon lose it. Then w*c shall go head to head. gas containers, bullet-riddled and dented Our answer for each gas must be a super gas, from the blows of the attackers' spades. and for each gas mask, we must have a sup­ The colonel found him there one day ¿md er gas mask. The face of war will change was surprised to note the deep preocciip- every month. But perhaps you do not quite alion of his officer. realise what gas is. Gas may be used in va­ “You are looking extremely wise, Hi­ rious shapes and forms. It may assume the tchens”, said he “what are you philoso­ guise of clouds, waves, and screens. You can phising about?” fill shells and torpedoes with gas, you tan The colonel bent down and recognised the. turn every ruin, every trench, every wood remains of a German flame-projector. and every street into a gas trap, you can “ I wish to return them everything”, the make people cry or laugh, you can make them other said, “effective fire, and effective scratch like monkeys, bellow’ like buffaloes, gas, but that will require study. However, or coil up like snakes. It will seem to them I learned something already.” that they arc breathing ozone, but it will ‘‘Very good”, said the colonel and four be a smoke veil out of yellow* phosphorus. days later Hitchens was crossing the grey They will enter into gardens, where the-air sea on his way to London. will smell of early spring, but in fact it Within his cabin Hitchens jumped up will be ethyl ether of bromoaeetic acid. every now* and then, longing to discharge Chloride of nitro-bcnzole will seem to them his revolver into the dark door of the cabin. to be the scent of the forgotten fatherland, He had with him a German flame-pro­ the scent reminiscent of quiet and comfort, jector and a report on the feasibility of the whole town will be redolent with the creating an apparatus similar to the flame- smell of geraniums, of violets, and of pep­ projector, but ehiitting gas instead of oil. permints — but gaunt death shall stalk Hitchens’ suitcase was open and showed along the entire garrison. Yes, we will go the wild disorder of its contents. The first in for chemical horticulture. I am not rav­ objects to be seen were newspaper. These ing. They are quite right — I have not a were German newspapers taken by Hi­ military mind. I am a scientist who has long tchens from the division staff. They contain­ tired of watching the prehistoric fights ed detailed articles by special correspond­ where dull heads are being beaten with sharp ents from the front about gas and fire weapons.” attacks. “Are you going to Berlin now?” “ No, I am going home. I am somewhat tired and miss my laboratory, my wife and friends. The front is filthy. I found a louse 4. RICH PROSPECTS in my linen yesterday, threw* it all away and took a hot bath.” In 1930 Hi’rhens visits Otto von Starke. They were both inventors of lethal weapons during the wo,Id war. 3. LIEUTENANT HITCHENS “My name is of no importance. It tells To the left of Hitchens an artillery lieu­ nothing. If I tell you that I was known at tenant was shouting at his platoon. This various times of my life as Hitchens, as strange world was peopled only with offic­ Stokes, as Lavoix, as Katarini and then ers and soldiers — no other human beings again as Hitchens, I should be merely turn­ were to be seen. “ Very well, lieutenant ing over a few pages of my biography. Hitchens”, said he to himself, and his eyes In 1915 your flame-projector and poison grew heavy like after three nights of hard gases created such a panic among us, that drinking. people went mad from fear. I had never Horror haunted the entire front. The given myself up exclusively to military flashes of occasional gunfire were mistaken service, but when I had learned of vour for flame-projector attacks. Smoke and fog flame-projector, the spirit of war took com­ were taken for waves of poison gas. A spectre plete possession of me. Fury sustained me of fire and gas haunted the trenches. like a life belt supports a drowning person. In a single day lieutenant Hitchens grew* I was confronted with great difficulties but ten years older. Perhaps, because he was ex­ just the same, my inventions were quite pecting death any moment and could not successful. I lost inv mistress, war became my mist­ has put it still flows in our veins. An ress. Although 1 was a sportsman, 1 was empire cannot be built in white gloves. deprived of the opportunity to plav games, I must tell you one thing, dear—Mr. Otto for with one arm you cannot be a sports­ that you and 1 are enemies no longer. We man— then war heeame my sport. 1 am a are very (‘lose friends brought together doctor of philosophy but now that philo­ during a war which renewed civilisation. sophy is dead, I take joy in the philosophy of Recently 1 attended a dinner in London war. Our time is the time of ceaseless hosti­ where a great Herman, the defender of lities. T shall tell you that the ten years eastern Africa and a great Knglishman, the that passed since the world war I spent in conqueror of eastern Africa, men who for a field of battle, leaving ¡1 only to go to the years fought against each other, shook laboratory and then back again. Where did hands and pledged friendship. I fight? Consider the wars of the past few 1 wish to ask your permission to shake years and you will realise that there have hands with you." been

CIVIL WA1» IX THE WOKIvS OF SOVIET WHITENS By I. S e r g u i e v s k y Barely we find among the works of Soviet ourselves to the most characteristic works writers even a few who do not reflect the dedicated to this epoch. Civil War in their works. This fact alone During the climax of the Civil War con­ deprives us of the possibility to embrace temporary themes began to penetrate into fully in this brief review the entire works literature. From this we should star» — from of the Soviet writers dealing with the theme the Red Army news-sheets, on the pages of of Civil War and we are obliged to confine which the fighters themselves tried to l6 lighten, in the form of artistic narrations, events of recent battles. Thus by the end of the Civil War its days and deeds had already become the theme of many poetical works, short stories and novels. A certain amount of experience was thus accumulated. This fact alone can ex­ plain that during the first years of the re­ storation period we had a considerable number of literary works, dedicated to the Civil War, which stood on the high level of art and have preserved their interest to the readers until now, in spile of nearly 10 years gone by. To emphasise the particular im­ portance of this literature we should mention the numerous songs, marches, satires and popular verses belonging to such a master of agitational poetry as Demian Bedny (“To the deceived brothers. White Army’s trenches”, “Defend the Soviets”, “ Manifest of baron Wrangcl” etc.). Himself an active participant of the Civil War, who fought in many battles, Demian Bedny succeeded in placing his works on a high level of art. To the literature of the Civil War epoch belongs first of all the cycle of the so-called guerilla stories by Vsevolod Ivanov. It was Demian Bedny the first appearance of this writei in Soviet literature, but nevertheless his stories gave is stopped by a Chinese partisan, who lies the most vivid and brilliant description of down on the tracks thus sacrificing his life the epoch. True that his themes may appear for the common cause. rather one-sided as he only wrote about The Same elemental upheaval of the pea­ the partisan movement —the movement santry is pictured in the “ Iron flood” by of peasantry directed against the White Seraphimovich. This story is based on true forces and interventionists, the movement of events which took place during the Civi! masses ignorant of politics, who however War in the Caucasus. The cpisod described knew well their aim and object: bolsheviks concerns the Taman division, which was gave them land, gave the workers factories surrounded by the Whiles, succeeded in and bolsheviks they will follow. This ele­ breaking through and after an exhaustive mental struggle was often started by those five days march joined the Red Army. The who wishing to escape the violence of the core of this division was formed by the loc­ Whites, left their villages and hamlets, al peasants who came to Taman with their retreated to the forest and there formed families trying to escape the terror of the fighting detachments. Description of such Whites. Seraphimovich shows how the wild events can be found in Vsevolod Ivanov’s undisciplined crowd in the piocess of the “ Partisans” and “Armoured train’ ’. The pla­ struggle gradually grows into a strong effic­ ce of action in both stories is the Hast, the ient fighting force perfectly realising the remote Siberian forests. The plot is empha­ object of the struggle and its .final goal. tically straightforward and simple. “Parti­ The images of Seraphimovich arc vivid and sans” is the story of four peasants who after true to life. He gives a careful and detailed a raid of the White punitive expedition go description of all characters from the lead­ into the forests where they form a defensive ers down to the rank-and-file fighters. partisan detachment. The detachment is The peasantry in the Civil War was gene­ attacked bv the Whites, its organisers are rally a favourite theme of all writers de­ killed in the fighting and those remained scribing this epoch. The same theme is retreat and join the advancing Red Army. dealt with in “Badgers” by Leonid Leonov— In the “Armoured train” a detachment the story, which in its artistic value comes already connected with the city bolshevist up to the “ Iron flood”. organisation, slops and captures by its order “Badgers” also portrays anarchist rebellons an armoured train of the Whites. The Irain peasantry, which in the process of struggle, 2 a *7 fragments joined together, hut without any definite circle of characters. The new phase in the development of Soviet literature dealing with Civil War is represented by Fadeev’s novel, “ Havoc”. The main theme here is also the par­ tisan movement, but unlike of all those already mentioned works, the chief body of partisans consists not of peasants but of workers. These arc Siberian miners, who carry on revolutionary propaganda in the rear of the Whites’ front in the Far Hast. The head of the movement is not one of the partisan mass but a professional revolu­ tionary from town. The story refers not to the initial stage of the movement when the separate detachments acted at their own accord and risk but to the more advanced period when the partisans acted already in an organised way under one central leadership. The next stage in the development of this kind of literature deals chiefly with the Red Army and its role in the Civil War. Here we must mention the whole cycle of stories by Label collected in one book under the title of “The Cavalry”. Certainly Vsevolod Ivanov, author of “ Partisans” the army described is not the Red Army of and “A mo.ired train'* today as far as its body and mode of life are concerned. This army has many former in the process of class differentiation event­ partisans who fully preserved their parti­ ually finds its place among the revolutionary san ways and customs. 'Hie style of the forces and inarches togetner with the prolet­ ariat. The story is chiefly devoted to por- traiyng the contemporary life. If in the descriptions of Vsevolod Ivanov there is a certain amount of exotics and if the de­ scriptions of life by Seraphimovich though occupying a great place in the story yet actually play a secondary part, these de­ scriptions in Leonid Leonov’s novel have a most vivid and prominent role. Finally to the same group of authors belongs Arlcm Vessioly who almost exclusively deals with the materials of the Civil War. He wrote the novels “The Flaming rivers”, “Mother- country”, “Russia bathed in blood” and others. The main feature of Artcm Ves- sioly’s works is their many-sidedness. lie does not limit himself with any sepaiate episodes but tries to embrace the whole movement. Although the peasantry remains the centre of the plot he also introduces other revolutionary strata: first of all that same peasantry organised into an army, a soldiers’ mass already revolutionised at the end of the Imperialist War; then the re­ volutionary working mass of the town. The novels of Artem Vessioly have no parti­ cular plots. They represent a number of Fedor Gladkov, author of “C mm.”

18 author is at times grotesque and therefore his works cannot be regarded as documents or historical facts. A contrast to Babel in this respect is D. Furmanov, whose chief theme is also the Red Army in the Civil War. His “Chapaev” and “ Revolt” are just the works which for their truth in historical facts go beyond the existing limits of lite­ rature and grow almost into a historical chronicle. The author not only acts as an eye-witness of the described events, as a memoirist, but also introduces real docu­ ments into his works. The characteristics of Chapaev, for example, is based on the original autobiography, written down by the political commissary of his division. It was such an epoch that the description of a casual skirmish impresses one as a great battle and the biography of a rank- and-file fighter becomes a heroic legend. Furmanov’s* ‘Revolt” is a chronicle deal­ ing with the kulak’s revolt in Semi re­ chic. The liquidation of the revolt lakes place during the last vears of the Civil War. It is essential to mention here another A. Fadeev, author of ••Navoc” work touching the subject of the Civil War, namely “The Week” by Libcdinsky. In all the works previously mentioned, the place Once more we repeat that we have limited of action were the*front lines, and the lead­ the present review to the most character­ ing characters — first partisans and later istic and valuable materials of Soviet liter­ Red Army men. “The Week” deals with the ature dealing with Civil War. We have not rear lines, which only during the unexpected mentioned here the works of a considerable raid 01 the Whites become a field of milit­ interest and value, which only partly ap­ ary action. “The Week” is one of the few proach the subject of the Civil War (“Towns stories where the restoration of the national and years” by Fedin, “The Bare year” by economy of the country during the days of Pilniuk and others). destruction, bloeadc and hunger, is por­ To give the full account of everything trayed. Such is the scene where the that was written in Soviet literature concern­ volunteers arc collecting fuel for the local ing this heroic epoch would be the work of railway branch. many volumes.

DANIEL FIBICH ON HIS NOVEL “ BLOOD SALT" ------Daniel Fib ich is a young Soviet writer— the author of the novel “Ugar” (Nausea) and numerous short stories and sketches. Below we print a communication received by us from the author on a new novel which he is now writing.

In the year 1919 a splendid Pullman of the Russian empire”, admiral Kolchak. train roamed over the great Trans-Siberian The colonel, alive to the responsibilities railway that was jammed aL the time by of li is situation, not only advised the military trains. admiral on what lie thought would be the This particular train was inhabited by a most sucecsslul strategical plans for the colonel who was the direct adviser, instruc­ crushing of Soviet Russia, but also travelled tor as well as bodyguard, one might say from station to station on the Siberian the doting nurse, of the “supreme ruler railway, explaining to the railwaymen 2* J9 the benefit of this strategy to the “cause of In mv novel, “Blood Salt”, I have tried culture’ to show the Urals and Siberia in 1011), The arguments used by the colonel were icebound amid the flare of rebellion, tram­ sufficiently weighty and convincing: on pled by interventionists. The great upheav­ leaving the meeting addressed by the colo­ al of surging human masses. Shattered nel, the railwaymen could see the machine illusions. Destruction of ethical habits guns and quick-firers trained on their and values. Remodelling of the psychology village. of the intelligentsia. The new human, This brief historical excursion is quite class consciousness born in storm and fire, opportune at this moment when the iron the new iron truths. heel of intervention looms again over the 1 want to tell how the army of the pro­ Soviet Country, when in the heated at­ letariat came into being, how the soil was mosphere one feels the faintly perceptible, won back from the enemy inch by inch, stealthy approach of poison gases intended how — clad in tatters and semi-barefooted, for us. decimated by typhus - it accomplished We know and remember what foreign its heroic drive from the banks of the intervention is like. We have studied it Volga to the Pacific Ocean. with our blood. We can tell, and we must Before setting down to write this novel, tell those who still believe in pacifist pro­ which I am now finishing, J have spent testations, what is the real worth of these nearly two years in studying the materials — protestations and who ically supported the the diaries of Kolchak’s supporters, the Russian counter-revolution. leaders of the intervention, in poring over In all probability, the colonel is still documents in the archives, and finally, alive today. Alive are also the other in travelling to localities where the ('.ivil “ heroes” of the great Siberian tragedy. Not War had raged — the Volga, the Urals, and only alive, but also rattling their rusty Eastern Siberia. swords. Their names are re-appearing in In conclusion, let me decipher the name the newspapers. of the novel. “Blood Salt”, in Russian At this very moment it is relevant to technology, is the name given to media recall the memories of the recent past, and used for the calcination of materials to to show it as it was in reality. render articles more durable. On the Eve of the World War

International Relations Eastern aspirations of the tsarist govern­ in the Period of Imperial- ment. There is considerable debate on i s m. Documents from the archives of affairs in Persia where the interests of the the tsarist and Provisional governments, two allied powers — England and Russia — 1878—1917, series III, vol. IV, June 28— came into collission. The quite unequivoc­ July 22, 1914. The State Social-Economic al Russian aggression causes apprehension Publishing House, Moscow-Leningrad, 1981, in England, diplomatic negotiations are pp. XVI-j-422. conducted, and every effort is made to A publication of tremendous interest balance their influences, of course, least has been undertaken by the Commission of all worrying over the interests of the of the Central Executive Committee of Persian people. It was a battle of wits the USSR for the publication of historic between Grey and Sazonov trying to de­ documents. The late Academician M. Po­ vise some clever formula to outwit one krovsky was president of the Commission another. Tsarist Russia gave also consider­ until his recent death. The first volume of able attention to Turkey. A number of docu­ the scries, issued simultaneously in the ments deals with the question of acquiring Russian and German languages, was well the Bank of Salonica and amalgamating received by the foreign press of all shades it with the National Bank — a special of opinion which noted the serious value international consortium with the parti­ of the documents published. In many cipation of the Russo-Asialic Bank. The respects the antecedent and preparatory different machinations in connection, with period of the world war appears here in this enterprise might characterise the ex­ a new light. pansion of international capital into the Of outstanding interest is vol. IV which former Ottoman Empire. The reports of covers the period of June 28 — July 22, the tsarist diplomatic representatives con­ 1914, i. e. the very eve of the world war. stantly deal with banking matters: troubles On reading the documents contained in in Albania, a Bulgarian loan, Bulgaro- this volume (and there are 240 of them) Russian frontier disputes, etc. With Ser­ one constantly recollects the words of the bia, which occupies considerable space Academician M. Pokrovsky in his introduc­ in the documents, we shall deal separately. tory article to vol. I: In regard to the tsarist Far-Eastern po­ *‘Thc moment of exploding the long- licy, one should note its advance into Mon­ since-laid mine was not clear to the very golia. The published materials deal also people who had laid it. Nevertheless, with other questions connected with world the objective atmosphere, for which there politics of the period. could be no other outcome but a European And suddenly this diplomatic correspond­ war in the near future, had become finally ence, with its subtle intrigues and coun­ established in the winter of 1912/14. ter-intrigues, takes an abrupt turning upon By that time anyone in possession of all the receipt of a special telegram from the the political and military information of tsar’s ambassador at Vienna informing both sides (and such information was not about the assassination of the Austrian really possessed by any of the political archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife leaders of the countries that were ready at Sarayevo. Beginning with this short to start the war, England and Germany telegram we see how gradual v are brought not excluded) might have expected the into motion all the cogs in the ma­ explosion ‘with a lime-piece in his hands’.” chine which has long since been prepared On studying now’ the documents, one can for starting. It is interesting how Sarayevo indeed trace, almost by the clock, the ma­ begins to occupy a more and more promi­ turing of the terrible catastrophe of 1914. nent place in the diplomatic correspondence. A whole number of vital problems of During the first days it is limited to the foreign politics of the period are touched expression of indignation about the mur­ upon in these 840 documents relating to der, to visits of condolence to the Austrian the days of June 28— July 22, 1914. Here, emperor, etc. Next comes anxiety as re­ as in the first volume, a considerable role gards the position of the Austrian Govern­ is played by the Near-Eastern and Ear- ment towards Serbia. Here the documents

21 enable one to trace all the nuances. It is Soon after the Sarayevo event, reports interesting to observe that the Russian came also from tsarist ambassadors to ambassador in Vienna, Shebeko, did not other European courts. Particularly in­ sufficiently appreciate the gravity of the teresting here is the diplomatic correspond­ situation, and his reports are rather of ence of the ambassador to Great Rritnin, a reassuring character. Thus, in his des­ Count Renkendorf. Already in a brief mes­ patch dated June JO lie states: “The tragic sage to Sazonov on June 30 lie speaks about death of the archduke Franz Ferdinand a dangerous situation; especially in his lias little affected the local financial cir­ letter from July 0 intimating the details cles and the stock exchange—• this baro­ of a conversation he had with Sir Edward meter of the sentiment of the business Grey. Grey had said that he did not like portion of the population. The quotations the news that came from Vienna, that of State securities have not been lowered, there was very great excitement, consi­ this being due to prospects of a calmer and derably greater than ever before. The si­ more peaceable policy in the near future.” tuation is represented as being very grave: The Russian diplomat shows a rather con­ “ So that you consider the situation as a fused view of the situation when he con­ serious one? ’, I asked Grey. The latter cludes in the same despatch: “ Rut now' replied that the thought that this horrible there is even ground to presume that at crime might lead to a sudden outbreak of least in the near future the trend of Austro- a universal war with all its cataclysms Hungarian policy will be more restrained after the great pains we took last year to and more calm.” More penetrating vision avoid it, and that matters seem generally is shown by the Russian ambassador in to grow steadily worse, might raise one’s Relgrad, Hart wig, who in his despatch hair on end.” (“ En resume, dis-je à Grey, of June 30 speaks of the possibility of a vous trouvez la situation sérieuse? Grey straining of the Austro-Serbian relations. me répondit que la pensée que de cet hor­ In his letter of July 1, Shebeko speaks al­ rible crime pourrait surgir inopinément ready about great irritation reigning in une guerre générale, avec tous ses cataclys­ Austrian military and clerical circles not mes, alors que nous avons pu l’éviter l’an only against Serbia, but also against Rus­ dernier avec tant de peine, et que les cho­ sia. “Some of organs of the press”, he wri­ ses en somme paraissaient lentement s’agg- tes, “like the ‘Reichspost’, go so far as graver, fait dresser les cheveux sur la tête.”). to see a connection between the Sarayevo In his letter of July 15, Renkendorf says event and our calling in the army reserves.” that although no alarming news had come In a telegram dated July 8, Shebeko advi­ from Vienna and from Rerlin, Grey seemed ses to take with great caution all the alarm­ to be little reassured. Curious are the de­ ing news coming from Vienna; yet he tails in the reports of the envoys from himself in a letter of the same date consi­ Serbia and Bulgaria. The envoy at Sophia, ders the established tranquility to be rather Savinsky, reports that the Bulgarian go­ superficial, and he adds that “ the traces vernment press raises wholesale charges of the bloody Sarayevo event will not be against Serbia and the whole oi the Serbian so quickly effaced” . An altogether diffe­ people, thus settling the accounts for Bul­ rent note is sounded in his telegram of garia’s failure in the ment war. Rather July 16, in which he informs Sazonov about dry are the reports of the ambassador from the supposition that the Austrian Govern­ Rerlin which do not sufficiently charac­ ment would make certain demands to Ser­ terise all the shades of sentiment in Ger­ bia. In his telegram of July 21, Shebeko man official circles. It is curious that the finds nothing better than to inform about ambassador to France, Izvolsky, reacted his leaving on a vacation. Sazonov, how­ in no way to the Sarayevo event. At any ever, in a telegram addressed to him on rate, there are no documents bearing on July 22, speaking about the anticipated this subject. Austrian action in Relgrad advises Shebeko The imminence of war was palpable at “ in friendly yet persistent manner to point every step. All the powers were preparing out to the foreign minister the dangerous for it to one extent or another. Highly consequences which might follow’ from syptomatic, for instance, is the secret cor­ such action, should it assume an unaccep­ respondence between Sazonov and the mi­ table character for Serbia’s dignity.” The nister of the navy on the question of streng­ reports of the tsarist ambassador from thening the Black Sea fleet and the nume­ Vienna do not reveal any particular dip­ rical strength of the troops available for lomatic sagacity on his part. landing operations. Hardly unexpected is

22 the advise given by tlie ministry of foreign the splendour of the tsar's court and the affairs at the request of the minister of charms of the journey. The following words finance. In conclusion, this correspondence in that letter have quite an unambiguous treats of the possibility of the seizure of purport: “ You konw, of course, that on money, funds, and securities of the Russian the return tourney the President of the treasury held in foreign banks by a foreign Republic will visit not only the Danish, power at war with Russia (Letter and Me­ but also the Swedish and Norwegian courts. morandum of June 20). In a confidential M. Poincaré has told me in private convers­ letter to the minister for foreign affairs, ation that these visits, in his opinion, the acting chief of the general staff informs may bring a certain amount of benefit on July 3 that 120,000 rifles with 120 mil­ to the policy of the Triple Alliance, and lion cartridges containing blunt bullets that, especially in Sweden, he intends have been sold to the Serbian army from to exert all his efforts to explain the true Russian military stores. aims of this policy.” It is quite clear that While preparing for war, the powers the journey was not undertaken by Poin­ endeavour to strengthen the ties of their caré for mere pleasure, and that it pursued alliances. A big event on the eve of the quite definite aims. Not without reason war was the arrival of the President of did lhe other side take such a keen inter­ the French Republic, Raymond Poincare, est in the details of this journey. The in St. Petersburg. The preparations for lelegram from the Austrian minister of tliis event are curiously illustrated in the foreign affairs to the chargé d’affaires on documents. An eloquent description of the July 14 reads literally as follows: “ I im­ *4left” cabinet ofViviani is given in Izvol­ plore Your Excellency to let me know imme­ sky’s letter to Sazonov on July 1st: “ You diately the date of M. Poincaré s arrival have noticed, of course, the chat given by and of his departure, as well as the prin­ Vivian i to the local correspondent of cipal festivities arranged in his honour “Xovoye Yremya”, Yakovlev (Pavlovsky). during his stay in St. Petersburg.” The This interview- had a twofold purpose: war was being prepared; the adversaries to explain at once to French public opinion keenly watched each other, and the allies and parliament that although the present endeavoured to demonstrate their mutual cabinet relies on the extreme left parties friendship. It is true, in this case the which do not sympathise with Russia in music was almost spoilt by Jaurès. Izvol­ principle, nevertheless, it is fully devoted sky complains in a letter to Sazonov on to the Franco-Russian alliance; at the July 8: “ Yesterday in the Chamber of De­ same time M. Yiviani’s words are addressed puties, during the discussion on the vote no doubt to the Russian public in view of four hundred thousand francs for the jour­ of his impending visit to Russia with the ney of the President of the Republic to President of the Republic. I know that Russia, the leader of the Unified Socialists M. Yiviani feels deeply happy at the thought Jaurès pronounced a sharp speech against of this journey, and he is very anxious Russia.” to make a good impression on us.” This Jaurès died a tragic death, having come testimony given by Izvolsky, hardly flat­ out as an ardent opponent of the war at* tering as it is for the prominent socialist a moment when the war, carefully prepared leader, is confirmed by Yiviani himself, by the combined efforts of the leading im­ who in his memoirs writes cxultingly about perialist powers, had become a fact. Physical Culture and Sport in the USSR THE PART PLAYED BY PHYSICAL CULTURE IX SOCIALIST CONSTRUCTION' Rv N. Z n a m c il s k y The whole work of physical culture in sections of the socialist construction that the I’SSR is directly co-ordinated with goes on throughout the country. Therefore, the activities of all the official and public the various organisations, such as trade- organisations which look after the educ- unions, producers’ co-operative societies, at ion and instruction of the rising general ion the Union of Collective Farms, the People’s and its preparation for labour and defence Commissariat for Education, etc. by setting of the country. up physical culture units in the institutions This co-ordination determines also the under their respective control, are directly organisational structure of physical-culture guiding and supeivising their activities, work in USSR. maintaining special oigans and paid offic­ Every organisation that engages to one ials for this purpose. extent or another in politico-educational, Since the work of physical culture is cultural-social or sanitation activity, in­ looked upon as a matter concerning the cludes also physical culture in the sphere State, there (Right to be uniform Slate of its interests. control of this work. This control is exercis­ Physical culture in the schools is part ed by the Physical Culture Hoards of the of the educational system and of the educ­ Soviet oigans of government. These are: ational and cultural measures carried out the All-Union Hoard of Physical Culture by the Commissariat for Education and attached to the Central Executive Com­ its subordinate bodies. Medical control mittee of the USSR and similar boards over physical culture exercises is taken under local governing bodies and Republic­ care of by the People’s Commissariat for an and Regional Executives. The Physical Health. The latter also conducts and su­ Culture Hoards exercise uniform State pervises physical culture in the curative guidance and control over the work of and prophilactic establishments: sanatoria, physical culture in all the organisations health resorts, rest homes, hospitals, etc. engaging therein. The decisions of these The People’s Commissariat of Labour has Hoards are obligatory on all the physical charge of physical culture in factories and culture organisations. workshops, bearing in mind the value of The physical culture movement lias grown physical culture as a means to stimulate quantitatively, and continues to grow day the health of the worker and increase the by day. Thus, whereas in 11)28 it comprised productivity of his labour. about (00.000 persons, at present there The organs and enterprises of the People’s are about 2 millions of them. The largest Commissariat of Light Industry supply the of the physical culture oiganisations in physical culture oiganisntions with the the USSR is that of the trade-unions. necessary outfits and clothing, which in old At the same time grows also the material times used to be either produced by private basis of physical culture work. In 1082 manufacturers or imported fronv abroad. the sum of 25 million rubles is going to be There is also a good deal of self-activity spent on the building of physical culture developed by public organisations for tlie establishments, about 10 million rubles furtherance of sport. The rank-and-file on the training of instructors, and upwards physical culture units are formed upon the of 20 million rubles on other aspects of tlie industrial principle (factory and shop units). work. Huilding operations have begun in There are no territorial-physical culture Moscow on a gigantic stadium to accom­ organisations. Units exist in factories, modate up to 200.000 people. workshops, schools, State farms, collective The physical culturists have become farms, producers’ co-operatives. Red Army active participators in all the ecommic companies, in the Navy, etc. Therein’ the and political measures carried out in this system and methods of physical culture country. The participation of physical become interwoven with the needs and inter­ culturists as an organised mass in sowing ests of industrial life and of definite and harvesting campaigns, in lumbering s

Physical-ci lture parade in Moscow :ampaigns, in agricultural collectivisation practical prepaiation for physical work, and other public political campaigns has and the acquisition of the necessary !>ecome one of the constant forms of the experience for the event of being called work of the physical-culture organisations. upon to defend the country. Thus, in the 1951 campaign, due to the This complex includes: racing, leaping, efforts of special groups of physical cultur- disc throwing, gymnastics, ski-ing, swim­ ists who went to the villages, 5.000 indi­ ming, rowing, etc., also practical knowledge vidual peasant farmers were induced to in hygiene, sanitation, military matters, join the collective farms, 7,290 agricu tur- first aid, and fundamentals of the physical al machines were repaired, 2,000 quintals culture movement. An obligatory stipul­ of seeds were separated, and so forth. ation is also participation in a shock-brigade About one-half of the physical culturisls at the place of work. The one who has suc- are shock-brigaders in their respective cesfully completed the stipulated quota is enterprises. Among them are many enthu­ rewarded with a silver breast badge, siasts of socialist labour who have set ,,Heady for Labour and Defence”, with a examples of work and were repeatedly certificate of merit from the Supreme rewarded with premiums. The set purpose Hoard of Physical Culture, and w ith the ti­ of file physical culture movement is to tle of “best physical culturist of the lTSSH ”. turn every physical culturist not only Tnis quota, in view of its clear purpose, into a shock-worker, but also into the best shock-worker among the rest of the workers. This is quite natural and feasible. Who but the robust, agile, buoyant physical cul­ turist should set the pace in his line of work! Kvery individual physical culturist is expected to carry out a certain specified colli- plex or (plota which consists of 15 physical culture and sport exercises known under the slogan: “Heady loi La­ bour and Defence”. The result is the thorough physical deve­ lopment of the organism, 25 the tests has to be the result of diligent daily exercise. This system of work by no means implies the denial of the cultivation of the separate varieties of sport. On the contrary, such thorough triiining creates wider possibilities for training in separate kinds of sport, and for achieving higher distinction. The sport technique rises from year to year. The best proof was furnished by the Winter Sport Festival given in March of the current year. Very characteristic was tlie compos­ ition of the participants in the festival, •”>9% of them being factory workers with a training period of from one to three years. At this festival two new All-Union records were set on non-racing skates. In the summer of 1931 a whole series of new All-Union lecords were set in light athletics and swimming. The international lias already gained mass sympathy not football matches, most interesting among only among physical culturists but also which was the meeting with the team from among the majority of the toilers. In a short Turkey, gave victory to the Soviet players. time no less than .'10.000 people have already It should be noted that the Soviet team was passed their tests on the full quota. During made up mostly of young players. the winter season no less than half a million The World Proletarian Sparlakiad, which people passed their tests in ski-ing. These will be held in Argust, 1933, will enable people in the course of 1932 are going to the physical culturists of the Soviet Union win the badge of “Ready#for Labour and to show, alongside of successes of socialist Defence”. construction in the USSR during the fiist Upon the basis of the quota the whole Five-Year Plan, also the results of their system of physical culture exercises is activity in the creation and development being built up throughout. The passing of of the new Soviet physical culture.

TRAINING CADRES OF PHYSICAL CULTURE WORKERS IN THE USSR By P. R e 1 c h i k o v The question of cadres of physical culture There can be three definite stages of such specialists is an internal part of the general training: first in some sort of a course problem of cadres, that confronts us. where the term stretches anywhere from a It would be advisable to divide into two month up to a year; secondly in a teeh- chief groups the kind of physical culture nicum for physical culture; and finally in workers we have. The first group we may a physical culture institute. simply class as physical culturists, in other For those groups who have had no spe­ words, those who have had no particular cial training we commonly hold short training. Among them are the leaders courses which teach certain specific sub­ of the numerous physical culture circles, jects. They last from four to six academic the referees and umpires, and the active hours and are generally held in the even­ workers who direct the various sections ings, Such courses arc held very frequently of the physical culture organisations. These for the coaching of referees and umpires people carry on voluntarily widespread work owing to the increasing need for them in for physical culture among the masses. the different sports. In the second group arc the speciaists Let us now come to the question of cadres that is, those who have had professional of specialists and see how they are trained. training in some special form or the other. We must bear in mind that right up to

26 the time of the Revolution there was not the men are in every principal branch of a single institute for physical culture, if physical culture, and tackle any prac­ we were to except the gymnasiums, a kind tical job or scientific research work fully of public school for future army officers. as well. They were, at least from our point of view, In accordance with the general policy totally unlike what physical culture schools of furthering the economic and cultural should be. The only institution that did development of all the nationalities in­ at all resemble one was the Prof essor Les- habiting the USSR, cadres of physical gafl Institute (formerly Courses) for Physic­ culture specialists are being trained also al Culture. In 1018, after the Revolution, from among the peoples of the national the Moscow Institute for Physical Culture minorities. 25% of the students enrol­ was opened, which at that time gave a led in 1931 in the Central Institute for year’s training. At about the same time Physical Culture were from the nation­ a number of courses were started for the al minority regions of the USSR. The training of sports instructors, following quota of native students accepted into the which a Higher School for Physical Cul­ physical culture institutions in Kharkov ture was established. A part of these in­ (Ukraine) and in Baku (Transcaucasus) stitutions were in time closed down or is fixed at no less than 75%. were reorganised so that by 1923 there only The students at the physical culture in­ remained two institutes: one in Moscow stitutes must, besides having a general and the other in Leningard, as bases of political and theoretical education, be special physical culture training. In 1925 acquainted with all the main branches of the local organisations at Stalingrad upon physical culture, have a thorough know­ their own initiative formed the lirst phy­ ledge of gymnastics, be cultural workers sical culture technicum in the USSR and in their branch of studies, and also be use­ ever since then more and more such tech- ful social workers. nicums are arising throughout the country. An indispensable part of the training of At the present moment we have the fol­ physical culture students is practical work. lowing institutions: Central State Insti­ For example, students who have been lec­ tute for Physical Culture in Moscow, the tured on physical culture for children Lesgaft State Institute for Physical Cul­ go direct to the schools and the pioneer ture in Leningrad, and the Institutes for detachments and put into immediate prac­ Physical Culture in Kharkov and Baku. tice all that they have learnt. At the same In the autumn of 1932 an institute will time they are in a position to find out whe­ be opened in Tashkent. There is also a ther they have correctly understood their total, of 24 teclmicums for physical cul­ lecturers. After such a period of practical ture in the USSR. training the students return to their res­ It should be known that all these in­ pective institutes and there summarise stitutions come under the joint jurisdic­ the work done. The second part of their tion of the local Physical Culture Boards special training is devoted to the develop­ and the People’s Commissariat for Educ­ ment of their physique. Here we see par­ ation. In other words they come under the ticular attention being devoted to their heading of Stale institutions. As to the perfecting their knowledge of gymnastics, courses, they are generally’formed by the and the proper application of it. The stud­ organisations directly interested, particular­ ents besides carrying out their programme ly the trade-unions. of work and studies, also organise their The number of students being actually own physical culture collectives outside trained in the physical culture institutes the institutes for the purpose of getting of the USSR amounts to 1,500; that of tile additional practical training. The profes­ teclmicums is about 2,000. sors of these institutes generally act as The figures of 1931 show that 870o of consultants and direct the work of such those admitted in physical culture insti­ collectives. tutions were children of industrial workers, The general educational training of the other being collective farm members, these students is the same as in other uni­ children of specialists and employees. versities; lectures are given on Soviet eco­ Due attention must be paid to the fact nomy and culture, the various sciences that in the physical culture institutions and the lastest scientific achievements. as well as in other educational institutions All this knowledge serves as a foundation there is a large number of women — about for the study of definite branches of physical 30%. They are quite as experienced as culture. The science that is of paramount

27 importance, after that of the special sub­ about 100 persons. Scientific workers in jects, is Marxism and Leninism. medicine, biology and pedagogy partici­ The student body of the physical culture pate in the research work in physical culture. institutes and technicums participate in The Commissariat for Education has the public life of the country. Take for now founded correspondence courses in example the Transcaucasian Physical Cul­ a number of important cities in tlie USSR. ture Institute. In ITil its students took These courses deal with different aspects an active part in the cotton harvesting cam­ of physical culture and have been formed paign and admirable carried out the tasks for the express purpose of giving advance gi veil them. The students of the Stalin­ training to the old cadres of physical cul­ grad Physical Culture Technician in ITU) ture workers. In the autumn of 1TT2 the and ITU worked in the Stalingrad Tractor Stale Institute of Physical Culture in Plant. Many other such cases may be cited. Moscow will be opening a correspondence As a rule all graduates from the physical course department which is calculated to culture institutes go to take on organis­ serve up to 1,000 students. In IT'W a spe­ ational work in the Hoards of Physical Cul­ cial institute is expected to be opened ture^, in the Trade-Union Councils, in the where physical culture workers may go organs of the Commissariat for Education for post-graduate work to complete their and in the Commissariat of Health. They studies. also take posts as teachers in the industrial, Resides this, the physical culture in­ pedagogical, medical and other univers­ structors themselves are doing much home ities, and wherever there are large indu­ study. strial and agricultural undertakings. Spe­ In conclusion we may say a word or two cialists from the physical culture tech­ on the subject of material welfare of phy­ nicums are sent to the schools, to technicums, sical culture workers. Physical culture to the factories, the collective farms, to workers who have had higher training will the rest homes and other places where mass be considered on an equal footing with work is required. specialists in the sciences and arts. In the A matter deserving much attention is universities, for instance, they get the that relating to the preparation of cadres same rights am privileges as other lecturers of physical culture scientists. In ITU) and assistant professors: and in the fac­ groups of aspirants (fellows) were formed tories they are regarded as part of the tech­ at three institutes. At present they total nical personnel.

2S Playing volley-ball in the Moscow Park of Culture and Kesl SOVIET TOURISM IN THE SERVICE OF THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN By N. Prokofiev Tourism in the USSR is a form of cultur­ The main principle of proletarian tourism al work, a method of bringing the broad is to combine a healthy rest with a close masses nearer to the tremendous work of study of socialist construction and with socialist construction going on in the count­ social cultural work. Soviet tourism deve­ ry. It is also one of the socialist forms of lops a feeling of collectivism and a sense life organisation, helping to educate the of organisation. new man — member of classless society. One of the pioneers in the organisation of The task and purpose of the All-Union OPTE and the present president of this Society for Proletarian Tourism and Excur­ Society is N. Krylenko, the People’s Com­ sions (OPTE) is to assist every worker, missary for Justice of the RSFSR. every student, every scientist willing to see In his speech at the All-Union Conference and to understand all the problems and for Planning Public Health, Physical Cul­ achievements of the Five-Year Plan. ture and Tourism for the second Five-Year The 1st All-Union Congress of this So­ Plan, N. Krylenko said: ciety, recently closed in Moscow, summed “A rest home is all right for people with up the results of its work and marked out poor health, a sanatorium.is good for inva­ further prospects for the development of lids, but a healthy person needs first and proletarian tourism and excursions in the foremost change in impressions, as well as USSR. in occupation. Who will assert, that one The first proletarian tourist excursions gets belter rest remaining always on the were organised only some years ago, yet same place, than travelling on bicycle, in OPTE has already become a powerful in­ a boat, on horseback or climbing the ice stitution with 1 million members. covered peaks of mountain ranges? The mass tourist movement is growing The institutions of Public Health Care with every year, as in 1930, GOO thousands should assist the proletarian tourist. Medic­ took part in various branches of tourist ine must show us the way, how to inve­ work, against 130 thousands in 1929. In stigate all corners of our immense country, 1931 — this number increased up to 2,120 at the same time improving our health. And thousands, and in 1932 — 10 million persons we proletarian tourists shall tell you about are expected to participate in tourist activ­ various interesting places in Siberian fo­ ities. rests, in Extreme North, in the Urals, Pa- At present, OPTE has about 300 well mils and Altai. equipped resting places for tourists, more The proletarian tourism is a form of mass than 200 well prepared itineraries for bi­ movement towards improving the health cycle, automobile and walking tours as well of a man, and making him an active worker as for water wav travels. in the construction of the classless social­ The Society has its own factories, pro­ ist, society.” ducing tourist equipment, its own shops and OPTE participates in alls ocial compaigns photograph offices and its own publications. carried out in the USSR. Soviet tourists The network of local branches of OPTE is carry socialist culture to the far and wide spread all over the Soviet Union. You find corners of the country. They explain to such branches at various industrial enter­ local population the decisions of the Party prises, offices, Stale farms, collective farms and the Soviet Government, consolidate the and building places of the country. union between the towrn and the village. Such a system of organisation greatly Soviet tourism is spreading all over the adds to the real mass character of Soviet country, assuming various aspects. OPTE tourism. pays considerable attention to the develop­ It happens quite often, that a particular ment of local travels and excursions. It group of workers chooses a definite itiner­ organises reciprocal visits between mem­ ary and goesjj on excursion', by itself. Such bers of different collective farms, tours of groups are also entitled to all the facilities agricultural workers from one State farm provided by the Society for Proletarian to another, excursions to scientific research Tourism and Excursions, i. e. the right to and experimental institutions. Thus, work­ stop at tourist resting places, to buy things ers in the field of agriculture come in touch of tourist equipment at reduced price, to with the reconstruction of socialist agri­ enjoy the help of instructors and guides etc. culture, acquire a knowledge of modem 29 About 10 thousands tourists participated in this campaign. Deposits of coal, non- ferrous metals, iron and other minerals necessary for the development of socialist industry were discovered by such groups of tourists in various places of the Urals, North Caucasus, Azerbaidjan, Altai, in Moscow region, Ivanovsk region, etc. In 1932 hundreds of thousands of Soviet tourists will take part in the second inveslig- gation campaign. Through this campaing the broad working masses are actually parti­ cipating in the preparation of the second Five-Year Plan. OPTE organises tours and excursions not only for the workers of the USSR; the So­ ciety takes care of the foreign workers and specialists, residing and working in the So­ viet Union. The branches of the Society at various plants and offices, where foreigners arc engaged, organise interesting tours in order to help a foreigner to understand different questions of socialist construction. According to the decisions of the 1st Congress, the Central Hoard of Proletarian Tourism prepares tlie publication of tourist lilterature in foreign languages. Special itineraries have been worked out for foreign workers and specialists. i a lour tlnough llie Svanelia mountains Those foreigners, who have been living in the USSR for a long time and are familiar technics, which is necessary for their suc­ with the Russian language and with the cessful work. conditions of the country, can, also, organise Extremely important is the role of the individual tours, receiving advice and Soviet tourism as far as the problems of the help from OPTE. natural wealth of the country are con­ Many foreigners working in the USSR, cerned. are travelling together with Soviet workers Natural resources of the USSR are being and employees. systematically investigated and brought in This work has just started, but OPTE has the service of socialist construction. These already accomodated several hundreds of are new supplies of fuel, iron, non-ferrous foreign workers and specialists in Moscow metals, chemical matters, all the tremendous alone. During this spring a tour on the Volga wealth of water power, big forests, vast Was organised for a large group of foreigners areas of land, different climatic conditions. (300 people) and several tours to the Cau­ To come in close touch with all this na­ casus, the Crimea, and Ukraine, not to men­ tural wealth, to find new useful minerals, tion Leningrad and other big cities of the which will help the realisation of the se­ USSR \ cond Five-Year Plan, to study the country A special attention is being devoted to building up socialism from Arkhangelsk the children’s tourism. Tourist work among to Vladivostok, from North Pole down to children is one of the means of communist the hot regions of Transcaucasus — this is education. It helps the general training one of the main problems of Soviet culture. of children, it brings them nearer to the Hundreds of thousands of proletarian socialist construction work, develops in­ tourists form important detachments of the ternational solidarity and a sense of col­ huge army, investigating the natural wealth lectivism. of the USSR. In 1031 was organised the first All-Union Investigation Campaign of the proletarian 1 A special article on “ Inlourisl” will be tourists. published in one of the next issues.

30 Topics of the Day

)YIET TRADE By B. Per so v Last spring the highest authorities of “secure a further rapid improvement of 5 Soviet Union have passed important the supply of the workers and toiling visions on questions of agriculture and peasants with manufactured articles and 2 furtherance of the exchange of goods agricultural produce. And to this end it the USSR. The following decrees have is necessary to extend greatly the network en issued: “ On the plan of forming a of stores, shops, etc., along with a neces­ tin fund from the harvest of 1932 and sary technical reconstruction”. It is on the development of the collective farm this basis that the “system of centralised de in grain” and “On the plan of forming distribution must be replaced by a system :attle fund and on the meat trade of the of developed Soviet trade”. lective farms, the collective farmers The achievements of socialist construc­ il individual toiling peasants”. tion during the third, decisive (1931) year The meaning of both decrees can only of the Five-Year Plan and the progress understood in the light of the general of industry and agriculture during the pre­ :ial economic policy of the USSR which sent, final year of the Plan enabled us determined by the tasks of socialist already in 1932 to raise the question of the istruction and the successes which have realisation of the Plan in regard to the So­ eady been achieved in this construction, viet trade. esc achievements stated in the decrees The dynamics of the economic growth State funds and on the collective farm of the USSR is clearly seen if we compare de are expressed in very considerable the state of trade during the initial period ures. The most important of these go of the new economic policy with the sys­ prove that the USSR, owing to the vic- tem of Soviet trade, which is now being *y of the collective farm and State farm developed. >tem of rural economy, has increased In 1921 we had individual farms scattered gross production of grain from 10.S all over the country, there were many 11 ion tons in 1928 to 23 million tons kulaks in the villages and private trade was 1931. flourishing in the cities. During the ini­ In the process of the growth the Soviet tial period of the New Economic Policy »vernment, in order to make use of the private trade was allowed and even encou­ ^cesses achieved so as to further the wel- raged. On the other hand Soviet trade was c of the workers, adopted a whole sys- relatively weak and the sovhoz and col- n of economic measures, in particular lioz movement was still in its infancy. ablisliing closer economic relations be- Even in 1927 the kulaks produced over een town and country. 10 million tons of grain and exported to In October of the 1931 the plenum the market more than 2 million tons out the Party passed a special decision on of this amount. The collective and State rlhering Soviet trade which contains farms at that time produced about 1.3 mil­ e following passage: “ The continuous lion tons out of which less than a half >wth of light industry and the increasing tons reached the grain market. ssibilities of the creation of funds of However in 1929 the leading role assumed ricultural products secure a wider deve- by the Soviet farms and the example of iment of Soviet trade and a more intense the collective farms (of which there were nstruction of a new network of stores.” then only few scores, but which by force This policy of furthering the exchange of example proved the enormous advant­ goods must now in view of the growth ages of collective farming) brought about the socialist construction be further deve- a radical change among the masses of poor ped during the period of the second Five- and middle peasants in favour of the col­ iar Plan. lective farm construction. The plan of the second Five-Year pc- Tn 1929 the production of grain in the )d (1932—1937) foresees such “devclop- collective and State farms amounted to 2iit of the exchange of goods” which will not less than 5 million tons and the system of collective and State farms yield­ ivc farms and by their individual members. ed over 2.2 million tons of marketable Thus there will be a combination of the grain, i. e., more than the kulaks in 1927. two methods. The State plan of collecting In 1930 the State collected already a funds of the village produce will be reduced fund of 22 million tons of grain, i. e. (as regards collective farms and individual twice as much as during the previous year. farms), namely instead of 22.4 million The percentage of kulak grain in that tons in 1931, 18 million tons in 1932. At item was infinitesimal, whereas the State the same time there will be an increase and collective farms were responsible for in the funds collected from State farms: over half the amount. from 1.8 million tons in 1931 to 2.5 mil­ The system of collective and State farms lion tons in 1932. won a decisive victory over individual The development of the collective farm farming. The kulaks were destroyed as a trade has an enormous importance for ci­ class on the basis of a 100% collectivis­ ties, in the sense that it will give them an ation. additional supply of food. In industry we have Magnitostroy, Dniep- For the villages this means an improv­ rostroy, the giant Stalingrad tractor works, ement in the conditions of the toiling peas­ the “Soviet Ford” in Nizhny-Novgorod, ants, owing to the increase in the supph the enormous production of agricultural of manufactured articles. At the same time machinery. In the agriculture the State the masses of the collective farmers will already obtains from the State farms become economically more independent am millions of toils of marketable grain. active. These State farms have already become An enormous surplus of grain will remaii enormous grain factories which secure at the disposal of the collective farms am for the country a grain reserve increasing the collective farmers. with every year; 70% of the huge area of This surplus greatly exceeds the different the Soviet country is sowed by the big between the plans of the collection of tin united farms — the collective farms, which grain fund of 1931 and 1932, for in 193' with the aid of the machine and tractor the State affords greater facilities for tin stations are able to make the best use of increase in the grain production. the modern agricultural machinery, to Under the new conditions the collective extend the sowed area and to improve the farms and their members arc granted tin technique of agriculture in general. The So­ right after the plan of the collection o viet government is able to lean on the the grain fund had been fulfilled, to scl powerful socialist section of rural economy grain either through collective farm store which is capable to bring to the market or in the markets. an enormous quantity of goods. The other decision concerning cattl Enormous possibilities of extending the and meat trade of collective farms and thei goods exchange are afforded owing to these members and the toiling peasants, is equal; conditions as well as of strengthening the ly important. economic tics between town and country, By this decision the plan of collcctini which possibilities are constantly increas­ the cattle fund (as regards the collectivl ing in the sense of the supply of manu­ farms, collective and individual toilinj, factured articles both to collective farms fanners), is reduced by one half for the re and to the individual toiling peasants. maining three quarter of 1932: 71G,000 ton For a long period trade was the economic instead of 1,414,000 tons. In regard to Stat tie connecting socialist production with farms, their plan is increased to 138,00« tens of millions of small agriculturists. tons, as against 90,000 which were actuall; At the present time trade has become main­ raised last year. This will enable the col ly the connecting link between the social­ lective farms and their membres as well as in ist industry, which has assumed enormous dividual farmers to trade in cattle and meat proportions and the collective agriculture. These categories of toilers, once they de Such is the general economic background livered the necessary quota to the State of the latest decrees on State funds of grain will now be able to sell horned cattle and cattle and on collective farm trade. pigs, sheep, fowls and meat produce c What is the direct meaning of the latest their farms in the markets and through col decree? In order to extend the exchange of lective farm stoics. Such a method o goods between town and country the law trade, along with the centralised distribu: provides that along with State trade there tion carried out by the State, thus acquire will be another method of trade by collcet- tremendous importance. 32 | The ¡above decision jalso enables to give Thousands of workers, engineers and the 'a wide sweep to the economic initiative families of workers and engineers, who live of the collective farms, collective farmers in the newly constructed socialist city 'and individual farmers. It will easily be visited that market. The State trading understood, what great importance this organisations and co-operatives were also measure will have for the speediest solu­ selling there tlieir goods. tion of the cattle-breeding problem. In the very first days of the development The State farms succeeded in a short of the collective trade such sights could time to collect many heads of cattle and be observed in many cities, villages and to create big State cattle-breeding ranches. new settlements of the Soviet Union. They arc now passing from a period when The strengthening of economic tics be­ they were accumulating the live stock to tween town and country must at the pre­ the period, when they are able to sell sent stage result also in a considerable cul­ their produce in the market. tural upheaval. The prices at which the collective farms The trade carried on by collective farms will sell their produce will be the average and collective farmers concentrates huge prices of Soviet stores selling non-ration- masses of people in towns and villages and ed products. Such policy was bound to this will facilitate mass cultural work among have the effect of reducing prices. And them. prices are actually going down. The abund­ Lenin’s slogan about civilised trade means ance of supplies naturally results in the in our days also the creation of civilised lowering of prices. conditions for the new commerce carried The new stage in the development of on by the labouring peasantry. the goods exchange opens up wide vistas The popularisation of science and tech­ before the Soviet State industries and the nics necessary to the collective farmer, producers’ co-operalion. This must parti­ the setting up of a network of travelling cularly affect the production of commodities cinemas, reading rooms, mass art — all of everyday use. This is proved by the these must become the concomitant fea­ present state of things in the market. tures of Soviet trade. Suffice it to mention that the Ukrainian Public organisations possessing a large producers’ co-operation is in view of the number of collaborators arc already taking latest decisions considerably extending the an active part in introducing culture into original plan of the production of goods — collective farm trade. to 104 million rubles including leather goods The trade-union organisations of work­ to the value of 52 million rubles, textiles — ers in art have advanced the slogan: 28 million rubles etc. “Art to assist the collective farm trade”, The “reply” of industry to the develop­ i. e. art must be provided for the labouring ment of the collective farm trade secures masses of the peasantry. the development of a powerful full-blooded In the markets, bookstands of the Cen­ exchange of goods, in keeping with the tral House of Art arc up which spread li­ rapid growth of socialist construction. terature, textbooks, and plays for amateur The decrees on the development of the theatricals. collective farm trade met with a wide res­ A traveilling cinema will function in ponse on the part of the toilers of the So­ market places. viet Union. At the present moment, i. e. Posters by the best artists such as Moor, about a month after the publication of Rotov and others will be exhibited at the the said decrees we arc able to quote many market places. data proving the practical development of The Houses of Art which exist in various trade by the collective farms and by the regions of the Soviet Union transfer their collective farmers, as well as by indivi­ theatres to the collective farm markets. dual farmers. Moreover various attractions have been Markets have been established in towns, organised there such as popular shows, villages, on the territory of works and new merry-go-rounds etc. Cultural work is spread settlements, in which the collective farm­ from these markets to the villages. ers sell their produce. Sometimes hund­ Thus the latest enactments of the Soviet reds of carts arrive to such markets. Thus authorities in regard to an increased ex­ 250 carts of the collective farms, collective change of goods will produce the greatest farmers, and individual farmers arrived results both in the field of the economy of to the newly opened market in Nizhny- the Soviet Union and on the front of mass Novgorod from the neighbouring districts. cultural work.

3 a 33 Soviet Art

CENTENARY OF T1IE FORMER ALEXANDRINSKY THEATRE Olic hundred years ago, on August 31st Kryukovskys, Polevoys, and Bakhturins. (old style), 1832, a new theatre, called On the other hand, the cultured element, Alcxandrinsky, was opened in St. Peters­ of the intelligentsia, who dreamed of a burg. theatre as a social tribune, had scorned At that time in Russia the portents of the activity of this theatre from the very! social and economic change became al- outset. leady clearly discernible which found their Gradually the bulk of the theatre’s reflections in all spheres of life. audience became composed of the pell y Thadcus Bulgarin, a critic and journal­ bourgeoisie — merchants, petty officials, ist of that period who became noted not artisans, to whom the ballet and the Ital­ so much by the merit of his literary work ian opera were strange, incomprehensible, as by his friendship with the secret police and also fairly inaccessible, due to the department and his services as an “inform­ high admission fees and the system of er”, had submitted to the Government subscriptions which made the theatre the in the twenties a memorandum on “Cen­ resort of a limited group of people. This sorship in Russia and Book Printing gene- audience began to influence both the re­ rallj” in which, among other things, he pertory of the theatre and the general advised the Government “to turn the at­ trend of its art activity. tention of truly enlightened people to The official “patriotic” tragedy, frequent­ objects chosen by the Government itself, ly produced by direct order from “high while for the public in general Some unim­ quarters”, no longer takes up tile basic portant object should be provided, for place in the theatre’s repertory. It becomes instance the theatre, which in this country submerged in a stream of translated vau­ should take the place of arguments about devilles and melodramas the names of Chambers and Ministers...” whose authors it is not even thought ne­ The direct propaganda of the ideas ne­ cessary to announce on the bill. The themes cessary to the Government for the consolid­ can be readily guessed from the mere titles: ation of the reactionary tsarist regime on “Zoe, or a Lover on Hire”, “Neighbours the one hand, and empty amusement on WTife or Husband in a Trap”, and on the the other hand, such was the unwritten other hand: “Father’s Curse”, “The Terrible “creative programme” ot the new' theatre Castle”, “Chrisomania or Passion for Mo­ that was then established. ney” . The theatre’s repertory during the first The vaudeville, having occupied almost years of its existence fully corresponded the basic place in the theatre’s repertory, to these tasks. It consisted mainly of caused legitimate protests on the part of “historic tragedies” which constituted gross serioiis critics. Nevertheless, it had a cer­ and outspoken apologies of the autocracy tain positive significance in the evolution and were written in heavy, indigestible, of the Alcxandrinsky theatre. In spite of frequently nonsensical verses. the exceedingly narrow range of themes The theatre had no troupe of its own at with which it usually dealt, the vaudeville the time. There was but one “court troupe” had perforce to touch upon the seamy composed of singers and dancers, and also sides of Russian life, and although its cri­ of Italian and Russian actors, who played ticism merely scratched the surface of in all the theatres. things, nevertheless, against a background However, in 183G the troupe was split of official patriotism and chauvinism, it lip, and the Alcxandrinsky Theatre became introduced a social current into the theatre. the Russian dramatic theatre. This measure By this, and also by the attempts to deprived it at once of the patronage of the give real presentation of Russian life on the aristocratic part of the public that was stage, the vaudeville prepared the theatre close to the court circles and preferred the for the works of the great playwright Os­ ballet and the Italian opera to the native trovsky who made social critique the basis dramatic concoctions of the Kukolniks, of his creative work. In 1853 was produced

3 4 “Poverty no Crime” , and thereafter the theatre’s repertory was enriched almost every season by a new Ostrovskys’ play. Ostrovsky’s plays conditioned the style of scenic realism which, in vaiious forms (at times descending to naturalistic detail), remained the basic feature of the Alexan- drinsky theatre down to (he period of the Revolution. During the last third of the XIX th century the theatre was considerably swayed by Western influences which emerged this time on the basis of the “naturalist school”. And the examples were taken not from the su­ perb Western classics who marched in the vanguard of the social movement, but The Leningrad Dramatic Theatre (forme frequently from second-rate European plays Alexandrinsky) produced to entertain the wealthy conserv­ ative theatre-goer. (Chekhov, Andreyev, Hamsun, Ibsen). A The repertory of the end of the XIXth number of prominent artists were attracted century constituted an incredible jumble to the theatre from outside (first P. Gne- of names, themes, outlooks, and artistic ditch, then A. Golovin, and K. Korovin); trends. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Goethe new producers appeared with a fairly clear- were submerged by the turbid stream of cut artistic platform (E. Karpov, V. Meyer- trash turned out in abundance by profes­ liold) who, though powerless to change sional play-makers. the whole nature of the theatre, neverthe­ In the sense of choosing the actors and less introduced a current of new, superior generally of the quality of acting, the Ale- cultural aims and produced a certain dif- xandrinskv, in common with all the Im­ feientiation in the troupe, consolidating perial theatres, was built upon the prin­ the young elements in it. During this pe­ ciple of the provincial theatrical enter­ riod the Alexandrinsky succeeded in giving prises— with “stars” on whom the utmost a whole series of splendid productions which attention was bestowed both by the spec­ drastically differed from the old routine tators and the management, and an auxi­ which could no longer hold undivided sway liary personnel in whom no one took any upon its stage. Plays like “Daughter of interest. the Sea” , “Tarntriss the Mountebank”, “The The theatre had no producers in the mo­ Steadfast Prince”, constituted real events dern sense of the term. The producer did in the theatre, while “The Tempest”, “Don not unify the work of the individual act­ Juan” , and “Masquerade” (all the tluee ors in order to create a harmonious art plays staged by V. Meyerhold) have since show, but carried out merely technical become incorporated in the history of the functions. Hence the incredible miscel­ Russian theatre as distinctive landmarks. lany which prevailed in the Alexandrinsky The first performance of “Masquerade” down to the day of the Revolution, and the was given on February 25th, 1917, when consequences of which the theatre had the first shots of the Revolution were fired to combat for a long time after the October on the Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg. Revolution. This performance marked the close of the In the beginning of the XXth century “imperial” phase in the evolution of the the theatre was somewhat renovated. This Alexandrinsky. Its new life began with was due more or less to competition. The the October Revolution. rise of the new privately managed theatres (e. g. the Kommissarzhevsky Theatre, the * Moscow Art Theatre) caused the “Impe­ rial” theatres to brace up, to rise to the During the first years after the Revo­ csthetieal demands of the progressive strata lution the Alexandrinsky went through of the play-goers. Under the influence of a period of organisational reconstruction. these demands there were some innovations The art activity did not as yet represent introduced in the Alexandrinsky and it anything new and interesting from the view­ began to produce on its boards some clas­ point of principles. The attempts to fresh­ sical and really artistic contemporary plays en up the repertory did not yield any 3' 3 5 more or less palpable results. Those were finally gave up its principles of “non-poli­ either piays previously banned by the tsar­ tical” academism, art for art’s sake, and ist censorship (e. g. “Lower Depths” by the uon-critical attitude towards the herit­ Gorky, “Wilhelm Tell”), or reflecting li­ age of the past. This necessitated in the beral-intellectual views on the historic first place the ideological readjustment past (“Serfs” , “Decembrists” , by Gnedich), of the creative staff of the theatre who or else reflecting more or less the tendencies had to become transformed from “priests of the surrounding realities (“Peter Khlcb- of pure art” into active participators, by nik” by Tolstoy, “Luminous God” by Eis- their art, in the socialist reconstruction inan). Only “Faust and the City” by Lu­ of the country. nacharsky (1920) and “Night” by Martinel The first step in the remodelling of the (1921), both of them staged by N. Petrov, outlook of the actor were the visits paid marked a real revolutionary departure to workers’ clubs to read plays and show on the stage. scenes from performances in preparation, With the beginning of the restoration which brought the actors into close touch period in the life of the country, the Alc- with the public interests and activities xandrinsky theatre revealed the existence out of the theatre. In this manner a cerLain of a policy and a principle, which already contact was established with the public in itself constituted an achievement as organisations ot the workers, and what compared with the pre-revolutionary pe­ is even more important, worker-correspond­ riod. However, the ideological positions ents were attracted to take an interest of the theatre remained essentially the in the theatre. same. Esthclicism played the leading role. The movement of socialist competition The repertory was based on the classics which arose in the beginning of 1930, and on scenic stylisation (“Anthony and soon became widely spread among art Cleopatra”, “A Commoner among Nobles”, workers. This, along with the more and produced by A. Benoit; “Tsar Fedor Ioanno­ more frequent visits by theatrical brigades vich”, produced in “iconographie” style to collective farms and industrial under­ by D. Stellctsky; “Sardanapal”, “King takings, and, on the other hand, the growth Oedipus”, etc.). of proletarian play-wrighting stimulated Nevertheless, the question of the ideo­ and deepended the ideological readjust­ logical trend of the theatre was raised by ment of the actors. A contributing factor life itself. By the side of the classics, the in this respect was the attraction of young theatre began to show plays by the Soviet actors (graduates of the studio maintained writers (Seifullina, Vs. Ivanov, Romashcv, by the Alexandrinsky) who brought with Bill-Belotserkovsky). The Soviet plays con­ them into the theatre the enthusiasm of ditioned new principles of working, a re­ youth, the quest for new forms, and a cer­ grouping of the artistic forces, the begin­ tain background of social organisation. ning of relations with the broad working During this period a whole scries of masses which had already become an plays were produced which were important organic necessity for the theatre. to the theatre not only by reflecting cer­ The success of “The End of Krivorylsk” tain changes and achievements, but also (1926), of “Armoured Train” (1927), and of by raising a wave of social enthusiasm “Roaring Rails” (1928), gave final conso­ within the theatre for the new trend in lidation to the victory of the Soviet plays the theatrical art. Among such plays should on the “academic” stage and determined be mentioned: “Fury” (a play which dealt the further progress of the Alexandrinsky. poignantly with the burning topic of col­ It is true, these productions were but a lective farm construction), “The Orank- preparatory- phase, as the theme was me­ Enthusiast”, “Naphtha”, and “Sens­ chanically intrepreted by the troupe which ation” . was working on the old principles; never­ Furthermore, the Alexandrinsky deve­ theless the very readiness of the actors to loped great activity in serving the indu­ take up the new themes constituted a big strial undertakings, sending out brigades step forward against the background of to a number of works and factories in Le­ conservative academism, and it was the ningrad and elsewhere. The Alexandrinsky starting point for further progress. was the headquarters for the organisation 1928, the first year of the Five-Year Plan, of art demonstrations on Shock-Brigaders* was the first year of decided reconstruction Day (October 1, 1930). In recognition of the theatre. Soviet plays took up the of these services the Alexandrinsky won basic place in its repertory. The theatre the “traveling banner” of the Leningrad

3 6 Regional Section of Art Workers, which has sejuarely approached the problem of t keeps to this day. creating a monolith artistic collective that Thus the foundation was laid for the is united by the unity of ideological aspir­ ie\v, profounder working out of the creat- ations, by the unity of outlook, and con­ ve method, closely combining th Corel ic- sequently, by the unity of creative method. 1 work with the daily productive practice. These are the results of the first century 'Jew creative brigades arose in the theatre of the existence of the Alexandrinsky diich set before themselves the task of Theatre. In spite of numerous negative inding by experimental-analytical means features, which were sharply pointed out he basic principles of working on the pro- in this survey, the theatre has played a luction ol plays, having theoretical prin- big lole in the cultural past of lhe country. iplcs and practical experiments discussed The craftsmanship of its actors covered oilectivcly by the whole troupe. its drawbacks, it served as a model and a The wave of social enthusiasm pervaded criterion for the work of the provincial .11 the elements of the theatre staff. The theatres, and its activity re-echoed far »Icier forces, the eminent actors of long- beyond the limits of imperial St. Peters­ slablishcd reputation, took part in the burg. Nevertheless, the basic significance construction of the theatre, at the same of this theatre consists not in its past ime “ reconstructing” themselves. importance, but rather in the fact that The whole of this activity yielded eon- in a short space of time it has succeeded rete results in the performance ot “Fear”, in reconstructing itself, in critically over­ l play which, by unanimous decision of coming the ballast of the “imperial” legacy lie critics, showed for the first time in while retaining the craftsmanship of the he Alexandrinsky Theatre the existence actors, in discarding pernicious survivals >f a genuine collective creative body. of old traditions, and in joining the ranks During the fifteen years of the rcvolu- of the artistic forces who take active part ionary period, the Alexandiinsky Theatre in socialist construction.

GXIIIBITION OF KUKRYNICS' works

The reading public of the whole world Everybody got so used to the strange vhich has always paid much attention and name of “ Kukrynics” , that is seemed unne­ ntcrest to Soviet caricature and carica- cessary to try to find out its secret or to urists finds it rather difficult to unriddle make a distinction between the three bear­ his strange combination of sounds: Kuk- ers of this name. Their real names were al­ •ynics. most foigolten. That this peculiar name should be the Only recently after the exhibition under mcommon pseudonym chosen by three review, it became known to everybody that rartoonisls for their collective artistic “Kukrynics” was the collective pseudonym -vork, could occur until recently only to of three artists: KUprianov, KItYlov and )ersonS closely connected with the Soviet NIColas Sokolov. iterary and artistic circles. Hut in the history of their work this will During five or six years the“Kukrynics” no doubt remain only an unsignificanl dways armed with their albums or drawing- biographical detail, as well as the fact docks have attended every literary meeting that their friendship had begun in their >r dispute. It was there that they found school days ten years ago, that they have heir favourite “heroes” — in the person graduated from the painting and poly­ )f the reporter, his opponents or some graphic faculties of the Higher Art-and- iccasional “ victim” picked out of the nu- Technics Institute and that all three put nerous audience. together — they are now 85 years old. In their gallery of satirical portraits The most valuable thing is their expe­ hus created you can find the amicable riment of collective artistic work, which caricatures of a number of Soviet poets, proved highly successfull and which found misewriters and other persons connected every facility for its realisation under iVitli literature and art. Soviet conditions.

37 The “ Kukrynics” have created their own collective style, an artistic manner peculiar only to them. Their drawings can be known among thousands. The original sketches, made by each one separately and bearing the imprint of tin' artist's individual character, are after­ wards put together, summarised, so that finally a synthetic image is created, where the observations of all the three have found expression. The same method is applied not only to portraits-caricatures, but also to drawings of a more complicated character. The “Kukrynics” did not confine them­ selves to cartoon drawing, they‘have also touched other branches of art.

The “ Kukrynics” are young. A long wi is open up before them, and no doubt the will progress along this way with sti more considerable achievements. Here is what Maxim Gorki wrote in a article specially devoted to the work i the “ Kukrynics”:

At the exhibition of their work arc to be found propaganda posters and book illustrations, oil paintings and models of stage designs (“Alarm” at the Workers’ Youth Theatre and “The Bug” at the Mcyer- liold Theatre). As painters, the “ Kukrynics” have ap­ peared before the public at large for the first time, and their pictures, bearing witness to an outstanding artistic accom­ plishment, were an agreeable surprise to everybody. They reveal the ^thoughtful, attentive attitude of the “Kurffcnics” to­ wards the problems of colourjfcnd com­ position and show a considerable* artistic culture. They recall to ones’ mind their own words: “ It is true we studied in the In­ stitute but our real teacher was Daumier.” Lydia Seyfullina

3 $ “ Their talent is recognised by every- rynics” are not only artists but first and ody. Their gay and willy work during foremost ideological fighters who have ic last six years proved both the importance chosen painting, designing, cartoon draw­ f what they have been doing and the con- ing as their means of active particip­ ant development of their mastery. I am ation in socialist construction, in the strug­ ot going to pay them compliments; as gle for a new culture. ir as I know them, they do not need it. They do not merely illustrate the cur­ But the very fact must be laid special rent events, their drawings brand and lash, ress upon, the fact, which probably has expressing their attitude towards this or ad no antecedents in the history of this that particular problem of literature and ipricious branch of a capricious art — art. The titles and legends accompanying ) see the ridiculous and to give it a subtle their drawings match them in witticism iterprctation; I mean the fact of collective and sharpness, thus adding to the final ork of three who act as a single person.” effect. This is an exhaustive characteristic. Like all tlie best artists, writers, poets, The most remarkable feature about the scientists of the Soviet Union, the “ Kuk- ork of the “ Kukrynics” is its purposeful- rynics” with their creative work serve the iss and rich political contents. The “ Kuk- cause of socialist construction.

rom left to right: Arkhangelsky, satirical poet, Krylov, M. Gorki, Kuprianow Nicolas Sokolov, and llie artist Telingator.

39 Chess

Published by the Chess Section of VOKS (editor — M. Barulin)

SOVIET CHESS PLAYERS OX CAPA- who lake risks and the sound draws o BLAXCA’S ART Capablanca are totally eclipsed by the tin righteous victories of the prize winner.’ The* magazine “Chess in the USSR” r<- And another article: eently arranged for an interesting contest on “Capablanca’s style has no clearly de “ Capablanca’s style, strategy and laelirs”; fined character; there is no fiery temper the contestants were asked to criticise ament apparent, which would involv and analyse in detail (lie art of this f.mi- him into risky and acute positions, he ha ous chess player. Here are some (¡not­ no capricious vanity in the carrying ou ations out of llieir entries: of dishonest plans. His games progres “The art of Capablanca, representative smoothly and logically, at times the; of tile classical school, incarnated all that are a little dry but quite integral, fill had been proclaimed ‘chess verily’... a of harmony, and remarkably stable.” lot of new conceptions were introduced. “ His clear and dignified style, whil The games played by Capablanca show a great merit is at the same time a draw liis culture and the greatness of his ideals. back in Ibis respect that it enables hi It is a complete universalism combining adversaries to see through him much easie the specific features of the styles pecu­ and to guess bis intentions -a circum liar to many masters of position.” stance which, in my opinion, was 111 “ Capablanca is not especially fond of main reason of his ‘overthrow from Ih playing on the left or right flanks, or in chess throne’.” the centre. He plays here and there, and Out of the articles which deserve praise everywhere, but doesn’t diffuse the game, the best belongs to M. Prasetsky, as, ii he makes it homogeneous, integral, lead­ the opinion of this Soviet magazine, i ing to one definite aim.” represents the first attempt to approac The following striking thought is ex­ the subject of chess playing styles in pressed by one of the contestants: new way. “An interesting, and beautiful feature of Capablanca’s style is a deep and straight­ forward honest}, lie does not indulge in LATEST XEWS detours. Cases, when someone hysteric­ ally cries out: ‘We’ll find it out later on’, Soon will come out of the press a Collet arc quite unknown to him... A lack of lion of Chess Problems by three Sovic conviction is the only drawback in Capa­ composers: Barulin, Guliayev, and Issayc\ blanca’s style.” containing 300 problems with solution As evidence the author refers to Capa­ and comments. blanca’s game with Ilyin-Zhenevsky played The book will also carry an article b in Moscow in 192Ó. “ On the 20th move I. D. Katzenelenbogen on the “Creativ the whites win with the bishop (CHI). Ca- Work of Three Soviet Composers”, in whic pablanca’s honesty could not admit any the development of chess rompositio possibility of a dishonest attack: Capa- during the last ten years is reviewed. blanca could not freely create and gave in During the summer there will be held i to Ilyin-Zhenevsky. In conclusion: the per­ Moscow an International Workers’ Chej sonality of Capablanca as a master in prac­ Tournament in which no less than 10 Hurt tice is unattainable for most of us. We can ¡)ean countries will take part. It is bein only be sorry for the last comparative organised by the Chess Section of the Re defeats of Capablanca. During chess tourn­ Sport International in conjunction with 111 aments the winners are usually those All-Union Central Council of Trade Union:

Published by the Soviet Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Conntrie Editor: Prof. F. N. PETROV. Ynojin. rnaBjiuTa B 28727 IlHrepnauHonajibHaa (39) tun. ,,M icnojiurpatJ)“ 3an. 102