Khrushchev and Soviet Propaganda
"Why did the federal government begin to support civil rights within a largely hostile environment?" - Laurie B. Green, Law and History Review, 2002
Southerners held considerable power in Congress and it was understood that white southern voters had a great deal of influence on the outcome of a presidential election. It seem contradictory then that a president's agenda would be focused on civil rights. [1] One can argue that the problem of race attracted so much foreign attention early in the Cold War that it posed a risk to claims of U.S. democratic superiority over communism. [2]
While it is hard to precisely pinpoint when the Cold War began, 1947 is a commonly used date. The beginning of 1960s saw an increase in Cold War tensions. In 1960 the Soviets shot down a U.S. U-2 plane in Soviet airspace. [3] The U.S. previously promised not to send planes into the Soviet airspace and the act was seen as a violation of that promise. Shortly after, in 1961, the U.S. further escalated these tensions by attempting to remove Fidel Castro from power in the Bay of Pigs. [4]
Nikita Khrushchev was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) of the Soviet Union from 1958 to 1964. He was the leader of the Soviet Union during a large portion of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Khrushchev's administration, like his predecessor, used propaganda to criticize the U.S. and capitalism, and in 1963 the Soviet Union stepped up its criticism of U.S. racism. [5]
While it is hard to precisely pinpoint when the Cold War began, 1947 is a commonly used date. The beginning of 1960s saw an increase in Cold War tensions. In 1960 the Soviets shot down a U.S. U-2 plane in Soviet airspace. [3] The U.S. previously promised not to send planes into the Soviet airspace and the act was seen as a violation of that promise. Shortly after, in 1961, the U.S. further escalated these tensions by attempting to remove Fidel Castro from power in the Bay of Pigs. [4]
Nikita Khrushchev was the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier) of the Soviet Union from 1958 to 1964. He was the leader of the Soviet Union during a large portion of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Khrushchev's administration, like his predecessor, used propaganda to criticize the U.S. and capitalism, and in 1963 the Soviet Union stepped up its criticism of U.S. racism. [5]
Interview
Alla & Andrew
Alla and Andrew grew up in St. Petersburg Russia during the 60s and 70s. They were teenagers in the 70s and in preadolescence in the late 60s. They moved to the U.S. in 1997. In the photos below, Alla (left) is in her school photo. On her uniform is a small medallion called an October Star (the star has portrait of Lenin on it). The October Star was a required part of the school uniform during the Soviet Union. Andrew (right) is in a picture from his Pioneer camp. Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneers was a popular Youth organization, similar to the American Boy Scouts, that existed during the Soviet Union. The interview was conducted on the 20th of November 2014.
Was there propaganda during your childhood about the hypocrisy of American Democracy and its own issues of racism?
Propaganda was prevalent during our childhood. We were constantly told about how bad things are in America overall, as a result of capitalism. Communism, especially during our childhood, pushed for internationalism and America was certainly criticized in this regard.
At what time period do you feel that criticism over racism in America was at its highest?
We were too young to remember anything ourselves but from what we understand (in terms of what they learned from parents and teachers in school) the era of Khrushchev appears to have been the height of it. Especially following the Moscow Youth Festival.
What's that?
The Moscow Youth Festival was a part of an international youth festival for the students. (The Moscow Youth Festival was the 6th, out of 18 total, and largest international youth festival that took place in 1957. These festivals were criticized by U.S in the 60s as communist propaganda).
This Youth Festival was a source for racially criticizing the U.S?
Like we mentioned, communism pushed for internationalism and the festival was a source of great pride for the Soviet Union. We were frequently told about it in school and it was used to show how communism brings people together while capitalism separates them, like in the U.S.
(I showed them the slide show and the cartoon) Are you familiar with any of these images, were they common during your childhood?
A lot of them seem to be from the Khrushchev era so we don't remember seeing any of them specifically but this one (Banner of Proletarian Nationalism) was very common during our childhood. That and its variations were all over the schools. The cartoon seems familiar but I am not sure if I've seen it before.
Do you have any of your own specific examples that you remember?
Andrew - Nothing specific but I do remember the posters and its many variations as well as the general push of internationalism in a lot of cartoons and movies.
Alla - I remember one. The Circus. It is a movie about a woman, in the U.S., who is circus performer and has a black child (the woman is white). She is shamed and almost stoned to death because of her child and she runs away to the U.S.S.R. When she reaches the U.S.S.R., she thinks that people are laughing at her and her baby but then realizes that they are happy for her and her son. She is then embraced and the movie concludes with a song being sung to the baby by everyone.
Andrew - I remember one, Chunga Changa. It was a cartoon about internationalism. A boat sets of on a journey around the world to befriend everyone, one of the countries it visits is Africa. (Chunga Changa was a song from the cartoon, the cartoons was "Katerok" or Boat).
During your childhood, what were your own personal feelings about the issue?
We really didn't have any specific feelings towards it. These were just movies and cartoons for us. I didn't even associate "The Circus" with any sort of political message until I remembered it in this context just now. Having a black child in U.S.S.R. during our childhood might not have necessarily resulted in violence towards the mother but it was not viewed as a normal situation.
Propaganda was prevalent during our childhood. We were constantly told about how bad things are in America overall, as a result of capitalism. Communism, especially during our childhood, pushed for internationalism and America was certainly criticized in this regard.
At what time period do you feel that criticism over racism in America was at its highest?
We were too young to remember anything ourselves but from what we understand (in terms of what they learned from parents and teachers in school) the era of Khrushchev appears to have been the height of it. Especially following the Moscow Youth Festival.
What's that?
The Moscow Youth Festival was a part of an international youth festival for the students. (The Moscow Youth Festival was the 6th, out of 18 total, and largest international youth festival that took place in 1957. These festivals were criticized by U.S in the 60s as communist propaganda).
This Youth Festival was a source for racially criticizing the U.S?
Like we mentioned, communism pushed for internationalism and the festival was a source of great pride for the Soviet Union. We were frequently told about it in school and it was used to show how communism brings people together while capitalism separates them, like in the U.S.
(I showed them the slide show and the cartoon) Are you familiar with any of these images, were they common during your childhood?
A lot of them seem to be from the Khrushchev era so we don't remember seeing any of them specifically but this one (Banner of Proletarian Nationalism) was very common during our childhood. That and its variations were all over the schools. The cartoon seems familiar but I am not sure if I've seen it before.
Do you have any of your own specific examples that you remember?
Andrew - Nothing specific but I do remember the posters and its many variations as well as the general push of internationalism in a lot of cartoons and movies.
Alla - I remember one. The Circus. It is a movie about a woman, in the U.S., who is circus performer and has a black child (the woman is white). She is shamed and almost stoned to death because of her child and she runs away to the U.S.S.R. When she reaches the U.S.S.R., she thinks that people are laughing at her and her baby but then realizes that they are happy for her and her son. She is then embraced and the movie concludes with a song being sung to the baby by everyone.
Andrew - I remember one, Chunga Changa. It was a cartoon about internationalism. A boat sets of on a journey around the world to befriend everyone, one of the countries it visits is Africa. (Chunga Changa was a song from the cartoon, the cartoons was "Katerok" or Boat).
During your childhood, what were your own personal feelings about the issue?
We really didn't have any specific feelings towards it. These were just movies and cartoons for us. I didn't even associate "The Circus" with any sort of political message until I remembered it in this context just now. Having a black child in U.S.S.R. during our childhood might not have necessarily resulted in violence towards the mother but it was not viewed as a normal situation.