Personality cults of Soviet leaders

CONTROL OF THE PEOPLE

Personality cults

• Stalin
  • Highlighted links to Lenin -although there were none
  • 1925 -Tsaritsyn renamed Stalingrad
  • 1924 -"Stalin is the Lenin of today" widely used
  • 1930s -images used to reinforce power
  • Portraits in military uniform as defender of Mother Russia
  • Stalin's early life was embellished and often invented.
  • Gathered titles and honours the sounded increasingly ridiculous 
    • eg. "Brilliant Genius of Humanity" and "Gardener of Human Happiness"
  • Speeches printed and distributed
  • Statues of Stalin placed in towns and cities
  • Films featuring Stalin were created to show his prominent role in Soviet events
  • 1953- many towns had been renamed after Stalin
  • …