298 polities whenthebureaucrattriestotreatitso,theresultisalways coSmo ic i . ntheculturalpurgewefindalmostunbelievable things.Ajazzbandisreprovedforthe"ideologicalscanti- ness"ofitsjive. . . RedSport remindsitsreadersthatathletic eventsareheldprimarily"forthegloryoftheState". . .The CentralCommiteeoftheAll-UnionCommunistPartyorders aleditorsto"carryonadecisivestruggleagainstapolitical andunideologicaltheatricalcriticism"andtorequiretheir reviewerstoemployonly"theprinciplesofBolshevikcriti- cism".. . Pravda denounceschildren'smagazinesforprinting nonsensicalfairytales,whichtaketheyouthfulreaderout oftherealmofrealityordistortthetruthabouttheSoviet Union"andrecommendsthattheypaymoreattentionto "theproblemsoflifeandstruggleinoursocialistfatherland". . .TheSherlockHolmesstoriesareexcoriatedby TheMoscowEveningNews becausethey"poisontheminds ofreaders"witha"criminalromanticism"whichdiverts themfromtheproblemsofthefive-yearplan. Itisallveryfunny,unlessoneconsidersitfromthestand- pointofonewholivesintheSovietUnion,orofonewho livesinaworldinwhichtheSovietUnionisagreatpower. Thenitbecomesratherfrightening. ThreeDogmasinSearchofanArtist Ifthepurgemustbetakenseriously,itisnotbecauseit involvesthefateofverymuchgoodart.Whenthefirstgreat "culturalofensive"tookplaceafterStalincameintopower in1928, theobjectsofattackwerepainters,architects,musicians,poetsandmoviedirectorswhohadmadetheRussiaof thetwentiesoneofthegreatcentersofcreativeexperimentation.Somecommitedsuicide,mostcapitulatedandtriedto debasetheirworktotherequiredlevel;bythetimethesecond artpurgecamealong,justbeforetheMoscowTrials,very littlewasleftofSovietartandthemastersofthetwenties werebeatenanddemoralizedmen,justastheOldBolsheviks whowerefinallydisposedofbytheMoscowTrialswere physicalytheindividualswhohadmadethe1917revolution butspiritualywereshadow-men,brokenbyyearsofpersecutionand,evenworse,coruptedbyrepeatedcapitulations. Ifthiswastrueevenin1936, onemayimaginethestate oftheartsinRussiatoday,aftertenmoreyearsofStalinism. No,itisnotbecauseanyliving,creativetendenciesinSoviet artarebeingstifledtheyexpiredmanyyearsagothatone musttakeseriouslythisnewpurge.It isundertheheading ofpolitics,notart,thatitistobeconsidered. Thepurgeisbeingconductedtoimpressonthecultural workersofRussia,threedogmas,whichmaybesummedup asfolows: DOGMAI.:ARTISAPOLITICALINSTRUMENT. Theonlyjustification,orevenmeaning,ofaworkofart liesintheextenttowhichitserves"theinterestsofthepeo- ple,"whicharefranklyidentifiedwiththepoliciesofthose incontroloftheState. DOGMAII.:ARTISADUTY,NOTADELIGHT. Thisistruefortheartist,whomustbeResponsible,Constructive,Optimistic,Healthy-Minded,andwhomustin everynote,line,orbrush-strokeconcernhimselfwiththe ProblemsoftheStruggleforSocialismandtheFulfillment oftheStalinFiveYearPlan.It isalsotruefortheaudience, whichistobeedifiedratherthaneithermovedorenterCC DOGMAIII.:WESTERNCULTUREISALIENTO ANDINFERIORTOSOVIETCULTURE.SinceWestern cultureisdecadent,"ideal-less,"shalow,vulgarandpro- vincial,itmustbemercilesslycriticisedandrejectedasan influence.Sovietculture,ontheotherhand,isthemostpro- found,creative,andadvancedintheworld.* Theformulationoftheabovedogmasisnotexaggerated forsatiricalpurposes;itisanaccuratesummaryofwhathas bensaidoverandoveragainintheSovietpressoflate months.Thosewhoarescepticalareinvitedtoreadthefollowingnarrativeofthepurge,whichhasbeendrawnmostly fromMoscowdispatchestothe N.Y.Times. Theonething tobealwaysrememberedaboutthepolicyofthepresent mastersofRussiaisthattherearenoextremesofbarbarism andirrationality,literalynone,fromwhichitdrawsback. "Somethingmechanicalencrustedontheliving." Thunderclouds Thefirstmuteringoftheapproachingstormwasthean- nouncement,on•May21,ofafive-yearplanformovieproduction.Theoficialyapprovedlistofthemesisworthgiving infull: I.TheadvantagesoftheSovietsystemovercapitalism. 2.TheroleoftheCommunistParty. 3.Solidarityandfriendshipofthemanynationalitiescom- posingtheSovietUnion. 4.Thepeople'svigilance,patriotismanddutiestothe State. 5.Commemorationofoutstandingwarheroesand heroines. 6.TheSovietwayoflife. 7.Thefamily. 8.Motherheroines(motherswhohavetenchildren). 9.Childrenandyouth. 10.ProblemsfacingtheSovietUnion. *Theoreticaly,thatis.ForsincetheSovietpoliticalsystemissuperiorto alothersystems,itmustfollowthattheobjectivebasisforanequaly superiorcultureexists.Thereis,however,anunfortunatecontradictionbe- tweenthisobjectivebasisandthesubjectiveachievementsofcontemporary Sovietart.TheCentralCommiteemakesnosecretofitsbeliefthatthe actual—asagainstthetheoretical—stateofSovietartis,nottoputtoo fineapointonit,lousy.Thisstateofaffairsisduepartlytotheslackness andrecalcitranceoftheartists,partlytothecorruptinginfluenceofprovincialWesternart.TheCentralCommitteehasissuedcleardirectivesfor boththeseevilstobecorrectedatonce. polities VOLUME3,No.9(WholeNo.32)OCTOBER,1946 Editor:DwightMacdonald BusinessManagers:BerthaGruner,NancyMacdonald POLITICSispublishedmonthlyat45AstorPlace, NewYork3, N. Y., byPoliticsPublishingCo.Telephone:GRamercy3-1512. Subscription$3.50foroneyear,$6fortwoyears.Add 30cayearforCanada,50eayearforallotherforeign countries.Singlecopy:35c.Mostbackissuesarestill avSapilaebc l i eal . rateforservicemenandC.O.'sanywhere:$2.50 aySe ua br. scribersNote: It takesus10daystochangeyour address.Pleaseletushavechangesofaddresspromptly. CopyrightOctober,1946,byPoliticsPublishingCo.Enteredassecond-classmatterMarch16,1944,atthepost- oficeatNewYork,undertheActofMarch3,1879. e 79 BÉlZiebetd-41.01ebtânco
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