Soviet Communism: Samizdat (1950s-80s)


Figure 1.--.

Samizdat is litrally translated as "self publishing". In the West this means vanity pusblishing by people who can't convince a publisher that there was a market for their work and could be sold. In the Soviet Union it took on a diffeent meaning. The Government and Party controlled all publishing and media. And to Government and Party officvials what the public wanted was not a major consideration. The purpose of publishing and media was to control and mold public opinion. Thus authors who did not agree with the officiaslly sanctioned line, had no way of getting their work published. Thus the term Samizdat came to the refer to the dissemination of banned books or unapproved material through underground channels, commonly exchanging material among trusted friends. This became important affter Stalin's death when the NKVD began to impose less draconian penalties. The first Samizdat appeared in Moscow and Leningrad, then gradually spread throughout the Soviet Union. The first Samizdat was type-written carbon copies Typing copies was extrenely labiorious and the KGB could track dowen the type writer. Samizdat included not only banned books, but a range of subjects such as dissident activities, protests, transcripts of political trials, and open discussions of socioeconomic and cultural matters. Not all Samizdat was political. There was also pornography, banned by prudish Soviet officials. Samizdat became more diffiult to control when copy machines began to appear. The KGB's answer to this was to sation a babushka (an elderly Russian woman) by every copier to carefully control what was copied. Samizdat finally disappeared when media outlets independent of the government appeared and began to publish without censorship.

Definition

Samizdat is litrally translated as "self publishing". Sam means “self,” and izdatelstvo means “publishing”. In the West this means vanity pusblishing by people who can't convince a publisher that there was a market for their work and could be sold. In the Soviet Union it took on a different meaning--secretly written or copied material circulated surepticiously. i The Government and Party controlled all publishing and media. And to Government and Party officvials what the public wanted was not a major consideration. The purpose of publishing and media was to control and mold public opinion. Thus authors who did not agree with the officiaslly sanctioned line, had no way of getting their work published. Thus the term Samizdat came to the refer to the dissemination of banned books or unapproved material through underground channels, commonly exchanging material among trusted friends.

Beginning (1950s)

This became important affter Stalin's death (1953) when the NKVD began to impose less draconian penalties. The 20th Party Congress offered the hope of a more open society (1956). The first Samizdat appeared in Moscow and Leningrad, then gradually spread throughout the Soviet Union. It was a protest against official restrictions on the freedom of expression by major dissident Soviet authors. Men like Boris Pasternak. The early hopes flowing from the 20th Party Congress and De-Stalinization were disappointed. Nikita S. Khrushchev was ousted (1964) and there was a renewed crackdown on desidents. Samizdat publications began to expanded their previous focus on freedom of expression. More generalized criticism of Soviet policies and activities. Samizdat began appearing on ideology, culture, law, economics, and history. The treatment of religions and ethnic minorities became a major topic.

Material

Samizdat was usually material critical of practices of the Soviet government. This included not only banned books, but a range of subjects such as dissident activities, protests, transcripts of political trials, and open discussions of socioeconomic and cultural matters. Not all Samizdat was political. There was also pornography, banned by prudish Soviet officials.

Type Writers

The first Samizdat was type-written carbon copies Typing copies was extrenely labiorious and the KGB could track dowen the type writer. We assumed that the KGB would have carefully organized controls and take type sample before allowing the typewriter to be sold. Or even requiring registration. Aussian reader writes, "Dont forget please that USSR havent been an ordinary state. A registration of a typewriter - it would be a violation of freedom of the word :) Isn't Ain't USSR the most free state in the whole world? :) How marvelous - a state shows itself to foreigners as keeper of freedom and democracy... May be it would be more clear if I paint it so: One layer covering another alike that. Imagine - if you bought a typewriter, in a same day a "master" (disguised KGB man) came and under the cover of "checking" and "setup" this typewriter he took a sample of typewriter's font for KGB's database."

Copy Machines

Samizdat became more diffiult to control when copy machines began to appear in the 1970s. The KGB's answer to this was to sation a babushka (an elderly Russian woman) by every copier to carefully control what was copied. A friend who worked with Soviet research institutes during the 1980s told me that the institute he returned from (during the 1980s) had a babuska sitting by it all day long. Her sole job was to make sure no one made unauthorized copies. The staff there needed a permission slip signed by their boss and counter signed by the institute director to make a copy. A Russian reader writes, "You Americans often are so... straight-thinking I would say... Your friend told you truth - yes, in USSR were very strict rules about copying. And true - there were such Grannies guarding copying machines. But your friend didnt say you one thing - that this Granny could be bribed with a piece of chocolate, box of cigarettes or something alike. The system of Soviet union was strict - but weak. When you Americans talk about Soviet totalitarism you forget, that any attempts to control absolutely all things around will excaust any state machine. Yes, the rules were strict in Soviet Union - but who obeyed all these rules we called him/her "an idiot". Almost any rule or restriction could be omitted - by friendship, by bribe and all kinda that." American office workers or even students can scarcely believe that every copier in the Soviet was guarded by a babushka and thsat permissions were needed to make copies. This means that not only did the instutute or office have to hire someone who played no useful service, but it also created an unecessary impediment for people to do their work. Imagine hsaving to bother your boss ans his boss to make a copy. The mind boggles. This was just one of many reasons that the Soviet economy was so inefficent.

Legal Penalties



Disappearance (1990s)

Samizdat finally disappeared when media outlets independent of the government appeared and began to publish without censorship.

Consequences

A Russian reader writes, "As a consequence of that system in modern post-USSR states (not Russia only) most of people still live according to this complex system. It means, that they a) Dont believe to authorities - any authorities, no difference "democratic" they are or "patriotic" b) Dont love any authorities helpers - including police, state service, burocrates, press etc. c) Pay more respect to criminals, than authorities d) Dont believe to press (a popular russian proverb is "any journalist is a whore") e) Dont belive to commercials f) Dont believe to any changes g) Think one, say another, plan third and do fourth."







HBC








Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main Soviet communism page]
[Return to Main specific war and crisis page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]




Created: 7:45 AM 1/22/2010
Last updated: 7:45 AM 1/22/2010