ІДЕОЛОГІЧНО-ПРОПАГАНДИСТСЬКА ПОЛІТИКА РАДЯНСЬКОЇ СИСТЕМИ В ЗАХІДНИХ ОБЛАСТЯХ УКРАЇНИ У 1944 – 1953 рр. (НА МАТЕРІАЛАХ ДРОГОБИЦЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ)

Abstract

For its restoration and functioning in the western regions of Ukraine, Stalin’s regime used various means of ideological-propaganda «processing» of the population. In contemporary conditions of Ukraine, which suffers a military-political aggression and powerful information war from the Russian Federation, it is important to analyze the mechanisms of distribution of antinational and antistate propaganda in the historical plane within the borders of concrete regions in order to develop effective ways of its counteraction.The period of the restoration of the Soviet system in this territory embraces 1944 – 1945. The local authorities considered to restore the party’s activity and state structures as their priority, in order to organize a large-scale political work and to intensify ideological pressure in all spheres of life. The information and propaganda storm should, first of all, prove the impossibility of any successful resistance to the regime, discredit liberation movement, and «to tear off the majority of the population from the influence of the Ukrainian and German nationalists».The cadres from other regions of Ukraine and the USSR were to become the system’s support in «the region infected with nationalism» and to carry «the communistic ideology into the masses». Important ideological-propaganda tasks had to be carried out by the party, Komsomol, and trade-union organization which were created at all the enterprises and establishments of Drohobych region. Communists and Komsomol members, as the most conscious citizens, should carry the basic burden of social-political and public-organizational works. For preparation and retraining of cadres for ideological-propaganda work at the republican and regional levels, a system of party educational institutions started to be formed. The press and radio provided the system’s information support. The theatre, cinema, and radio also had to become important ideological tools.Carrying out the educational policy of the party, state education structures created conditions of obligatory attendance of all children and teenagers, boys and girls, and could from early age absorb communist ideas. It was realized in various ways, like adopting the law on education for all, accurately outlined and sustained in the spirit of communist moral curriculums, constant expansion of the network of teaching and educational establishments, attraction of children and studying youth to the pioneer and Komsomol organizations, various actions of out-of-class influence on pupils.It is proved that for restoration of a totalitarian regime in the western regions of Ukraine, suppressing of the national-liberation movement, destruction of the Ukrainian national idea and traditions, the Soviet system applied all possible means. A great attention was drawn to propaganda-ideological methods. A whole branched system of ideological-propaganda influence in all strata and groups of the population, including universities, was created. Mass media, evident propaganda, education, culture, attributes of the Soviet way of life were the tools of the Soviet propaganda. However, considering small efficiency of ideological influences on the population of Drohobych region, forceful methods became dominating in overcoming of the resistance to the Soviet regime.