Abstract
Grand anniversaries are always treated by politicians as an opportunity to exploit history in accordance with their political agenda. This article explores how the CPSU and the Komsomol used the fiftieth anniversary of the October Revolution in order to shape the post-war generation. Preparations and celebrations of this event demonstrated that the ultimate aim embodied by the October Revolution - building communism - wasn't appealing for young Soviet citizens and the CPSU struggled to win over hearts of young people. The fiftieth anniversary also showed that the October Revolution started to lose its central place in the Soviet pantheon of memory, as the main goal of the Soviet power evolved from striving to create utopian claseless society to defend and preserve the existing regime. It was one of the reasons why the Great Patriotic War started to overshadow the memory of the year 1917 and consequently became the event around which all others revolved.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
