Obshchestvennost' as Key to Understanding Soviet Writers of the 1950s: Moskovskii Literator, October 1956—March 1957

Abstract

The concept of obshchestvennost' , a Russian term that is difficult to translate, helps us understand the ways that writers responded to Nikita Khrushchev's speech denouncing Stalin in 1956. The term can be seen as the public, public opinion or civil society, and was part of an attempt to transform the Moscow section of the Writers' Union. This article uses the concept to investigate the formation of a new newspaper called The Moscow Writer. The newspaper was envisioned as the way to re-create the section as a place for criticism of the current situation within the USSR. The newspaper's independent voice lasted a few months before the authorities intervened. This short interlude demonstrates the desire of writers to provide critical analysis of their position and their future, not to lead a revolution. It also shows the limits of Khrushchev's reforms; he would not allow independent opinion to emerge, even if produced by loyal group of writers.