Soviet everyday life: migrations from rural areas to the city, and their reflection in cinematography (1930-1980)

Abstract

The subject of this research is the historical-typological peculiarities of reflection in the Soviet cinematography of 1930s – mid 1980s of internal migrations, primarily from the rural areas, as well as determination in the historical dynamics of their value motivations, factors, means, and gender peculiarities. The object this research is the Soviet everyday life as a holistic lifeworld since the early 1930s to the early 1980s, which includes the three eras of spiritual life of the Soviet society: totalitarianism, “thaw”, and the “70s”. The subject of research is viewed in correlation of the ideological and everyday levels of life in their historical dynamics. The article employs the historical typology of culture, content analysis, comparative and hermeneutic methods. The theoretical substantiation of this study consists in the conceptual positions on the artistic methods of the cognition of culture. The conclusion is made that the images of migration in cinematography of the totalitarian period by factors, motives and means are inaccurate. However, from the perspective of systemic-holistic approach, the “typical” artistic images, which inaccurately reflected the internal migrations, expressed the profound essence of Soviet culture of the totalitarian period: concealment of truth and romanticization of reality. In the more realistic depictions of the cinematography of “thaw” period was reflected the “truth of life” and aesthetization of reality, naturalistic style, and social optimism. The formal and “enlightening” depictions of the “70s” translated the in-depth essence of this period: escalation of all-round crisis. Cinematographic works that in one or another way touched upon the theme of internal migrations, namely in the 1950s and 1980s, reflected the binary nature of the Russian-Soviet culture and mentality.