Open AccessTHE THEORY OF PROLETARIAN CULTURE: ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION
Author(s) -
M. V. Yudin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
vestnik slavânskih kulʹtur
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2073-9567
DOI - 10.37816/2073-9567-2020-58-84-100
Subject(s) - proletariat , enlightenment , russian culture , cult , sociology , political science , law , literature , philosophy , epistemology , art , politics
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of establishing of the all — Russian organization of proletarian cultural and educational organizations (all-Russian Proletkult). The theory of proletarian culture served as the basis of its activity. It arose exclusively on Russian soil under the influence of revolutionary ideas. The ideas of the Messianic role of the proletariat, Russian communality, and collectivism became the main factors of its emergence. Prominent social Democrat of the early twentieth century, Alexander Bogdanov (Malinovsky) came to be the one who developed theoretical principles of proletarian culture. He believed that cultural changes and transformations and not a power grab would lead to a social revolution. This was one of the main differences between Bogdanov and the leader of the Bolshevik party, V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin). Theoretical views of the members of Proletkult were wide-ranging. Radicals believed that industrial proletariat acted as an exclusive source of proletarian culture and put the cult of the machine at the forefront of agenda (p. Bessalko, V. Lebedev-Polyansky). Moderate Proletkult members (A. Dodonova, P. Kerzhentsev) supported a position of the Bolsheviks, who believed that the Proletkult should be engaged in enlightenment, and not in generating a new culture. The centrists tried to take into account positions of the first and second ones (V. Pletnev). As a result, the theory of proletarian culture turned out to be too complex for common people and did not gain momentum.