DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730249-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2003
• Sequence Number: 249
• Publication Date: November 11, 1998
• Content Type: REPORT

STATII
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM STAT
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY
USSR',
SUBJECT DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGI;AGE
CHANGE TO ,
c~c~~ss~F~E?
PER REGRADiN~i _~~
auu~riN no._1_~_
DATE DIST. a,.~ November 195].
N0. OF PAGES 9 ~ ~
a~=
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
tnu Docurant conre~rc Ir-o~r~noa erracnna Tna renurs~ Dannu
ar rna uninD aTeru ' wttru tra ra~ana or asnonnu net ao
r. a. c.. al nrD aa. ea ?ra~oaD. ' m ra~raruuion or tna rarunnor
01 iTf COIITINTf Ir AIIT rArrar To Ar Yr1lDiroalil0 /aaaor If -ao?
rlalTaD ?T LAr. as reOgYC"Or 0/ TNIf fOrr la /aOMlalra 6. -
THIS 1S UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
CPW Report No. 15 -USSR
(16 - 31 October 1951)
Ideological Affairs.......1~ ........ 1
Russo-Ulmainian FriendsYdp......... 6
Reports on 3!dealogical weaknesses are subatantiall in volume and follow a familiar
pattern. TYie education of children is said to be', part of the "ideological front"
activities,~jhich also include the People's Courts and the science of astronomy.
Most of the'!regional criticism is directed against writers and composers, pa~tic-
u11ar1y in tYie Ukraine. The situation in the Kazelsh SSR has reached serious pro-
portions. Communist education in the Party school network ie referred to as the
weak spot of-Party activities. Corruption and nepotism are imputed to the Party
organization of the Ministry of Labor Reserves avid there are allusions to friction
betwe~ that organization and Ministry officlals.l Discussion of agricultural
shortcomings continues to center on the 13vestoch industry and the inefficient
util.ization!of technical equipment.
Party Activities..........
Shortcomings ..............
l
;~ Soviet writers, particularly in
There is much regional comment on the failings of
the U.larain~e',and the Don region. That the Union of Soviet Writers is taking this
adverse criticism seriously ie indicated by the srarious republican and Oblast
meetings c+a~led in rapid succession to cure the ideological illnesses. The PRAVDA
article on! ,ideological perversions in art and li-t;erature (2 ..~.:~1d~....,,,,....,
primary item 'on the agenda of these gatherings. CHANGE TO
TDEOLOGTCAL'!AFFAIRS
CONFTDENTIAI, I ``='~~LIUSF,&.HJJ~1'~CU 0
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CLASSIFICATION `~
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ARMY '~ MR X F91
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A summarized report from^t~aev (in Ukrainian, 19 October)-says that a plomery session
of the Union of Soviet Composers is now reviewing the worlsr of the Ukrainian composers
written daring the past year in the light of the PRAVDA article. Another report
from the-Ukrainian capital (29 October) spenks~o~ the inter-oblent ~~cmiereace of
?young writers of Kherson, Izmeil, Odessa end Nikolayev oblesta co:rvened to discuss
"measures Y~s.r improving 'the creative Rork of young authors in the light of the
PRP.VDA article ...."
~lOLC!T (21 October)s~ discu3sing the-inter-oblast?conference rof writers from Don,
Kuban, Crimea nnd-8tav~ropol scheduled to open on 2~ Octeber, says that the purpose
of that gathering is to look into the "numerous defects" in the work of the
~Iriters' Union. The main defr_etj ? according to they paper, is that aia[i3- of the Dc:n
writers and poets "continue to lag behind .,. current events" and that present-day
reality is not reelected in their works.. The reluctance of some writers and
poets to criticize-their colleagues' work lest their themselves be criticized in turn
is censured by the paper as one of their cerdine2 Sins. The DON AI~uIANACH, recently
published as an aid to literar-f groups, is cited aR an example of a "formalistic
and heedless attit?de" toward the works of young writers,.
Referring to the situation_in Rostov oblast; the same editorial says that the oblast
writers "have not yet created an important yror,~c ab~OUt the heroic working class
or its struggle for Communism." The paper accordi~igly enjoins the men of letters
not to a carried array by lit~rery abstractions and to corSine their creative
activities to current even+.s for "rrho but the writers and poets ... should sing
the praises of the great Communist building pro,jects."
Additional mention of the late:-oblast conference appears in a dispatch from Rostov
on 24 October. No details of the, conference ere given but its importance is
implicitly emphasized in the announcement that itwas attended by a representative
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and by the secretary of the USSR
Writlrs' Union. The latter is quoted es ceiling upon the writers "not to forget"
their responsibility to the peoples the Motherleai and Stalin.
A specific complaint is voiced by RABOCiiI?Y PUT ~2~: Oc~tober)~ It declares editorially
that the Smolensk oblast ?Nritera are not following life very closely, end tnet their
contacts with economic and cuitarel progress are 'loose." The book "Black River"
by Shir~?ugin is referred to as "a bad ,job" and is said to be "politically perverse."..
The "low ideological level" +;nizkiy ideologiches ky uroven) of independent artistic
~rork in Kherson oblast is the sub)ect of IdADNEPRYANSKA PRAVDA's editorial .
(24 OolCober). The paper lists a number of rail?vey.stetion clubs, amateur art groups
and other cultural institutions end says that their activities still betray
ideological end artistic ereakne9ses far whicY, these is ro excuse. It is claimed
also that PRAVDA?a admonitions against ideological perversions, es exemplified
by the opera "Bogdan fChmelnitsky," remain ur~heedNd.
ORLOVSKAXA PRAVl~A (28 October ! se~-s it would be a mistake "not to note" the
serious blunders and shortcomings in the amateur art activities in the oblast.
Bureaucratic and formalistic leadership on the pert of the Party, trade union
and Komsomol organizations is blamed for the fallings of this "important sector"
of., ideological work. This explains, concludeH the.. papers rrhy amateur groups are
often headed by people "having nothing in commor~ ith either art or popular
creative work."
A report from Kiev (in Ukrainian,, 31 October) tells of the plenary session of
the Union of Soviet 1;k:ainian writers and its probing into the Republic's
ideological affairs. The chairman of the Union Veryovka admitted that the
mistakes and shortcomings tolerated by the orga ni~ation "have led to the appearance
in the Ukraine of a aeries of ideologically ~poo-r works." This lack of progress
in Ukrainian art, as noted by the session, is condemned witr. particular
vehemence in view of the fact that "a long time has passed'sirice the appearance
of the PRAVDA article." Soviet ballet is mleo referred to as "weak."
Svechnikov's ballet "lRarusya Roguslavska" and Nat~olsky'e "Chuvstvo Dovbusha,"
said to be worthy of popular commendation, were relegated to oblivion because
of the failure of other composars._.to give them "Proper support."
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The Ukrainian composers ere also belabored at the session for their failure to
produce anything worthwhile for children, the cinema end musical shows. Fer from
lattempting to discover mistakes in the works of other composers, they have
(committed many of their own., The low theoretical and professional level of
,musical criticism is responsible nor the eppearence of a number of ideological
'~i perversions in rJkrainien art and the sorry state of affairs i in musical arts in
iparticuler. ~i
~,A long, unRigned PRAVLA article on anti-patriotic views in literary criticism
iI(21 October) takes issue with critic Gurvich's recent article published in the
(magazine NOZ'IY MIR (New World 1. Gurvich; it appears, "has relapsed" into the mood
iof his unpatriotic, cosmopolitan colleagues of 1949 by his implicit references
ito Russian classical literature being unable to produce a "positive hero,"
'e true representative of the people. The paper fulminates eQainst this critic
~~Iwho portrays the heroes of R~1381aS1 liters tune es "idle people" (praz9nie lyudi)
(who manifest their virtues "exclusively in love affairs." ail
jThis critic's attitudes toward Soviet literature, PRAVDA maintains, are Just about
es reactionary and anti-~erxien ea are his views on Russianliterature. Hie
anti-patriotic treatment of the "great heritage of the Ruaeian classicists" is said
~,to be comparable to his attempts to minimize "the most advanced features" of
~iSoviet literature ~urvich~s book "In Search of A Hero" (published some time ago)
~,is recalled as a typical ex?mple. In its says PRAVDA ht developed the idea
i(provodil mysl) that Soviet literature never produced a "genuine hem"
ii(nastoyashchi ge:oil~ .Among his other aberrationa~ it is pointed out, are hie
references to the "split personality" +,razdvoyennoet) and "iYarmful nature"
'i(ushcherbnost) of the herons of Soviet literature.
I'IPRAVDA declares that such mistakes in Curvich's mark ere neither eccidentiel
(nor isolated, and cells the c.ritic~a aettention to the fate of his "anti-patriotic
I, and cosmopolitan" colleagues who "were unmASked and condemned" by the Party in
11949. He is ?1so reminded that he gas part of that group. IGurvich's o.ticle,
'the paper concludtsy is another reninder that "the liberal attitude toward
liattempts to inject alien anti-patriotic views into liter~ry~~critieism" moat be
~Idoae away with once and for ?11.. II
~7deolo~v in School Troininno The ideological aspect is the~~most important thing
~ in the education of school children, says a FiA:~YANSKE PODIL:'SE editorial (in
Ukr++inianj 16 Oetoberl. The right ideological direction (pravilnaya ideologieheakaya
!napravlennost); according to the paper,. is indispensable in'the education of
(children in the spirit of Qommuniat morality which is "the basis for the work"
~!iof every Soviet school.
Another important aspect of school education, as stressed by the same editorial,
is the inculcation of a "socialist attitude toerard common property." The issue
~ is raised because, according to the paper, this important element in the system
ilof Communist education has been left out in a number of schools, particularly
in Gorodokskiy rayon:, due to tha "formal attitude" toaaerd the planning of
'ieducational work.
II g,~og],e's Tudaes~ The election of people?a judges in the Ukraine, net for
16 December, occaaiona same editorial comment on the lowereehelona of the
Judicial branch of governm+~n?t. BOLSHEVI:SICA ZBROYA (30 October) complains of
the "very low ideological level" in the e-ork of some ,j~+idgea, especially in
Trostianitskyr rayon. The paper complains that a number of 'Judges are wont
of examining cases one-aidedly and that their political easeeament of facts ie
i very low. Any deviation f ram ouch political and ideological considerations on
'i the part of the courts the paper intimates, conatitutea a serious infringement of
j the rules of procedure and "debases the political roll" of ',the court of Justice.
'~ Reiterating that the "Judges ere independent and eubJect only to the law,"
BOLSHEVITSKA ZBRO~A soya that their ahortcominga end devietiione moat be fought
', "with resolution," end urges the appropriate Party end Soviet orgeni2etiona to
create indispensable conditions for their Hormel functioning.
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ZAYA POI.TA'JSKi.~iIN~: (30 Cctobar) urges a wideapr~ed campaign to "ex~lnin to the ?orkera"
the significeuce of tha court of ~j?ostice and Khy it should assume first-rank
importance in a eocielist state. The function of the co~irt, according to the
paper, is "the elimination of the r?mner_ta of private property cua~oms end .. rein-
forcement of socialist pr.~peTty ~...." ;n that ee;,ecity it is said to be serving
the interests of the State ea~d those of the people. RAI+''_+lttJSKA UKRAINA f 30 October)
diacuaaee the theme along siiailer linen but defines the function o~'i the courr se
primarily "guarding the State intereete" end ": esting o*~ the support of the
people." The protection of ~ocieliat property ia, ae the paper points outD
"one of the moat importe.nt t?eals~e" of the courts. end they should noi: hesitate
to mete out "severe peneltiei ageiaet thieves of comm~.:nel property}"
"I eeliam" in Aetro~mYo Pref. Agemezov intarprete the conflict ?oetrr~en science
and religion (Stavropol ir. :~}:asien? 19 Octoberl es the inevitable Riruggle bet~~eer.
materialism end ideelia~. ^he letta.., he says, was born of religious superstition
and is used by the e:xploitYrs for their o?+:~ ends. All the "uns:lentific drivel"
still supported by cont~mporery bourgeois science i4 deb~~ked by advanced Soviet
science. This "idealis:c~''; soya Agemezov~ is employed by tre bourgeoisie in men,}r
branches of acierc~, parti~.ularly ir.. est:~ac~y. $u.^: j1 brave seient~sts es
Copernicus, Ualileo and Br,n1o are oit?d as having fo/2cw~d the semalanti-church
line in astronomy es no~? hel+i by Soviet scientists.. the kord "unkro+m" itself,
according to Agemezov. is txr.~soientifie and thereforF also idealistic since "there
is no s~:ch thing in the ~rorl~~ na the unkaoxn--it is a mere wetter f time."
IdeoloFV in_ Keaekhsten:. "helve is evidence t.het Moscow`s .mourtirg ~^bncern over
matters of ideology in :~azek~ SSR~ a t6rgat oi" froquynt of':'i Biel n~tecks , is
being trnnsleted into ectionj rer~iniscer,t o'_" the purge., L:~ 1949. Tie familiar
patters of nervous Forty ectivitips pre^.?diz:g such e~Lion is revealed in a PRAI,'DA
dispatch from Alma ,4.te by . ~. : ~ie domestic.; and foreign policy of the Soviet
Clovernment. Ir_ at ].east r,v;