The impact of Gorbatchev Reform - Research Paper Example

?The Impact of Gorbachev's Reform "Glasnost" on Arts and Media between 1980 and 1990 Introduction During the Soviet era control and manipulation of the media was looked upon as a necessity to push forward the objectives of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). As a consequence of the strict monitoring and control of the media by the CPSU conforming to the desires of the CPSU was the characteristic of the arts and media in the Soviet Union. The constraints on the media were so strong and centralized that deviation from the official line of the CPSU, even to a small extent were nonexistent, resulting in conforming art and media till 1985. In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the Secretary of the CPSU and introduced the concept pr policy of Glasnost. Translated to English, Glasnost means openness. Glasnost was an important component of Gorbachev’s perestroika by which Gorbachev attempted to raise the sagging economic fortunes of the Soviet Union and make the inefficient system of governance more efficient (Gibbs, 1999). 2. Literature Review Understanding the impact of Gorbachev’s glasnost on arts and media in the Soviet Union in its early years till 1990, is a challenge in understanding what it meant during that period and the objective of Gorbachev in introducing it. From 1985 to 1988 many interpretations were given by different sources for glasnost. While openness, public airing, and freedom of speech were the most commonly used interpretations, there were wordier interpretations. An astute interpretation put forward was that glasnost was the means by which Gorbachev intended to enlist the entire huge media of the country towards attacking the entrenched party workers and government bureaucrats that were so keen on profiting from the existing system of governance. The expectation was that this arousal of the media would lead to mobilizing the ordinary citizens that had never had the experience to express their social and political responsibilities, and thereby making them a part of the attack on party and government officials that were against any changes that affected the existing governing systems. Thus there were strings attached to the glasnost of Gorbachev. From a political perspective of the CPSU under Gorbachev glasnost was meant as “maximum openness and truthfulness in the activity of the state and public organizations … But at the same time glasnost is not synonymous with universal permissiveness, the undermining of socialist values; it is invoked to strengthen socialism, the socialist code of morals(Gibbs, 1999, p.13)”. Yet, in his memoirs Gorbachev himself that the glasnost that he had introduced with limited freedom aims, but “glasnost broke out of the limits that we had initially tried to frame and became a process that was beyond anybody’s control” (Gibbs, 1999, p.14). 2.1. Influence of Glasnost on Visual Art Government censorship of art for several decades in the Soviet Union under the CPSU had led to a situation where genuine visual art had virtually become non-existent in the Soviet Union. The censorship introduce by the Soviet government was so harsh that it made sure that visual art could not become a means for registering agitation for political reforms or as a platform for criticism of the government. Instead under pressure from the government visual art had become a visual tool and visual ally of the government. During the days of Stalin a non-conformist artist could end up in the Gulag or be put to death for non-conformist art was considered to be a part of political dissension. The only option left for non-conforming artists was to leave the country, like Ilya Kabokov and present to the rest of the world the fallacies that existed with regards to the political and social situation in the Soviet Union. Visual art prior to glasnost was in actuality a state sanctioned art that presented and idealistic picture of the state of politics and social situations under the CPSU in the Soviet Union. Thus visual art presented a very biased picture of the actuality in the Soviet Union, which broke down with the introduction of glasnost by Gorbachev (Coghlan, 2010). Several decades of chains on the visual arts with imposed political overtures in the art-making had its consequences on visual arts even in the era of glasnost. Though glasnost removed the restrictions on visual arts the influence of highly politicised art making remained. The freedom given by glasnost did not remove the political edge that was so riveted in visual art. Russian artists continued to imbibe in their works the political responsibility that was imposed on them for several years. However, the change was that they could use the freedom of expression now to ingrain their political responsibility with criticism of the governing system. This freedom reduced the seriousness and brought light heartedness into the works of visual arts. Much of the post glasnost visual arts demonstrates a greater degree of jocular humour and satire than was seen before, and the though it retains its political flavour it is presented in a more light-hearted way with an emphasis on satire (Coghlan, 2010). The satire in expression in visual arts as a result of the freedom of expression provided by glasnost was an expression of the hatred and disgust of the earlier restrictions on the visual arts imposed during the stricter regime. With Stalin seen as the major culprit in the restrictions imposed on visual arts a major portion of the expression of the new found freedom was devoted to satire on Stalin. Though Stalin became the target of the expression in visual arts, the objective in the satire on Stalin was reform in the system of governance through such exposure and criticism. The satire and criticism of Stalin though masked by the veneer of civilized behaviour in reality was an expression of hostility and hatred for the restrictions faced by visual arts and as such acted as a channel for demonstrating the anger at any restrictive attitudes of the governing system towards the freedom of expression of not just visual arts, but on the general population as whole, thus stirring national feelings for greater emphasis and participation of the citizens of the Soviet Union in the political, social and cultural processes in the country (Ryan, 2009). 2.2. Influence of Glasnost on Films The policy of glasnost introduced by Gorbachev was welcomed and embraced by the film community in the Soviet Union. Glasnost encouraged the various media to indulge in a frank portrayal of the socioeconomic problems that were plaguing Russian society .that included a dramatic rise in violent crime and drug abuse. These matters were earlier hushed up by the authorities and glasnost opened the doors for the film community to portray these issues. Administrative reforms that aided this were the removal of government censorship, which was the main reason for the restriction in what films portrayed. Autonomy was provided to film studios to have their own production programs that would keep them competitive in the marketplace. \there was even thoughts of privatizing the film industry in the Soviet Union. The first consequence of this administrative support for greater freedom in the film industry was the opportunity for the film community to make available nearly 200 films that were banned or restricted earlier. Such films included Commissar and Monanieba that portrayed the stifling rule of Stalin and thereby brought about discussions on the restrictions of freedoms in the Soviet Union. Documentary film makers were also quick to take up on the cue for free dissemination of the socioeconomic ills that were facing the nation. An example of films that resulted from this endeavour by film makers can be seen in the 1987 documentary release by Latvian director Juris Podniks “Is it easy to be young?” which dealt with the aimless and desultory existence that was being experienced by the younger generation in the Soviet Union. The fiction movie “Little Vera” of Vasily Pichul in 1988 can be taken as an example of fiction film makers portraying the issue of disaffected youth in the Soviet Union. It is a blunt and crude portrayal of the aimless life of its hero dealing with sensitive subjects like youth crime and wanton sexual activity. Graphic depiction of sexual intercourse was taboo prior to glasnost. This film clearly shows that the openness of glasnost allowed film makers to clearly depict sexual intercourse in their portrayals of the ills that were present in the society of the Soviet Union (Kepley, 2005). 2.3. Influence of Glasnost on Mass Media A significant impact of glasnost was the enhanced influence that mass media had on law making. The principles of glasnost as written into the constitution of Russia laid the foundation for this involvement of mass media in law making. Under these principles the press, the radio and the television were required to take an active and open civic stand on social problems, thereby highlighting the problems that existed and the required laws for attending to these problems. Glasnost thus breathed a new life into the mass media, whereby it became a platform for the citizens to be informed of the ills that plagued the country. More importantly mass media also became the platform through which ordinary citizens could become connected to the running of the state and influence the making of the laws of the land. The constitutional and liberty rights were sought to be given to the citizens by their participation in the mass media. The mass media post glasnost thus became the means to discover and promote the legal initiatives of ordinary citizens. An example of this can bee seen from the Literaturnaia Gazeta, which was a news paper that provided space for sharp criticism of red tape and various authorities. An article “If I were manager” was publishing highlighting the problems in employee and employer relations and providing solutions for it. The solutions received support from the employees and the employers. The solution ideas from this article like flexible working hours and collective holidays were incorporated into legislation on industrial labour laws. Glasnost thus influenced mass media to become a platform for making the citizens actively participate in useful legislations as part of their constitutional rights and liberation under glasnost (Entin, 1990). Literary References Coghlan, N. 2010, ‘Non-Conformist Soviet Art from the 1980s’, Aesthetica, p.22-25. [Online} Available at: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/gfx/34glasnost.pdf (Accessed April 29, 2011). Niamh Coglin is a visual art historian and critique who makes regular article contributions to the aesthetica magazine. Information from this article has been included in the literature review to provide credible information on the state of visual arts prior to glasnost and subsequent to the Glasnost that demonstrates the retaining of the political attributes that was imposed on visual arts in the pre-glasnost era, subsequent to glasnost. Liberation of expression received through glasnost imbibed this political leaning with light-heartedness and satire in the expression of visual art. Entin, V. L.1990, ‘Law-making and Soviet Mass Media in the Period of Restructuring’ in The Impact of Perestroika on Soviet Law, ed. Albert, J. Schmidt, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 75-90. Vladimir, L. Entin is a legal luminary in Russia. He was one of the leading drafters of the Russian Copyright Law. This article of Vladimir, L. Entin is contained in a series of articles edited by Albert, J. Schmidt that provides credible and clear information on the influence of the various elements of perestroika on the newly developed laws in the new era of greater freedom and exercising of constitutional rights. This article has been included in this literature review to provide a clear insight into the manner in which glasnost influenced the mass media to become a platform for ordinary citizens to exercise their constitutional rights and liberties and through this exercising become a part of the law making that targeted reforms useful to the Russian society. Gibbs, J. 1999, Gorbachev’s Glasnost: The Soviet Media in the First Phase of Perestroika, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas. The author Joseph Gibbs was a reporter and subsequently and editor of several newspapers in Massachusetts. He is the holder of three from the Boston University. One of these degrees is a doctorate in policy and communication from the Boston University. The credentials of the author make it a useful part of the literary review. The opinions of author in this book are used to provide the background of the policy of glasnost, its meaning and objective at the time of its introduction by Gorbachev and what it became to influence the arts and media of the Soviet Union. Kepley, V. 2005, ‘Glasnost and the Post Soviet Situation’ [Online] Available at: http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Romantic-Comedy-Yugoslavia/Russia-and-Soviet-Union-GLASNOST-AND-THE-POST-SOVIETSITUATION-1985-2002.html (Accessed April 29, 2011). Vance Kepley works as Professor of Film Studies in the Depart6ment of Communication Arts, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. He is the author of one book “In the Service of the State”. In addition he has written a number of articles on Russian and Soviet Union cinema. The credible information contained in this article by Vance Kepley has been included in the literature review to clearly demonstrate how film makers in the Soviet Union became deeply involved in the disseminating the ills of the society with the freedom provided by glasnost and using portrayal techniques that would not have been thought about during the earlier restrictive period. Ryan, K. L. 2009, Stalin in Russian Satire 1017-1991, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin. Karen, L. Ryan is the professor of Slavic Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. She is the author of this book in which she demonstrates the hatred for Stalin among the Russians that was allowed release mostly after glasnost and resulted in an explosion of the expression for the crimes of Stalin against the people of Russia. Information from this credible author has been included in this literature to reinforce the claims of Niamh Coglin on the development of satire in the expression of visual arts after glasnost and the essential target and objectives of this satire. Read More