Society and Culture: The exhibition “Politics and Music” opened at the Museum of Political History of Russia in St. Petersburg

The exhibition Politics and Music has been opened at the State Museum of Political History of Russia (St. Petersburg).

The exhibition reveals the connection between music, state politics and life of the society of the XX century. The exposition features personal belongings and documents of Dmitri Shostakovich, Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi, Aram Khachaturian, Yuri Temirkanov, Nikolai Pechkovsky. The exhibition tells about the fates of famous artists – from Leonid Utyosov and Klavdiya Shulzhenko to Victor Tsoi, Mike Naumenko and Mikhail “The Pot” Gorsheniov. The section, dedicated to the Soviet bards, displays the guitar that Vladimir Vysotsky and Alexander Galich used to play.

Official decrees, artists’ awards, musical “samizdat” and “magnitizdat” of the gramophone records, programs and posters of the concerts, musical instruments, notes and lyrics will reveal how music mirrors the political history of the country. The history of electronic music is presented by theremin that the visitors will have an opportunity to use in order to create their own musical opuses. Hymns, front songs, melodies of the thaw era, bard and rock music will be played at the exhibition.

The exhibition mainly focuses on the Soviet period, when the music became an important part of the political propaganda, the instrument of control over public sentiment. Starting with the Decree of the Politburo of CC of VKPB of 1932 On the restructuring literary and artistic organizations, the Soviet government began to establish the control system over the culture.

A special section of the exhibition is dedicated to children’s music that brought up the younger generation, as well as the musical culture of the peoples of the USSR.

During the Great Patriotic War, musical pieces in various genres, from songs to symphonies, were created. The music supported the soldiers on the fronts during difficult times, helped them to believe in Victory and to overcome hardships of the war time. In 1943, The Internationale with its ideas of world revolution and proletarian solidarity gave way to the new hymn, full of ideas of love to the Soviet Fatherland.

The exhibition will run until July 30, 2022, within the Year of Folk Art and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia.