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Department of History

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RUU3405Y Stalinism and Society in Eastern Europe

The module explores various aspects of social history and the history of everyday life in communist Eastern Europe in the Stalin era, and the post-Stalin period. The module aims to outline the utopian vision of society in communist ideology, and the various social transformations that took place as part of the monumental project of building socialism.  

  • Module Coordinator:
    • Dr Balázs Apor
  • Duration:
    • All year
  • Contact Hours:
    • 2 hours per fortnight
  • Weighting:
    • 10 ECTS
  • Assessment:
    • 100% coursework

The attempt to create the society of ‘New Men’ will be contrasted with the everyday social realities of ‘actually existing socialism’. The topics to be discussed include industrialisation, collectivisation and the uprooting of the peasantry, the creation of the Soviet elite, nationality policies, Stalinist terror, sexuality, family and gender relations, consumption, alcohol abuse, leisure, popular culture and music, as well as the effects of the Soviet project on the formation of identities. The module reflects on these themes from a comparative perspective using examples from the Soviet Union and from the countries of the Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe. By laying special emphasis on the history of everyday life, the module will demonstrate the gap between the original goals of the Soviet project and the social consequences of communism. It will also highlight the limits of Sovietisation in Eastern Europe.