THE STALIN PRIZE IN LITERATURE AND ARTS AS AN ENCOURAGING METHOD OF SOVIET ARTISTIC INTELLIGENTSIA

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of Stalin Prize in literature and arts as a method of encouragement of Soviet artistic intelligentsia. A contemporary historiography of the problem has been described. The prerequisites and reasons for the establishment of the Stalin Prize have been highlighted, as well as its evolution in the field of literature and arts. It has been proved, that an important task of the created Prize was to strengthen ideological control over literature and art, to encourage the appearance of works loyal to the Soviet authorities. The legal texts regulating the process of awarding the Stalin Prize have been considered. A special attention has been paid to the beginnings of the Prize in literature and its special role in the Soviet ideological mechanism has been determined. The financial sources of the award's origin and the specifics of its presentation to the winners have been analyzed. The main amounts of the Prize have been highlighted and formal distinctions for the Stalin Prize have been described. A special attention has been paid to the specifics of awarding the Prize to several co-authors. The procedure for reviewing the nominees’ works and the terms of their submission have been analyzed. The peculiarities of the work of the Competition Commission of the Stalin Prize in literature and art have been described. It is noted that the decisive role in Prizes awarding was played personally by J. Stalin. It has been emphasized that a distinctive feature of the entire mechanism for establishing and awarding Stalin Prizes was its constant adjustment, which was not always documented. This applies to both the time of setting the results and the number of candidates. A special attention has been paid to the nominees of the Stalin Prize in literature and art, and the record recipients of the Prize have been determined. It should be observed that a significant number of works, the authors of which became laureates of the Prize, were opportunistic to the Soviet power and reflected topical issues of the social realistic trend. At the same time a number of prominent Soviet artists did not receive the Stalin Prize due to an ideological conflict with the leadership, in particular A. Akhmatova, B. Pasternak, M. Zoshchenko. Finally, the reasons for the liquidation of the Stalin Prize and the establishment of its legal successor, the USSR State Prize, have been considered.