Write a discussion paper on Socialist Realism: Stalin’s Control of Art in the Soviet Union
I have to lead my class in a robust discussion on the Russian Revolution. Specifically I have chosen the topic of Socialist Realism: Stalin’s Control of Art in the Soviet Union. One painting in particular I’d like to make my primary source is, “The First Speech of Vladimir Lenin at a Meeting in Smolensk, the Retrograde Soviet on Oct. 25, 1917, Konstantin Yuon, 1935, via wiki art.org. Here is the link:
https://www.thecollector.com/soviet-realism-stalin-control/
We have to bring in a primary source(mine is a visual) and pose 4-5 questions to the classroom to open up a robust discussion. I need to construct the 4-5 questions and also have personal notations so that I can help to guide the discussion.
Instructions:
Construct 4–5 open ended discussion questions and post on Blackboard. These questions will give your fellow classmates an idea of what they are expected to discuss and help them prepare.
Find and bring to class one primary source that relates to the week’s readings. I have chosen The First Speech of Vladimir Lenin at a Meeting in Smolny, the Petrograd Soviet on Oct. 25, 1917, Konstantin Yuon, 1935, via wikiart.org.
Prepare a short summary about the most important themes, topics, and issues from the painting. Try not to provide a summary of the chronology of events (these will already be covered in lectures). These are your “opening remarks” to set the stage for the discussion to follow, and should not be longer than 3-5 minutes.
While in class, guide the other students through the discussion questions. Facilitate the conversation by:
asking classmates to explain their reasoning, e.g. through point out specific examples
bringing in different perspectives and asking for comment
making sure that all students have a chance to speak, and are not interrupting each other
draw connections between that week’s topics and events and the wider context of the course (and perhaps the other revolutions)
