The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-14

Joseph Freeman states in his pre-
face, "has suggested the need of a
general outline of art and literature
in the Soviet Union which should
attempt to indicate the role they
play in Soviet life and the cultural
revolution Of which each art is 3n
integral factor This book is such
an attempt. It pretends to be
neither an exhaustive nor detailed
study, but merely a preliminary
sketch, which, for lack of any SIM
liar survey of the field, outlines the
leading tendencies in Soviet litera-
ture, the theatre, the cinema, paint
ing and music"
The entire volume consists of six
chapters, three by Freeman, one by
Kunitz, one by Lozowick and an
other by LozoWick and Freeman in
collaboration. The first chapter, by
! Freeman, surveys the past and pres
ent in Soviet art and literature, and
is really a good summary Of facts
which otherwise are we'll known to
those who have been interested in
the subject. Chapter two, by Joshua
Kunitz deals with men and women
in Soviet literature, and is the
largest single contribution in the
volume. Chapter three, by LozowicI
and Freeman, discusses the Soviet
theatre. Chapter four, by Freeman,
is an extremely interesting and
adequately detailed account of the
Soviet cinema. Chapter five by
Lozowick, summarizes the facts
about Soviet painting and architec-
ture. And chapter six, by Freeman,
/ is essentially a summary of what
Leonid Sabaneyev has written about
, Soviet music in his volume on "Mod-
ern Russian Composers" published
, in English by International Publish
ers. Eve have n. space to say any
thing about the authors themselves)
Russian literature and culture of
the nineteenth century were essen
TALLY the expression Of the nobility
and the tzarist burocrats. Later,
the writers of the bourgeoisie added
their chapter to the history of Rus
: sian literature. "The World War"
Freeman writes: "halted the devel-
opment of Russian literature. What
little was produced was the WORK
of war correspondents. The bour-
geois revolution of February, 1917,
was equally sterile. 1t was not until
the Bolshevik Revolution of October,
1917 November according to the
new calendar), that Russian litera-
tur2 entered a new great period of
development. A vigorous art de-
veloped out Of the new social struc-
ture. The workers and peasants
,, of Russia, abolishing tzarism and
capitalism, established their own
government and their own form Of
social organization it was they who
now published the newspapers and
books, listened to concerts, enjoyed
paintings, and read fiction and
poetry. This new audience demand
ed new literary themes and new
. types of writer's"
What is true of literature is trne
also of the other arts. As a matter
of fact, it was the Revolution that
not only released the material pro-
ductive forces from the letters of
capitalist production relations, but
with them also the creative intellec-
: tual energies of the Russian masses.
This is indicated in the tremendous
increase of inventions by workers
J on a mass scale. The Revolution
: created the conditions for the devel-
opment Of rev forms of art and
culture 1t removed them from the
sphere of profits and price; it I'M
bound them from the theology and
the cash outlook of class that lives
by exploitation; it brought forth
new forces with a proletarian class
orientation that reaches far into the
! future of a free, CLASHES society.
The policy of the Communist
+ Party of the Soviet Union helped to
further and develop the cultural
revolution. While educating the
masses in the revolutionary theology
of Marxism, did not attempt to
force artificial DEGREES upon the ar
tistic and literary tendencies CT the
country. On the contrary, it en-
couraged ')mpetition among them
s and told them to prove their right
q to existence by the inherent worth
# of their products The insipid cry
s Of the bourgeois intellectual
. that there can be TO freedom OF
; ant" as long as the proletariat runs
n the country in its own interest
q amounts only to the demand that
20 the workers should allow capitalism
. to be restored and with it the Gree
DOM Of the artist to represent the
- point of view and the subjects" Of
- capitalist society, with its eXploita
:, ton and oppression Of the masses
- its rnurderous robber wars, its par
= asitism and decay on the one pole
=. ard unemployment, starvation, pov.
- erty, etc. on the other.
III The authors of this book might
have said more about the relation
/ of culture and production. They
Il would also have done we'll to include
Il chapter on the literature and cul
81 ture Of the minorities of the Soviet
y Union. Generally the volume wa:
Is not written specifically for working
class readers. But this is not {
S serious shortcoming in this instance
&c The bibliorraDhy at the end OF tct