Which War? Amateur Theaters Commemorate The Fortieth Anniversary Of The Great Patriotic War Victory

Abstract

This paper analyzes innovative amateur theater in the Soviet Union during the period 1983–1985 — a time, when the country prepared to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis. In spite of the ongoing cult of World War Two, a number of theatre studios did not put on orthodox war plays. Instead, although some plays focused on the war, they often approached it ironically, sometimes by incorporating the songs of Vladimir Vysotskii. Other troupes ignored the war and emphasized other, more controversial themes, including the purges, nuclear war, and anti-war sentiments. At festivals, these productions received acclaim for their heterodox interpretations. Their success is signifcant because it occurred in the midst of a national crackdown on the arts that resulted from the 1983 war scare. The support from local clubs, juries, and critics for these troupes and their productions demonstrates the limited ability of central governmental and party organizations to dictate local cultural priorities.