The Cap of Monomakh occupies a place of legend in Russian culture. Supposedly a gift from a Byzantine emperor, or basileus, to Vladimir I, the cap signifies Russia’s shared heritage with Byzantium and with Kievan Rus’. However, the basileus who is said to have gifted the cap to Vladimir lived close to one hundred years before him (Shields Kollman, 39). The legend of the Cap of Monomakh was popularized by Macarius, a Metrpolitan of Moscow and all Russia at the time when the court was shifting away from Mongol influences are more toward Byzantium (Crummey, 137). This legend had real political consequences for the first tsars. Joasaph II, Patriarch of Constantinople, viewed the Cap of Monomakh as the legitimizing factor of Ivan IV’s status as tsar (Ostrowski, 176). Since Ivan IV, the cap has been an important symbol for Russia’s rulers and was used in coronation ceremonies until 1682 (Shields Kollman, 39). Today, the Cap of Monomakh remains to be an important cultural object, and is displayed in Moscow’s Kremlin.
Crummey, Robert O. The Formation of Muscovy 1304-1613. Print. New York: Longman, 1987. Print. Ostrowski, Donald. Muscovy and the Mongols. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print. Raffin, J.F. Bonnet de Monomaque. N. p., 2003. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 4 May 2014. Shields Kollmann, Nancy. “The Cap of Monomakh.” Picturing Russia: Explorations in Visual Culture. Ed. Valerie A. Kivelson and Joan Neuberger. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2008. 38–41. Print.
The Revolutionary Age was published from November 1918 to August 1919. Edited by Louis Fraina, the publication was initially based in Boston but moved to New York in the summer of 1919. Shortly thereafter the newspaper was disbanded entirely, giving way to its successor The Communist. Its full title, The Revolutionary Age: A Chronicle and Interpretation of Events in Europe, reflects the European-facing focus of the communist party at the time. In 1918 clear reports of the Bolshevik Revolution were lacking and many of The Revolutionary Age’s contributors, such as John Reed, had themselves witnessed the events. And in these early years the expansionist push of the Soviet Union was felt to be fast-moving in its spread toward Western Europe. A great deal of the news presented followed the spread of socialism in countries such as Germany and France. This headline, “Withdraw From Russia!” is particularly interesting in contrast to the New York Times headline also presented in this exhibit. Instead of depicting American forces as peacekeepers, the intervention is painted as an act of war. Furthermore – there is a disagreement between the two publications on what the “true Russia” is. Where The New York Times called Tsarist Russia the true Russia, the Revolutionary Age puts Russianness in the hands of the people: “The Russian people who had the revolutionary energy to overthrow Czarism… would and could overthrow the Soviet Government if they wished to.”
Revolutionary Age 23 Nov. 1918: 4. Marxist Internet Archive. Web. 04 May 2014. https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/revolutionaryage/v1n02-nov-20-1918.pdf
The Masses was published by Max Eastman from 1911 through 1917. It was an socialist arts and literary magazine publishing nonfiction in addition to art, cartoons, fiction and poetry. Following the passage of The Espionage Act in 1917, several attempts were made to label The Masses treasonous. Finally, a number of editors were indicted for obstructing military recruitment. In two consecutive trials the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision. John Reed, who had been in Russia when first indicted, traveled back to New York for the trial, which came to represent attempted censorship of the leftist media. The Masses was succeeded by The Liberator and later by The New Masses. Each of these later iterations was more closely associated with the American Communist Party. Of the images presented here, two are illustrations from The Masses. The second, a cartoon was reprinted from a French publication, Les Homme de Jour. The third is a poem published in The Liberator by Max Eastman.
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/masses/issues/t078-v09n12-m76-oct-1917-masses.pdf https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/masses/issues/t079-v10n01-02-m77-78-nov-dec-1917-masses-end.pdf http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/culture/pubs/liberator/1918/09/v1n09-nov-1918-liberator.pdf
Directed towards leftist American youth, Young Worker took a more pedagogical tone than other publications. Each issue devoted pages to instructing its readers in how to think about the issues of the day, and to projects of self-improvement. This issue contains an article titled “Think Economically!” that instructs young workers in how to conceive of their working lives in order to mobilize the American Proletariat. Other articles provide historical perspectives on youth movements in Europe and in America. The piece from which these images are excerpted instructs the reader not to be too trusting of the mass media. “What is the Press?” it opens, somewhat pedantically, “This is very important and something we should all understand, for it is the Press that moulds Public Opinion.” The article goes on to explain how the capitalist press is shaped by the opinions of its owners, who form syndicates with the express purpose of deceiving the populace. It advises to beware of the vested interests of these magnates, who often have stakes in other industries. For example: if there is a strike in a mine, a newspaper owner with stake in steelworks will publish lies about the demands of the striking workers. The perspective taken here captures the opinion of many American communists that the biases in the media were the result of a strategic propagandistic mechanism.
Questions of Philosophy and Psychology (early publication)
Published between 1889 and 1918 and founded by the second Chairman of the Moscow Psychological Society and Professor and Philosophy, Nikolai Grotto, “Questions of Philosophy and Psychology” is one of the most important social and psychological publications of its time. As the beginning of a set of items on this page that reflect upon the meaning and context of a selection of the Russian Psychological Society (or the equivalent)’s publications over time, “Questions of Philosophy and Psychology” encompasses unique issues, observations, and academic inquiries regarding a broad scope of issues. Overall, this publication is particularly important because of what it represents in thinking about psychology and the evolution of the Russian Psychological Society in a global and historical context – namely, the fact that psychology, philosophy, and intricate socio-political development are always interconnected. Because the research and journalistic endeavors that fall under the umbrella of this publication’s “scope” is far from limited to just to the field of psychological research, it is excellent for tracing how intricately linked the birth of the science of psychology and the Moscow Psychological Society was to other fields, like philosophy, journalism, and politics. Although specific socio-political issues were not addressed head-on in this publication, this journal encompasses many types of articles focused on philosophy and supposed spiritual development (Zakutnyaya). In fact, even Leo Tolstoy was known to have several items published in this journal!
Grotto, Nikolai. Questions of Philosophy and Psychology: Book 1. Runivers. Web. 1 May 2014. <http://www.runivers.ru/lib/book3201/10269/>.
Originally in Russian, online translated into English
Problems of Idealism (collection of essays)
“Problems of Idealism” is by far one of the most directly socio-politically motivated texts to have been produced by or in relation to the Moscow Psychological Society. Thus, this text is an excellent example of just how interwoven the early relationship between the field of psychology and the development of socio-political ideals truly was. This is important to keep in mind particularly when thinking about some of the later events of the Psychological Society and how they came to pass. This set of 12 essays focused on cementing the on-going philosophical and more theoretical motivations behind many of the Society’s other publications during the turn of the century. Namely, “Problems of Idealism” was a landmark socio-political publication because it made the argument for liberalism in relation to neo-liberalism (Poole). In fact, some scholars claim that not only did “Problems of Idealism” build the philosophical foundation for the later Liberation Movement in Russia, but also helped further the “social and intellectual history of Russian liberalism” as it relates to the development of the Moscow Psychological Society (Poole). Note: although the main individuals behind the publication of this set of essays were “looser” members of the Psychological Society at the time, they were still members of the Society.
Poole, Randall. Problems of Idealism: Essays in Russian Social Philosophy. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003. Print.
After a hiatus of several years, the Russian Psychological Society starting publishing their annual peer-reviewed academic journal, “Psychology in Russia: State of the Art” in 2008. Unlike the journals from earlier in this exhibit, this journal is highly scientific and empirical in its nature and largely focuses solely on furthering the field of psychological research in Russia as well as gaining credibility for Russian psychological research on the global stage. Thus, this publication rounds out the arc of the history of psychology in Russia – specifically, “Psychology in Russia: State of the Art” represents the current state of the development of the field of psychology not only in the way that the Russian Psychological Society wants to present it to fellow scholars, but to the rest of the world. Truly, this publication is one of the best examples of Russian psychology in modern, global as well as domestic perspective. An excerpt from the 2011 publication’s introduction by Editors Yury Zinchenko and Viktor Petrenko perfectly encapsulates the importance of this publication as well as the current state of psychology in Russia today: “The year which passed since the last issue of this yearbook was published was marked by a considerable amount of activity by the professional community of Russian psychologists. This clearly reflects the growing role psychology as a discipline and a profession plays in the life of Russian society. Today, psychology has become very visible in Russia. It has made a miraculous transformation from a rather exotic – if not marginal – academic discipline to almost a mass occupation” (Zinchenko & Petrenko).
Zinchenko, Yury & Petrenko, Viktor. " Introduction." Psychology in Russia: State of the Art 4 (2011): 6-12. Online.
Mental Illness and Psychiatry in Russia (Video)
Boston Symphony Orchestra Soviet Tour (1956)
Richmond, Yale. "Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How Art Influenced Policy." Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society 35 (2005): 239-245.
A fascinating illustration, the clearly photoshopped image here depicts the iconic “IKEA” logo in the Cyrillic alphabet (as it is used in Russia) supporting the spires and domes of the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. It is important to note that the image comes from the Swedish architectural firm Synk Architekture, who seemingly designed the first megastore that IKEA opened in Moscow in 2000. Thus, one might read this image as a bold statement portraying how the Swedish conceptualize IKEA figuratively supporting Russian traditions and the idea of “Russianness” itself. Indeed the hazy blue background, making the colors of the IKEA logo and the domes of Saint Basil’s more visible in relief, gestures to the standalone nature of the illustration – IKEA and Russia are in it together, making the architectural firm’s work that much more essential and important.
Synk Arkitektur. "Ikea Moscow." Image. Accessed May 5, 2014. http://www.synkark.se/2010/01/ikea-moscow/.
This image portrays a somewhat romantic ideal of one of IKEA’s parking lots outside of a megastore as it sits lit up at night, a bright beacon of commerce. Reading more closely, the focus of the image on a parking lot in the first place suggests that having a car is an essential part of coming to shop at IKEA, which in turn connotes a certain level of affluence and lifestyle to the experience as well. And it is a surprisingly idyllic photo for an image of nothing else besides a parking lot against the twilight sky. Taken from a Russian news page, I suggest that this is likely a stock photo that has made its rounds through the Russian media at some point or another, and as such is representative of one way that Russians conceptualize the store and its brand – to take a cue from Fitzgerald, this is not the vanishing green light at the end of a dock but rather thousands of beaming white lights signaling the arrival of the future out of the darkening sky.
Vera Manykina. "Kalashnikov Machine Gun Found in IKEA Locker." Russia-IC. Accessed January 1, 2014. http://russia-ic.com/news/show/17943#.U2eVDK1dWlN.
"Horowitz in Moscow, 1986" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVqCkcAqDJU>
Featuring the bold statement, “Welcome to the New Russia,” this cartoon illustration depicts the imagined skyscrapers (in tandem with the ever-present spires of Saint Basil’s Cathedral) in Moscow’s Khimki Park region where IKEA Russia has recently invested millions to develop a new state of the art business complex. Featured here are all of the accoutrements of modern technology and transport – a plane, helicopter, satellite, radio transmitter, automobile, truck – which suggest that these are all envisioned as part of this “new” Russia that IKEA is helping to build. Additionally, the illustration points out the commercial success of IKEA’s stores across the Russian state, mentioning the 466 billion Euros of retail turnover in 2011. Yet this impressive figure is simply one facet within the larger scheme of IKEA’s presence as the largest commercial shopping center operator in the country. In total, the cartoon portrays IKEA’s self-visioning as an integral part of the wave of modernization and commercialization taking place in Moscow today.
“About IKEA Shopping Centers Russia.” Сайт Торговых Центров МЕГА. Accessed April 10, 2014. http://megamall.ru/en/company/.
Both hilarious and ambiguous, this music video features a cast of assumed IKEA employees who dance to the tune “Party Rock Anthem” composed by the popular American electronic dance music duo, LMFAO. Dressed as a head of broccoli, orange moose, teddy bear in pajamas, and hot dog, the characters run around a store causing some amount of mayhem, but mostly confusion to the bemused passersby who watch them. As a visual artifact the video is a phenomenal expression of the way that IKEA might be thought of by at least a small part of the Russian population who is willing to adopt the silly charade of running around filming a music video in IKEA wearing ridiculous costumes. Even if they are employees (which is an unconfirmed assumption) this supports the idea of a company culture that would inspire and encourage (or at least not repress) such a fun pastime to take place in the store during business hours.
modest vlasov. "IKEA-DYBENKO 2013 Russia." Youtube.com. Accessed May 5, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kPgmbcZJKk.