Proletarians on the Pages of Pravda in 1918–1926 as an Element of Creating the Image Of Power

Section: History of Journalism

In this article, the author reviews the images of workers as depicted on the pages of the Pravda newspaper, the primary medium of RCP(b)/VKP(b), and proposes to see them as part of the propaganda campaign aimed at creating a positive image of the Soviet regime. Within the studied historical period, the country was ruled by party members with pre-revolutionary experience most of whom had not originated from the working class, which contradicted the announced concept of democracy. Hence the involvement of ordinary workers in governing the country and their admission to the ranks of the Communist Party were necessary to confirm that RCP(b) was indeed fulfilling the promises it had declared when coming to power. The image of the communist as a model citizen of the new world order was created with an emphasis on his diligence, readiness for self-sacrifice and fidelity to revolutionary ideals. The image of the worker, whose life had allegedly changed for the better, was presented in the press of 1918—1926 as proof of the fact that the power was faithful to its pre-1917 slogans and was indeed capable of providing the people with a life scenario that met their expectations and was in itself part of a broader concept of democratic government.

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