Is Smiling Allowed in Soviet Schools?

  • Thread starter Thread starter wrobel
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Life
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the contrasting depictions of children in a 1967 Russian school photo and Norman Rockwell's painting, "Russian Schoolroom." The photo shows a girl laughing, while the painting portrays children staring tensely at Lenin's bust, reflecting Soviet propaganda's impact on education. The conversation highlights the importance of resisting stereotypes, particularly in educational contexts, and notes Rockwell's subtle political commentary on non-conformity through artistic choices. The painting's history, including its theft and eventual purchase by Steven Spielberg, adds depth to the analysis.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Soviet educational practices and propaganda.
  • Familiarity with Norman Rockwell's artistic style and historical context.
  • Knowledge of the significance of non-conformity in art and culture.
  • Awareness of the impact of visual media on public perception.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the role of propaganda in Soviet education systems.
  • Explore Norman Rockwell's body of work and its cultural implications.
  • Investigate the historical context of the 1967 Russian classroom environment.
  • Learn about the effects of visual storytelling in shaping societal norms.
USEFUL FOR

Historians, art enthusiasts, educators, and anyone interested in the intersection of art, culture, and propaganda in the context of Soviet history.

wrobel
Science Advisor
Insights Author
Messages
1,255
Reaction score
1,055
Here are two pictures attached. The first picture is a photo from Russian secondary school 1967.
The second picture is a painting by an American artist Norman Rockwell. He used the photo as a sample.
There are ordinary children at the photo, the girl laughs. At the painting the children stare straight ahead tensely at Lenin's bust. A teacher will surely send them to Siberia if they admit a smile. Or maybe they look in the Communist future.

Soviet propaganda kept up.

It is interesting that this painting had been stolen and found several times until Steven Spielberg bought it.
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    1.jpg
    70.9 KB · Views: 188
  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    60.9 KB · Views: 164
Last edited:
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Wrichik Basu, Klystron, Lnewqban and 1 other person
Physics news on Phys.org
Stereotype:
_hDIByU-Lf4K2CAT2AgNssxMk5PvK0aEuhdybS-R4&usqp=CAU.jpg


Reality:

fressgassfest_ahenninger_0101__400x300.jpg
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Klystron and Astronuc
One of the things I've learned from my EMS shifts is to resist the urge to stereotype. It's not always easy to do, but the few times I've let myself succumb to that urge, I've usually been proven wrong as I got to know my patient. That only has to happen a few times before you start making it a knee-jerk habit to remind yourself not to stereotype as you first encounter a new patient...
 
Reply
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Lnewqban
Copied from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Schoolroom

"Russian Schoolroom was published in the October 3, 1967, edition of Look as part of a series of articles on life in the Soviet Union. Rockwell had visited School No. 29 in Moscow where he drew puppy sketches on a chalkboard. Reference photos of the Moscow classroom with pupils, taken as a model for Rockwell's final painting, reveal that the inattentive pupil is actually paying close attention to the teacher, with eyes front. It has been suggested that in changing this detail, Rockwell slightly subverted the image to make a subtle political point in favor of non-conformity. Additional reference photos show Rockwell himself sitting in that student's seat, apparently demonstrating a distracted look, which the student then emulated."

More about the artist:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Rockwell
 
Reply
  • Informative
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
wrobel said:
There are ordinary children at the photo, the girl laughs. At the painting the children stare straight ahead tensely at Lenin's bust. A teacher will surely send them to Siberia if they admit a smile. Or maybe they look in the Communist future.
I must say... the photo evokes a far more accurate recollection of (most of my classes in) primary and secondary school. :oldfrown:

In the (minority of) classes where the kids often smiled and laughed, I got the feeling the teacher wasn't really interested in, well, teaching. I never felt I learned much during that type of "please like me" teaching style.