Activities of Proletkult in Early Soviet Russia(1918-1921)

This paper sheds light on the early activities of the proletarian cultural enlightenment organization established by the leader of Left Bolsheviks Aleksandr Bogdanov, Proletkult. He was the first Russian Marxist interested in building socialism through the formation of an independent culture of the working class. In general, Marxists believed that the superstructure, such as culture, could be transformed through changes of the base such as relations and means of production in economy. Bogdanov, however, argued that culture should take precedence over politics and economics and that changes of the former affect the latter. He attempted to create a proletarian culture based on collectivism as opposed to bourgeois culture dominated by individualism. The party schools in Capri and Bologna, Italy before the October Revolution and the Proletkult after the Revolution were established in this process. The Proletkult aimed for cultural movement with autonomy and rejected any subordination to party and the state. Founded throughout Soviet Russia, the Proletkult branches helped workers develop a sense of collectivism via literature, art, music, and theater studios. However, Bogdanov and the organization failed without bearing fruit in 1921. The leadership of Lenin and Krupskaia’s attempts to deprive the Proletkult’s autonomy at the end of 1920 struck like a lightening bolt. Left Bolsheviks, including Bogdanov, who were criticized as anti-Marxists left the organization.