Lithuanian Actors’ Studio in Moscow: A Tool of Soviet Indoctrination

Summary The article presents the strategies of the soviet regime that were used to colonise Lithuania and to politically indoctrinate Lithuanian post-war artists from 1947 to 1952. The first strategy was related to the establishment of new soviet drama in theatres, but it proved less effective compared to the second one, that is the indoctrination of young artists by sending them to study at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts in Moscow (also known as GITIS). Based on interviews with actors Birutė Raubaitė and Leonardas Zelčius, as well as the memories of stage director Aurelija Ragauskaitė, the article reveals the specific methods used to indoctrinate future Lithuanian actors. The teaching methods played a crucial role in turning actors into promoters of the regime. As revealed by the study, the Stanislavski method was the most effective in influencing the consciousness of young actors, they became proponents of socialist realism art. Based on the theoretical insights of David Brandenberger and Hannah Arendt, the article reveals how, using political speeches, art, front organisations, propaganda manipulated emotions and solidified the totalitarian regime.