On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s

The paper analyzes anonymous handwritten corrections in a copy of a propagandist play, “Darkness” (T’ma, 1927), by T. M. Martynov. The author suggests that the anonymous editor worked in the Nizhny Novgorod Krai’s Department of Public Education (Nizhkraiono), which was responsible for overseeing the...

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Main Author: M. V. Akhmetova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPA 2023-09-01
Series:Шаги
Subjects:
Online Access:https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/103
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author M. V. Akhmetova
author_facet M. V. Akhmetova
author_sort M. V. Akhmetova
collection DOAJ
description The paper analyzes anonymous handwritten corrections in a copy of a propagandist play, “Darkness” (T’ma, 1927), by T. M. Martynov. The author suggests that the anonymous editor worked in the Nizhny Novgorod Krai’s Department of Public Education (Nizhkraiono), which was responsible for overseeing theatrical work. The author distinguishes factographic, stylistic and ideological emendations. The latter include the elimination of derogatory remarks about the main character (a peasant woman) in the speech of positive characters, as well as a radical change in the ending. In the new version, the heroine’s husband does not abandon her, but only threatens to do so unless she learns to read and write, and asks the village healers for help. The author concludes that the handwritten corrections corresponded to two key tenets of the epoch. According to the first one, the peasants were not as responsible for their ignorance as was the “old regime”, and thus their misdeeds deserved indulgence (this idea, in particular, was reflected in so called agitation trials). On the other hand, criticism of the backwardness of the Soviet countryside should be accompanied by demonstration of the peasantry’s transition to a new life; this idea can be observed in numerous guides for sel’kors (‘village correspondents’). Therefore, the corrections to the play smoothed out the critical angles of the original play and suggested its approximation to the current ideological attitudes.
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spelling doaj-art-83db2573fd954a0b82f6e5aee88bba6e2025-08-20T03:27:40ZengRussian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPAШаги2412-94102782-17652023-09-019323825710.22394/2412-9410-2023-9-3-238-257102On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920sM. V. Akhmetova0Российская академия народного хозяйства и государственной службы при Президенте РФThe paper analyzes anonymous handwritten corrections in a copy of a propagandist play, “Darkness” (T’ma, 1927), by T. M. Martynov. The author suggests that the anonymous editor worked in the Nizhny Novgorod Krai’s Department of Public Education (Nizhkraiono), which was responsible for overseeing theatrical work. The author distinguishes factographic, stylistic and ideological emendations. The latter include the elimination of derogatory remarks about the main character (a peasant woman) in the speech of positive characters, as well as a radical change in the ending. In the new version, the heroine’s husband does not abandon her, but only threatens to do so unless she learns to read and write, and asks the village healers for help. The author concludes that the handwritten corrections corresponded to two key tenets of the epoch. According to the first one, the peasants were not as responsible for their ignorance as was the “old regime”, and thus their misdeeds deserved indulgence (this idea, in particular, was reflected in so called agitation trials). On the other hand, criticism of the backwardness of the Soviet countryside should be accompanied by demonstration of the peasantry’s transition to a new life; this idea can be observed in numerous guides for sel’kors (‘village correspondents’). Therefore, the corrections to the play smoothed out the critical angles of the original play and suggested its approximation to the current ideological attitudes.https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/103propagandist theatreagitation trials1920sliteracy propagandavillage correspondentselimination of illiteracy
spellingShingle M. V. Akhmetova
On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
Шаги
propagandist theatre
agitation trials
1920s
literacy propaganda
village correspondents
elimination of illiteracy
title On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
title_full On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
title_fullStr On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
title_full_unstemmed On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
title_short On a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
title_sort on a dramaturgical marginalium of the 1920s
topic propagandist theatre
agitation trials
1920s
literacy propaganda
village correspondents
elimination of illiteracy
url https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/103
work_keys_str_mv AT mvakhmetova onadramaturgicalmarginaliumofthe1920s