Culture and Power in Revolutionary Russia

When the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917 their underlying aim was nothing less than the transformation of human nature. In place of the selfish, competitive individual of capitalist society, socialism would allow the altruistic, co-operative and collectivist dimensions of the human personality to flourish. The implementation of this Utopian project, however, was hampered not least by arguments about tactics, and by the harsh circumstances of the period. In the event, cultural revolution, the revolution of values, proved much harder for the Bolsheviks to achieve than any other of their major goals. This book examines why this was so.Read, Christopher is the author of 'Culture and Power in Revolutionary Russia', published 1990 under ISBN 9780312036812 and ISBN 0312036817.