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The Social and Cultural Space

CULTURAL WORK

IN THE NORTHERN SOVIET UNION:

OR CHARITY?

n this paper I introduce an article “Soviet Cultural work in the
North of the USSR from 1917 to 1934” published originally

in a journal Bulletin of the Arctic Institute in 1934. The
I article describes the cultural investments done by the Soviet

Union in the northern territories. It includes cultural, medical and
educational work in order to increase the level of literacy, improve
Toivanen Juho,
Master’s Student of the the level on health and better the flow of information in the remote
Faculty of International
Relations in St. Petersburg
University and indigenous areas.
(St. Petesburg, Russia)

First I shortly introduce the original article level of wellbeing and progress than the rest of This paper is a part of a course “Arctic in the
published by Bulletin journal. Original article the Soviet Union. Modern Political System” in Saint Petersburg
was published both in Russian and in English In this article I use terminology in a State University in the School of International
and this paper is based on the English version. following way. The North refers to Russian Relations.
Later I put the theme in the larger theoretical northern territories, the whole northern Analysis: Soviet Cultural Work in the
scale of social intervention. I go through part of Eurasian land. Indigenous people are North of the USSR from 1917 to 1934 The
shortly the history of Russian and Soviet according to the law of Russian Federation article describes the cultural and educational
policy considering the North and review the “numerically small peoples that are living in work and investments on welfare done by the
means and goals and results of the cultural the territories of traditional residence of their Soviet Union in the Northern Territories and
work. In the end I argue that Soviet cultural ancestors, adhering their original way of life the ways of exporting culture to remote areas
investments was not only a charity work to and believing themselves to be independent and indigenous people that are outside the
help remote territories to achieve the same ethnic entities.” reach of the state. According to the article

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