Successful politicians, scientists and sculptors – the history of the new Soviet state would be unthinkable without them.
1. Nadezhda Krupskaya – the first Soviet “First Lady”
Nadezhda Krupskaya
General goods
She may have been the husband of the leader of the revolution, Vladimir Lenin, but it would be unfair to describe her as just a “first lady”. Krupskaya may even have been offended by the term “Lady”. First of all, she was a communist and a comrade in the revolutionary struggle. But the most important part of her biography is her contribution to the creation of the Soviet education system. Krupskaya held senior positions in the People’s Commissariat (predecessor to the Ministry of Education) and developed a whole system of policies for education and welfare of children, covering everything from preschool education and the establishment of kindergartens or just playgrounds, to education Communist youth. She was one of the founders of the Soviet pioneer organization, similar to the “Scout Movement” in form, but communist in content, as was Komsomol – the Young Communist League.
2. Inessa Armand – first Soviet feminist
Inessa Armand
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Another revolutionary and admirer of Lenin and his ideas, she joined the party at an early age and after the revolution became an active propagandist who fought for equal rights for women. She was the first head of the “Zhenotdel”, “women’s section” of the party. She also organized the first international conference for communist women.
Of course, Armand is primarily of interest because of her private life, which was inextricably linked to her political activities – it is believed that she was Lenin’s mistress. At the same time, in the triangle with Krupskaya, all three maintained mutual respect and warm relationships. When Armand died suddenly, Krupskaya was very worried that her husband would not be able to cope with her grief.
Alexandra Kollontai – First Female Minister and Ambassador
Alexandra Kollontai, 1910
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The revolutionary activist Alexandra Kollontai was the first female minister not only in Soviet history but also in world history. In the very first Soviet government, she led the People’s Commissariat for State Welfare – simply put, she was responsible for social projects in the new state. Alexandra had received an excellent education at the University of Zurich and was much appreciated by her party comrades: Even before the revolution, she carried out Lenin’s personal missions in Europe, campaigned and established contacts with left-wing groups. In addition to being actively involved in the work of the Soviet government, Kollontai was for many years the head of the “Women’s Department” (after Inessa Armand). From 1922 she worked as a diplomat in Norway and from 1930 to 1945 she led the Soviet embassy in Sweden (she was also one of the first female ambassadors in the world). She did much to improve relations between the two countries and to prevent Sweden from joining the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939.
4. Lina Shtern – first academic
Lina Shtern
Legion Media
Shtern was born into a Jewish family in the Russian Empire in present-day Lithuania. She graduated from the University of Geneva and became its first female professor. In 1925, Shtern returned to Soviet Russia. Her scientific work was in biochemistry and physiology and in 1939 she became the first female member of the USSR Academy of Sciences and headed its Institute of Physiology. Shtern developed a method of dealing with post-traumatic shock, which consisted of injections of potassium salts to maintain blood pressure, muscle activity and respiration. The “Stern method” was widely used during the war.
5. Vera Mukhina – the first female monumental sculptor
Vera Mukhina
PAW
Mukhina was not only the first female monumental sculptor in the Soviet Union – she was the only one. She made several monuments on revolutionary themes as part of Lenin’s plan for monumental propaganda. But without a doubt, her most famous work is the 24-meter-long “Worker and Kolkhoz Woman” sculpture, which would become a symbol of the Soviet Union.
Worker and Kolchoz woman
Legion Media
The figures’ sweeping gesture upwards symbolized the country’s glorious future. The monument was shown at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris, where it captivated the public. Vera Mukhina is also credited for the design of the legendary Soviet faceted drinking glass.
Yekaterina Furtseva – first woman in charge of Moscow and first female Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union
Yekaterina Furtseva
Valentin Cheredintsev / TASS
For the world of Soviet culture at the time of the Khrushchev discovery, Furtseva was simply a legendary figure. She began her career in big politics as the first secretary of the CPSU city committee in Moscow – in other words, she mainly led the Moscow party organization (and was in fact the most important person in the city). A statue of Yuriy Dolgorukiy, the founder of Moscow, was erected on her guard, opposite the city administration building and the famous Luzhniki Stadium, as well as the Detsky Mir children’s goods store on Lubyanka Square and what are now very popular theaters and bookstores. Several high-profile international competitions, including the Moscow International Film Festival, in which Hollywood and world film stars participated, were also held on her initiative.
Yekaterina Furtseva, the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko and the sculptor Ernst Neizvestny
A.Ustinov / N.Ustinova archive / russiainphoto.ru
Furtseva was appointed Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union in 1960 and remained in this post without interruption until 1974. There were also negative aspects to her political career – e.g. the persecution of Boris Pasternak in 1958. But it was thanks to Furtseva that cultural life really began to buzz in the Soviet Union and many incredible projects were carried out: for example, an exhibition of trophy art from DresdenMarc Chagall and Fernand Leger exhibitions and the only trip Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa ‘ever made to Moscow.
7. Valentina Tereshkova – the first woman in space
Valentina Tereshkova in her spacesuit
Sputnik
Such a success story was only possible in the Soviet Union. Daughter of a tractor driver and a textile factory worker, she became a national hero after being the first woman to make a solo flight into space on June 16, 1963. She was a member of a regional aero club when she was selected for the prestigious mission. After her pioneering flight, Tereshkova became a legend and a symbol of female equality in the Soviet Union. She continued her career by becoming a public figure and is still a member of the State Duma today. More about Tereshkova’s flight and her life can be found here.
8. Olga Preobrazhenskaya – first female film director
Olga Preobrazhenskaya
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Preobrazhenskaya began appearing in films at the beginning of Russian film, before the revolution. In 1916 she took on the role of director for the first time – and although, as Preobrazhenskaya himself recalled, the film was praised, there was skepticism towards a film directed by a woman and her name was even written a masculine end to film posters. This kind of gender issue was no longer a problem during the Soviet era. Preobrazhenskaya, at this time a recognized master, was the first female film directing teacher at the first state cinema school (now known as the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography, or VGIK) and also started her own acting studio. Preobrazhenskaya made many films with director Ivan Pravov – in the early 1930s they were considered the most successful Mosfilm directors. Their “And Quiet Flows the Don” even competed in the first international film festival in Venice in 1932.
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Source: sn.dk