The USSR began the 1930-x as an open country to the world
There was a stereotype that in 1930, the USSR was a “closed country”. However, even in the midst of Stalin's repressions, not to mention the end of 1920, people subscribed to foreign newspapers, listened to foreign radio, traveled abroad. In turn, tens of thousands of foreign tourists and specialists came to the USSR. How then was the USSR - photos from the Dickinson Library.
The fact that in the 1920-30-s of the USSR continued to remain a country open to the world, in detail, based on statistics, is described in the book of A.V. Golubev “If the world collapses on our Republic. Soviet society and external threat in the 1920-1940-ies ”(Publishing RAS, Institute of Russian stories).
So, in 1925, 8816 titles of books printed abroad went to the market through legal channels, 1926 in 4449. In 1925, Soviet citizens wrote out about 8 thousands of foreign periodicals.
Since 1922, in the USSR, it was possible to write out and some emigrant periodicals. Thus, each provincial committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks) ordered the Socialist-Revolutionary newspaper “Voice of Russia”. In 1926, the 300 departments wrote the Menshevik Socialist Gazette newspaper. In a letter to the OGPU from the same year, it was stated that "a number of White Immigrant publications existed only because of their distribution in the USSR at inflated prices." First of all, it was about the emigre newspapers “Revival”, “Days”, “Last news"," Wheel ". In 1927, the open subscription to the emigrant press ceased - it became possible only for the departments.
In 1936, a limited edition of the USSR even published Hitler's Mein Kampf book. So, in the special security, a copy was read, read by Mikhail Kalinin personally. The fields of “Mein Kampf” were dotted with his notes like “Fu, what a nonsense!” And “Petty shopkeeper!”.
From the beginning of 1930, foreign periodicals have been extended to “special groups” - scientists, party leaders, writers, members of various international commissions, etc. Thus, Professor Vernadsky, in his diaries from 1934, complained that he was being delayed in delivering the New York Times.
In 1939, 250 thousand rubles in gold were spent on a subscription to foreign periodicals; in total, 2 million 360 thousands of magazines and newspapers, books and brochures were received in the USSR. Censorship rejected about 10% of all incoming copies.
Another channel for receiving information from abroad was personal correspondence. Thus, in May 1941, thousands of telegrams and 1,5 thousands of letters were sent every day from the USSR abroad to the USSR. In the USSR, telegrams and letters from abroad received 33 thousand and 1 thousand, respectively. At the beginning of 31, this stream was several times larger.
In 1920-x departure from the USSR was almost free. So, in 1925-27, 140 thousands of people left the country (thousands of them emigrated 1,5, thousands turned out to be thousands of defaulters around 1). The reasons for the trips were different - from tourist and educational, to scientific and sports. During these years, 130 thousands of foreigners entered the USSR, and 10 thousands of them emigrated to our country.
In 1930, leaving the USSR was difficult: a guarantee of two persons was required, and the international situation in Europe was not particularly conducive to travel. So, in 1939, about 20 thousands of people left the USSR.
Due to the complications of the international situation, the entry of tourists into the USSR was also hampered. For example, in 1935, only one Leningrad visited 12 of thousands of foreign tourists (22% of them were Finns, 16% were Germans). And in the 1938 year - only 5 thousand, and the entire USSR. In 1939, thousands of tourists (almost all Germans) entered 3 at all.
Even in 1930, emigration from the USSR continued. First of all, these were sectarians, as well as people who paid for leaving gold. But there were also unexpected motives of emigration. So, in 1934, Kharkov homosexuals asked to go to Germany. In their letter to the German ambassador, they wrote: "Are we, the third floor, with our tender soul and feelings capable of destroying culture, order, civilization ... Cultural Europe, and even more so Germany should understand this."
Let one more "acquaintance" with the world is the arrival of foreign specialists, with the help of which Stalin’s industrialization was carried out. It is known that in the 1932 year there were about 35-40 thousands of people - this is not counting those who emigrated to the USSR for political reasons (up to 15 thousands).
Foreigners, in turn, returning to themselves, reported to their people how they live in the USSR. And for the most part it was objective information. Even the OGPU admitted that “no more than 10% of articles on the USSR are saturated with anti-Soviet malice, and for the most part in the White Immigration press”.
Looked like the USSR in 1930-32's - you can look at the photos from the Dickinson Library.
The fact that in the 1920-30-s of the USSR continued to remain a country open to the world, in detail, based on statistics, is described in the book of A.V. Golubev “If the world collapses on our Republic. Soviet society and external threat in the 1920-1940-ies ”(Publishing RAS, Institute of Russian stories).
So, in 1925, 8816 titles of books printed abroad went to the market through legal channels, 1926 in 4449. In 1925, Soviet citizens wrote out about 8 thousands of foreign periodicals.
Since 1922, in the USSR, it was possible to write out and some emigrant periodicals. Thus, each provincial committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Bolsheviks) ordered the Socialist-Revolutionary newspaper “Voice of Russia”. In 1926, the 300 departments wrote the Menshevik Socialist Gazette newspaper. In a letter to the OGPU from the same year, it was stated that "a number of White Immigrant publications existed only because of their distribution in the USSR at inflated prices." First of all, it was about the emigre newspapers “Revival”, “Days”, “Last news"," Wheel ". In 1927, the open subscription to the emigrant press ceased - it became possible only for the departments.
In 1936, a limited edition of the USSR even published Hitler's Mein Kampf book. So, in the special security, a copy was read, read by Mikhail Kalinin personally. The fields of “Mein Kampf” were dotted with his notes like “Fu, what a nonsense!” And “Petty shopkeeper!”.
From the beginning of 1930, foreign periodicals have been extended to “special groups” - scientists, party leaders, writers, members of various international commissions, etc. Thus, Professor Vernadsky, in his diaries from 1934, complained that he was being delayed in delivering the New York Times.
In 1939, 250 thousand rubles in gold were spent on a subscription to foreign periodicals; in total, 2 million 360 thousands of magazines and newspapers, books and brochures were received in the USSR. Censorship rejected about 10% of all incoming copies.
Another channel for receiving information from abroad was personal correspondence. Thus, in May 1941, thousands of telegrams and 1,5 thousands of letters were sent every day from the USSR abroad to the USSR. In the USSR, telegrams and letters from abroad received 33 thousand and 1 thousand, respectively. At the beginning of 31, this stream was several times larger.
In 1920-x departure from the USSR was almost free. So, in 1925-27, 140 thousands of people left the country (thousands of them emigrated 1,5, thousands turned out to be thousands of defaulters around 1). The reasons for the trips were different - from tourist and educational, to scientific and sports. During these years, 130 thousands of foreigners entered the USSR, and 10 thousands of them emigrated to our country.
In 1930, leaving the USSR was difficult: a guarantee of two persons was required, and the international situation in Europe was not particularly conducive to travel. So, in 1939, about 20 thousands of people left the USSR.
Due to the complications of the international situation, the entry of tourists into the USSR was also hampered. For example, in 1935, only one Leningrad visited 12 of thousands of foreign tourists (22% of them were Finns, 16% were Germans). And in the 1938 year - only 5 thousand, and the entire USSR. In 1939, thousands of tourists (almost all Germans) entered 3 at all.
Even in 1930, emigration from the USSR continued. First of all, these were sectarians, as well as people who paid for leaving gold. But there were also unexpected motives of emigration. So, in 1934, Kharkov homosexuals asked to go to Germany. In their letter to the German ambassador, they wrote: "Are we, the third floor, with our tender soul and feelings capable of destroying culture, order, civilization ... Cultural Europe, and even more so Germany should understand this."
Let one more "acquaintance" with the world is the arrival of foreign specialists, with the help of which Stalin’s industrialization was carried out. It is known that in the 1932 year there were about 35-40 thousands of people - this is not counting those who emigrated to the USSR for political reasons (up to 15 thousands).
Foreigners, in turn, returning to themselves, reported to their people how they live in the USSR. And for the most part it was objective information. Even the OGPU admitted that “no more than 10% of articles on the USSR are saturated with anti-Soviet malice, and for the most part in the White Immigration press”.
Looked like the USSR in 1930-32's - you can look at the photos from the Dickinson Library.
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