On the Creation of Gods: Lenin’s Image in Stalin’s Cult of Personality

This thesis attempts to explain the continued presence of Vladimir Lenin’s image in Joseph Stalin’s cult of personality in the postwar era, long after the General Secretary no longer had to rely on his predecessor’s image or persona to legitimize his power over the Soviet Union. While the presence of Lenin’s image in the Stalin cult varied in both frequency and form, it continued to inform the imagery of Stalin cult up until the Soviet dictator’s death in 1953 and the placement of his body alongside Lenin’s in the newly christened Lenin-Stalin Mausoleum on Red Square. This thesis argues that the visual imagery of Stalin’s cult used the image and persona of Vladimir Lenin as the founder of the Soviet state to legitimize Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union, and later to aggrandize the image of the General Secretary. This work also examines the changing purpose and nature of the Stalin cult, as well as the effect that World War II had on Stalin’s image. It posits that before World War II, the main purpose of the visual imagery of the Stalin cult was to legitimize Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union, as well as his plans for constructing socialism through collectivization and industrialization. With victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and its legitimization of Stalin’s rule and policies, the purpose of the Stalin cult changed from legitimizing Stalin’s rule to aggrandizing his image. This thesis ultimately concludes that while the Stalin cult propelled the image of the Soviet dictator to near god-like heights of grandeur as a result of the victory in World War II, such resplendent depictions of Stalin relied heavily on the symbolic power of Lenin’s image within, and at times outside of, the Stalin cult in order elevate the General Secretary to such glorified heights.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Dreeze, Jonathon Randall

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hoffmann, David

• History
• Stalin
• Lenin
• Soviet Union
• Russia
• leader cult
• leadership cult
• cult of personality
• Stalinism
• World War II
• propaganda

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366129547

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1366129547