This historic propaganda film from the Soviet Union recounts the progress of the USSR in industry, including industrialization, electrification, and improvement in the standard of living of all Soviet peoples.

Narrator:

Lenin’s idea of electrification remains the driving principle for all branches of the national economy, especially those that determine technological progress. First and foremost, metallurgy, the foundation of material production. Secondly, mechanical engineering, which is represented by more than a hundred specialized productions. And, finally, it is the all-mighty chemistry and its cheap and yet durable synthetic materials. (00.53) Many things depend on chemistry: the frequency of sowing, soil fertility, and consequently the solution to one of the most important tasks of this five-year plan, which is to increase the production of agricultural commodities, especially grain. (01.16)

Our country is creating the material basis for communism, which requires building new facilities. But where? In which districts? (01.40)

Take a look at the map, and you will know the answer. Obviously, we should build them in regions where there are few plants, to the east of the Urals. These places are rich in mighty rivers – it’s as if nature created them on purpose for future hydropower plants. Four-fifths of the forestry resources of our country also grow here. Siberia and the Far East are lands of endless natural riches. (02.23) There is an abundance of coal, gas, peat, and oil, as well as ferrous, nonferrous, precious, and rare metals. Their reserves would be enough even for the distant descendants of our great-grandchildren. (02.42) That is why the Party and the government decided to accelerate the speed of development of Siberia and the Far East. Existing enterprises will expand their capacities here, and many new ones will be built. (03.05) A cultural revolution was the third step in Lenin’s plan of establishing socialism in our country. Thanks to the October events, the doors of museums and palaces are now wide open for the workers. The great appeal of the Party, ‘Art for the people!’, became reality. (03.47)

Soviet archives still preserve precious footage showing the initial period of the cultural revolution in our country. ‘Away with darkness and ignorance! It’s never too late to learn!’ All types of education are free of charge in the country of workers and peasants. (04.23) Workers’ faculties were opened. The first intellectuals in the world to come from common folk graduated from here.

This is one more document from those days. Lenin’s plan of research and technological works. It contains the following lines, ‘An order to the Supreme Council of National Economy: Form a number of specialist commissions to create a plan of industrial reorganization and economic growth of Russia as soon as possible.’ (05.08) That was 50 years ago. Most of the Russian population was illiterate at that time. Since then, our country has made a great leap to the heights of science and culture. Half a century ago, even fiction writers could not think of the objectives that the government sets for scientists nowadays. (05.30) Some examples of such objectives: further exploration of space, developing physics through the research of nuclear atoms and elementary particles, improvement of protection measures for working with radioactive materials, synthesis of new materials that do not exist in nature, deciphering the mysterious genetic code, and dozens of other issues of modern science. The government has provided facilities and resources to solve these issues. (06.13) They are represented by almost 5,000 research institutions that are supplied with first-rate research equipment. But no equipment is capable of making scientific progress on its own. Only people can do that, namely scientists. Currently, we have more than 700,000 scientists. They comprise one-fourth of all the scientists on our planet. (06.51) This is the direct result of the constant attention that our government is paying to the preparation of scientific personnel and the development of higher educational facilities. (07.06)

Higher educational facilities prepare personnel and well-educated specialists to satisfy all the needs of our modern public life. But secondary education has always been the foundation of higher education. It provides the new generations with basic scientific knowledge, teaches morals, and helps to find one’s place in life. (07.43) This is why developing secondary education and refining teaching techniques has always been an area of focus for the government. For instance, foreign languages are studied in many schools nowadays. [A recording in French playing] And this is how Rudiments of Music is studied. (08.23)

Culture does not only consist of science and education. Art is also a part of it. The primary goal of the government in this sphere is providing material conditions for creative work, such as establishing exhibition facilities for public display of works of art, and building workshops for artists, sculptors, and architects. Even more attention is paid by the government to the types of art that require complex and expensive equipment. All that the nation expects in return from the artistic intelligentsia is just creation of bright pieces of art that capture glorious communistic ideals. (09.28) Our literature, which proved to be successful both at home and abroad, serves the same purpose. For example, Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov, a distinguished Soviet novelist, was awarded a Nobel prize.

Culture, education, science, art. Let’s not forget printing. Lively printing is a powerful support to the Party. It helps to monitor all aspects of the life of Soviet society. Almost 12,000 different newspapers and magazines are published in our country, with a circulation of 220 million copies. (10.18) They are also complemented by a large network of TV and radio broadcasting centers. This is how much effort our government is putting into the ideological and cultural education of the Soviet people. (10.40)

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com