Manifestations of anti-Semitism in higher educational institutions of the USSR (1920–1930)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/272029

Abstract

The forms and the most widespread manifestations of anti-Semitism in higher educational institutions of the USSR have been studied. The analysis of the vocabulary that was used for description of antisemitic moods and fight against them was carried out. The research is conducted within the methodological framework of the history of everyday life and it is based on reports and reviews of the Central Political Department, the protocols of the party and Comsomol meetings, periodicals and ego-documents (diaries, memoirs, letters of the students «to the power»). Analyzed sources allow to see the reality hidden in more formal reporting documents, to plunge into the everyday life, to get into the psychological atmosphere of that time, to better understand the roots of anti-Semitism. The first decades of Soviet power in Ukraine are marked by a sharp outbreak of anti-Semitism. It was extremely difficult for the huge masses of population to adapt to the new political and economic conditions and they frequently blamed the Jews in their failures. The researchers associate this phenomenon with such a specific feature of anti-Semitism as its rootedness in the depths of mass consciousness. That is why even today people think about the number of Jews in Ukrainian business and say absurd things about Jews. There are two forms of anti-Semitism: active-conscious and unconscious. The most widespread manifestations are analyzed, in particular, insulting expressions in everyday communication; accusations of Jews in the difficulties experienced by all citizens at that time; spread of rumors about the privileges that exist for the Jews; the issue of setting a rate for Jews to be admitted to the university; distribution of jokes, leaflets, and anti-Semitic poems; beating of Jews, etc. Since anti-Semitism was considered as one of manifestations of counter-revolutionary propaganda and intensification of the class struggle in the Soviet society, hooliganism was traditionally described as the result of «littering» of higher educational institutions with «class-hostile elements». In general, anti-Semitism was one of the manifestations of mass immorality in the Soviet society where the highest humanistic values were destroyed.

Published

2021-01-13