Anatoly Lunacharsky.E2.80.99s vision of the Mass Festival Revolutionary Mass Festivals

as lunacharsky points out in on people s festivals, traditions of ancient greek spectacles , david’s festivals on aftermath of french revolution informed notions of soviet mass festivals within post-revolutionary russian context. festivals potential entertainment serve activate masses. reason, lunacharsky encourages conscious appropriation of music, dance, language, , visual arts. @ same time, states entertainment cannot end in itself. festivals have serve higher educational purpose.

here, opposition between spontaneity of people vs. revolution overlooked party elite (one of central dichotomies of russian revolution) reflected directly. while people’s spontaneity needs triggered, lunacharsky defends ideal of deliberate organization of spontaneous elements. mass festivals have strictly coordinated. such means festivals able convey distinct , controllable educational content. thus, lunacharsky’s approach attempts, through theatrical staging, combine education , entertainment of masses under premises of political propaganda.