Georgian Lyric Poetry in the Era of Political Liberalization – The “Thaw” Period

Abstract

The “Khrushchev Thaw period” covers the 1950s and 1960s. It is often referred to as the “Golden Age” of Soviet culture. In accordance with the call of N. S. Khrushchev, the ideological influence of the party spread to all spheres of cultural life and literature.

According to the "proletarian and party" ideology, the work of a writer and poet was an instrument with a state function. At the instigation of N. S. Khrushchev, cultural figures were supposed to talk about the negative and positive sides of the Soviet system. The ideology was based on determining the role and place of art in society. It implied a connection with the ideological mechanism of power.

Poetry played a major role in cultural development. “Literary Georgia”, “Tsiskari”, “Mnatobi”, “Soviet Art” - published poems by famous and young poets. At that time, the following names were known to the people: Yoseb Noneshvili, Murman Lebanidze, Irakli Abashidze, Mukhran Machavariani, Ana Kalandadze, Mikheil Kvlividze, Shota Nishnianidze, Moris Potskhishvili, Otar Chiladze and others.

During the “Khrushchev Thaw period” the issue of cultural dialogue arose. It raised many questions, since the understanding of “foreign” had different specifics.

The change in the trajectory of the Soviet vision was followed by a turning point in literature. Cultural figures were no longer imprisoned for ideological beliefs, but every work of art that did not correspond to Soviet ideology was subject to censorship.