VOKS

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The VOKS (abbreviation for all-union society for cultural connection with foreign countries) was a Soviet organization that existed from 1925 to 1958 to promote cultural relations with foreign countries and to publish information material for foreign countries.

General

From the point of view of the VOKS, the primary goal was to prevent a feared war of intervention by the capitalist states against the first socialist state.

While the League of Friends of the Soviet Union wanted to win over the working class to this goal, the VOKS was primarily intended to promote the Soviet Union among the intellectuals . In doing so, she worked closely with the Society of Friends of the New Russia .

The VOKS emerged from the "United Information Office" (OBI) founded in November 1923. She was subordinate to the Foreign Ministry Narkomindel and was responsible to the Communist Party (VKP (b)) and the Council of People's Commissars Sownarkom. Its headquarters were in Moscow , branches existed in Leningrad , Rostov , Vladivostok , Saratov , Minsk , Tashkent and Baku .

The first leader was Olga Kamenewa . Coordinating meetings were held regularly, which were also attended by representatives of other social organizations. In 1928 she had 60 permanent and 3 freelance employees.

From 1925 to 1930 the VOKS took care of around 7,000 foreign visitors, after the founding of Intourist in 1929 only the prominent visitors. She organized contacts with leading personalities, theater tickets, tours as well as scientific and artistic "evenings of rapprochement" for visitors.

She took part in international events, organized her own traveling exhibitions and reported on important cultural phenomena abroad. The budget in 1927/28 was 287,765 rubles , of which she spent 5,000 rubles on receiving foreigners, 45,000 rubles for the press department, 22,500 for exhibitions and 45,000 rubles for the exhibitions on the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution . For 1928/29 she applied for 678,633 rubles, but was only granted 291,300 rubles.

Publications

  • "Weekly report of the Society for Cultural Connection with Abroad" (1925–1929)
  • "WOKS - Socialist Construction in the USSR" from 1928
  • “Soviet culture under construction” from 1931
  • "From the Soviet country" from 1931
  • Press service in English, German, French, Russian and Esperanto

Departments

It comprised the following departments:

  • Foreign Relations Office (Sectors: Central Europe, Anglo-America, Romance Countries and Eastern Countries)
  • Press department
  • Foreigners Reception Office
  • Book exchange office
  • Department for organizing exhibitions
  • Photo agency Russphoto
  • Nationalities Department

Sections

It comprised the following sections:

  • Nice literature
  • Applied arts
  • architecture
  • music
  • movie theater
  • photo
  • Soviet law
  • chemistry
  • students
  • science and technology
  • pedagogy

literature

  • Christoph Mick: Soviet Propaganda, Five Year Plan and German Russia Policy 1928–1932 (= sources and studies on the history of Eastern Europe. Volume 42). Steiner, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-515-06435-4 , p. 180 ff.