When Americans think of ‘Soviet propaganda' rarely do we conjure up an image of lavish musicals. But between 1930 and 1970 the Soviet Union and East Germany produced hundreds of musical films that packaged communist propaganda in song-and-dance format. From rural Russian farmers singing along with synchronized tractors to overall-clad factory workers singing about the five-year plan – Communist musicals were hugely popular in the Soviet Union, and largely unheard of in the West. Here to talk with us about the genre of Soviet propaganda that became known as “East Side musicals” is Worldview's contributor Milos Stehlik.
