Brezhnev stagnation
Encyclopedia
The Era of Stagnation, also known as Brezhnev stagnation or the Stagnation Period, refers to a period of economic stagnation
under the rules of Leonid Brezhnev
, Yuri Andropov
and Konstantin Chernenko
in the history of the Soviet Union
which started in the mid-1970s.
and Konstantin Chernenko
, i.e., approximately from 1973 until 1985. Also, much of the term of Mikhail Gorbachev
, e.g., through the end of 1989, suffered economic stagnation.
The beginning of this stagnation was marked with the Sinyavsky–Daniel trial and suppression of the Prague Spring
; these are the most known events which indicated that neither discussion nor serious reforms (even within the traditional Soviet paradigm) would be allowed during that period. During that period, any serious critics of communism, communist leaders, Soviet literature, or even typical Soviet events were qualifed as anti-Soviet propaganda.
Brezhnev himself declared this time as the period of Developed Socialism, proclaiming the 1977 Soviet Constitution
: "The developed Socialist society (развитое социалистическое общество) is a natural, logical stage on the road to Communism
." The same constitution stated the leading role of the Communist Party.
Still many people consider that this period was one of the best periods in the history of the Soviet Union in the 20th century due to a number of reasons. The major among them include the relatively high (by world average standards back in time) standards of living (especially compared with most of the 3rd world countries back in time), broad and stable social security (free education and healthcare, very cheap housing and transportation expenses, etc) and very low level of social inequality in the country - even lower than in Scandinavian countries back in time.
a top priority.
The central governmental control had difficulties in balancing the consumer market, and some goods from time to time simply disappeared from the shops. The population either spent a lot of time in queues looking for goods, or they traveled to find where the needed goods were still available. Accumulating and reselling goods was a profitable but illegal business. In many cases lack of some goods is difficult to explain by low economic potential or governmental decisions. The unexpected shortage of various goods was recognized by the government and called "deficit
". The official view was that it was a transient problem, one that could be solved in the near future.
As the circulation of the work force could not be balanced by salaries, there was a lack of workers in some areas, largely in the agricultural sector. This was attempted to be solved by forcing older pupils, students and in some cases even soldiers to work for some limited time as agricultural workers (the practice has been informally called 'наряды на картошку' (naryady na kartoshku, "assignments to potato fields")).
were discontinued. Not all the people accepted the ideology of stagnation. Disloyalty was punished. Unauthorised meetings and demonstrations were suppressed. Dissidents were routinely arrested. Supporters of these meetings and demonstrations claimed that the arrests were illegal, because there is no criminality in the realization of the human right to obtain and distribute information. They asserted this right was part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(1948) and the final act
of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
(1975).
, many writers claimed that they did not know about the repression of citizens who did not support the Brezhnev stagnation. From the other side, artists propagating "Soviet values" formed a well paid, elite group that enjoyed an easy life and high social status. The requirements for art (generalized under name of Socialist realism
) were not as rude and straightforward as during Stalinism.
Scientific fields such as genetics
and computer science
that were officially forbidden during Stalinism were no longer repressed. The most of remaining pressure concentrated on historical and social sciences. However, history and social sciences material were usually written in a theme that was in tune with Soviet ideology. In particular, the departments of Scientific Communism
and Scientific Atheism
were mandatory in many universities.
The overall level of science varied but in some cases was at the same level with the rest of the world. For instance, Dubnium
was discovered by Soviet scientists at the Dubna research center. However, the science level was not balanced between disciplines, with some topics, such as advanced electronics, being researched much less than others, such as nuclear physics.
Despite certain stagnation in economy and social life the Soviet Arts and the Soviet sports were both flourishing during the Brezhnev's era. The Soviet school of ballet
was considered as one of the best in the world. The Soviet Olympic teams constantly won 1st ranks at the Olympics back in time and lots of the films which are now considered as the "Soviet classics" were done in the "stagnation" period.
The stagnation effectively continued under Brezhnev's successors, Yuri Andropov
and Konstantin Chernenko
, until perestroika
was initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev
in 1986, when "stagnation" gave way to a catastrophic downfall.
Economic stagnation
Economic stagnation or economic immobilism, often called simply stagnation or immobilism, is a prolonged period of slow economic growth , usually accompanied by high unemployment. Under some definitions, "slow" means significantly slower than potential growth as estimated by experts in macroeconomics...
under the rules of Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
and Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...
in the history of the Soviet Union
History of the Soviet Union (1964–1982)
The history of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, referred to as the Brezhnev Era, covers the period of Leonid Brezhnev's rule of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . This period began with high economic growth and soaring prosperity, but ended with a much weaker Soviet Union facing social,...
which started in the mid-1970s.
Terminology
Various authors suggest various definitions of the epoch of stagnation, but generally it refers to a selected period when Brezhnev was General Secretary of the Soviet Union. However, the economic problems from the era persisted into the short administrations of Yuri AndropovYuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
and Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...
, i.e., approximately from 1973 until 1985. Also, much of the term of Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, e.g., through the end of 1989, suffered economic stagnation.
The beginning of this stagnation was marked with the Sinyavsky–Daniel trial and suppression of the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
; these are the most known events which indicated that neither discussion nor serious reforms (even within the traditional Soviet paradigm) would be allowed during that period. During that period, any serious critics of communism, communist leaders, Soviet literature, or even typical Soviet events were qualifed as anti-Soviet propaganda.
Brezhnev himself declared this time as the period of Developed Socialism, proclaiming the 1977 Soviet Constitution
1977 Soviet Constitution
At the Seventh Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Ninth Convocation on October 7, 1977, the third and last Soviet Constitution, also known as the "Brezhnev Constitution", was unanimously adopted...
: "The developed Socialist society (развитое социалистическое общество) is a natural, logical stage on the road to Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
." The same constitution stated the leading role of the Communist Party.
Still many people consider that this period was one of the best periods in the history of the Soviet Union in the 20th century due to a number of reasons. The major among them include the relatively high (by world average standards back in time) standards of living (especially compared with most of the 3rd world countries back in time), broad and stable social security (free education and healthcare, very cheap housing and transportation expenses, etc) and very low level of social inequality in the country - even lower than in Scandinavian countries back in time.
Economy
In the economy, a sharp reduction of economic growth was observed, in both Soviet and Western statistics. The Soviet Union's foreign trade and imports, once a small part of the economy, was now of great importance, which made détenteDétente
Détente is the easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation. The term is often used in reference to the general easing of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s, a thawing at a period roughly in the middle of the Cold War...
a top priority.
The central governmental control had difficulties in balancing the consumer market, and some goods from time to time simply disappeared from the shops. The population either spent a lot of time in queues looking for goods, or they traveled to find where the needed goods were still available. Accumulating and reselling goods was a profitable but illegal business. In many cases lack of some goods is difficult to explain by low economic potential or governmental decisions. The unexpected shortage of various goods was recognized by the government and called "deficit
Economic shortage
Economic shortage is a term describing a disparity between the amount demanded for a product or service and the amount supplied in a market. Specifically, a shortage occurs when there is excess demand; therefore, it is the opposite of a surplus....
". The official view was that it was a transient problem, one that could be solved in the near future.
As the circulation of the work force could not be balanced by salaries, there was a lack of workers in some areas, largely in the agricultural sector. This was attempted to be solved by forcing older pupils, students and in some cases even soldiers to work for some limited time as agricultural workers (the practice has been informally called 'наряды на картошку' (naryady na kartoshku, "assignments to potato fields")).
Opposition
In fact, Soviet society became static. Post-Stalinist reforms initiated under Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
were discontinued. Not all the people accepted the ideology of stagnation. Disloyalty was punished. Unauthorised meetings and demonstrations were suppressed. Dissidents were routinely arrested. Supporters of these meetings and demonstrations claimed that the arrests were illegal, because there is no criminality in the realization of the human right to obtain and distribute information. They asserted this right was part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
(1948) and the final act
Helsinki Accords
thumb|300px|[[Erich Honecker]] and [[Helmut Schmidt]] in Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki 1975....
of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
(1975).
Art and science
During the introduction of glasnostGlasnost
Glasnost was the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s...
, many writers claimed that they did not know about the repression of citizens who did not support the Brezhnev stagnation. From the other side, artists propagating "Soviet values" formed a well paid, elite group that enjoyed an easy life and high social status. The requirements for art (generalized under name of Socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
) were not as rude and straightforward as during Stalinism.
Scientific fields such as genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
that were officially forbidden during Stalinism were no longer repressed. The most of remaining pressure concentrated on historical and social sciences. However, history and social sciences material were usually written in a theme that was in tune with Soviet ideology. In particular, the departments of Scientific Communism
Scientific Communism
Scientific communism was one of the three major ingredients of Marxism-Leninism as taught in the Soviet Union in all institutions of higher education and pursued in the corresponding research institutions, and departments...
and Scientific Atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
were mandatory in many universities.
The overall level of science varied but in some cases was at the same level with the rest of the world. For instance, Dubnium
Dubnium
The Soviet team proposed the name nielsbohrium in honor of the Danish nuclear physicist Niels Bohr. The American team proposed that the new element should be named hahnium , in honor of the late German chemist Otto Hahn...
was discovered by Soviet scientists at the Dubna research center. However, the science level was not balanced between disciplines, with some topics, such as advanced electronics, being researched much less than others, such as nuclear physics.
Despite certain stagnation in economy and social life the Soviet Arts and the Soviet sports were both flourishing during the Brezhnev's era. The Soviet school of ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
was considered as one of the best in the world. The Soviet Olympic teams constantly won 1st ranks at the Olympics back in time and lots of the films which are now considered as the "Soviet classics" were done in the "stagnation" period.
The stagnation effectively continued under Brezhnev's successors, Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
and Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician and the fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He led the Soviet Union from 13 February 1984 until his death thirteen months later, on 10 March 1985...
, until perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
was initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
in 1986, when "stagnation" gave way to a catastrophic downfall.
See also
- Index of Soviet Union-related articles
- History of the Soviet Union (1964–1982)History of the Soviet Union (1964–1982)The history of the Soviet Union from 1964 to 1982, referred to as the Brezhnev Era, covers the period of Leonid Brezhnev's rule of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . This period began with high economic growth and soaring prosperity, but ended with a much weaker Soviet Union facing social,...
– Brezhnev Era - Leonid BrezhnevLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
- Post-World War II economic expansionPost-World War II economic expansionThe post–World War II economic expansion, also known as the postwar economic boom, the long boom, and the Golden Age of Capitalism, was a period of economic prosperity in the mid 20th century, which occurred mainly in western countries, followed the end of World War II in 1945, and lasted until the...