ABSTRACT
Second World War ushered in a new period of political and cultural development in the USSR, beginning in 1941 and lasting until victory in 1945. It was a unique period in Soviet history, when the Soviet people genuinely supported Stalin as the national leader. Official ideology and propaganda changed radically in the first year of the war. Russian nationalism became the main focus, and Stalin temporarily removed all socialist and Marxist phraseology and propaganda. Soviet cinematographers and the majority of the Soviet people considered the war against Hitler’s Germany their sacred duty. Never would the level of unity between the Kremlin and the people be as high as in 1941-1945. Therefore, filmmakers considered their work as genuinely patriotic and necessary. The major goal of Soviet movies during the war was the mobilization of the people for war efforts. This was achieved in two ways: by demonstrating patriotic behavior, and by depicting German atrocities.
