Conducting reviews of amateur artistic performances of the deaf in the Kalinin region in 1949–1952

Scientific article

DOI 10.28995/2073-0101-2026-1-195-213

For citation

Bolokina, L. A. (2026). Conducting reviews of amateur artistic performances of the deaf in the Kalinin region in 1949–1952, Herald of an Archivist, no. 1. pp. 195-213. DOI 10.28995/2073-0101-2026-1-195-213

Bolokina, L. A., Tver State Technical University, Tver, Russia

Conducting reviews of amateur artistic performances of the deaf in the Kalinin region in 1949–1952

Abstract

This article examines cultural and educational work, a focus of the Kalinin Regional Department of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf (VOG) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Regional domestic publications on this topic are limited, and they primarily focus on specific aspects. Some issues related to the opportunities and conditions for education, employment, medical care, and other forms of assistance that existed in post-war Soviet society for deaf people are examined by researchers within the framework of other social sciences. This article focuses on the preparation and conduct of deaf amateur performance reviews held in 1949, 1950, and 1952. The Central Board of the VOG (CB VOG) was responsible for organizing the All-Russian reviews, while in the regions and districts, this function was assigned to VOG departments. Drama groups and individual performers participated in the reviews. This work is based on materials from Collection 131 (Tver Regional Board of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf) of the Tver Center for Documentation of Contemporary History (TCDNI). The author primarily utilized textual analysis, historical-comparative, and historical-genetic methods. Tver regional historiography lacks scholarly works exploring this topic, which determines the novelty and value of this publication. The article presents information on the number of people with hearing impairments living in the region during the specified period, as well as the operating conditions of clubs and red corners of local All-Russian Society of the Deaf branches. The objectives of the festivals, as outlined by the Central Board of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf, combined the desire to use these events as another means of political and educational influence on All-Russian Society of the Deaf members and the implementation of additional opportunities for self-expression and the development of creative potential among people with hearing impairments. The main challenge in preparing the theater companies for the festival was the selection of performers, and in some districts, no one was willing to participate. The 1949 regional review attracted more than half of the total number of deaf-mute participants in drama clubs, and the majority were women. The 1952 review was distinguished by the fact that the Central Committee of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf (VOG) oriented the organizers toward attracting public attention to the reviews; it allowed for a broader range of potential participants by attracting hearing-impaired individuals interested not only in theater but also in other artistic and applied arts, as well as family members of deaf-mute individuals. Performers successfully utilized new genres. The study revealed that only a few amateur deaf groups were active in the Kalinin region during this period, and the reviews generated some additional interest in their work. Further development of the article's topic involves drawing on a variety of historical sources.

Keywords

Archival documents, All-Russian Society of the Deaf (VOG), deaf-mute red corners, deaf-mute clubs, amateur groups, plays, performances, Kalinin regional department of VOG, review commissions, sources.

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About authors

Bolokina Lyubov Aleksandrovna, PhD in History, Associate Professor, Tver State Technical University, Department of Psychology, History and Philosophy, Associate Professor, Tver, Russia, 8-915-705-14-55, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The article was received in the editorial office on 17.01.2025, recommended for publication on 20.12.2025.