Day: July 5, 2026
In December 1949, Stalin’s empire celebrated the 70th anniversary of its all-powerful leader. Behind the Iron Curtain, his personality cult shaped public life across Central Europe, from Moscow-style avenues and socialist realism to the renamed cities and factories built in his image.
The episode explores the forced allegiance demanded from the Church, the Pioneer and Communist Youth movements, the collectivisation of agriculture, and the purges carried out under leaders such as Mátyás Rákosi. It also looks at the campaign against Jews, from the closing of Yiddish schools to the Slánský trial in Prague.
A look back at life under the reign of Stalin.
Documentary: Iron Curtain: Life under Soviet Occupation (épisode 2)
Directed by: Tania Rakhmanova
Production: ROCHE PRODUCTIONS (2024)
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