Libmonster ID: RU-20315

Russia had long-standing strong cultural ties with many countries, primarily with European ones. The capitalist world, which met the birth of the socialist state with extreme hostility, tried to eliminate it by military intervention, economic blockade and cultural isolation. In these difficult conditions, the young Soviet state had to make great efforts to establish international scientific and cultural exchange with capitalist countries, but now on a fundamentally different basis.

In recent years, a number of works have appeared covering the formation and development of international scientific and cultural exchange of the Soviet state as a whole and its bilateral relations with various countries of Europe, Asia and America .1 However, these links with a number of countries (for example, Switzerland) remain poorly understood.

This article attempts to reveal some aspects of the formation and development of Soviet-Swiss cultural and scientific ties from 1917 to 1937. The choice of this period is determined by the fact that in the years leading up to the Second World War, due to the growing reaction in Switzerland and in the capitalist countries in general, scientific and cultural contacts between both states were practically curtailed.

Most important for the young Soviet state was the establishment of scientific and cultural ties with large, developed capitalist countries, such as Germany, England, the United States, and France. However, the specifics of the situation of Switzerland, which adhered to neutrality and was the seat of various international organizations, were of particular interest to our country.

1 See: Valieva D. V. Soviet-Iranian Cultural relations (1921-1960). Tashkent, 1965; Murav'ev Yu. P. Soviet-German scientific relations in the years of the Weimar Republic. In: Yearbook of German History, Moscow, 1969; Nikolskaya L. S. Establishment of Soviet-French contacts in the field of science and culture (1919-1928). In: French Yearbook, Moscow, 1970; her. To the history of the development of Soviet-American scientific and cultural contacts (1924-1933). In: American Yearbook, Moscow, 1973; Furaev V. K. Soviet-American scientific and Cultural relations (1924-1933). - Voprosy istorii, 1974, N 3; Sizonenko A. I. The Soviet Union and Mexico - 50 years. Moscow, 1974; Ioffe A. E. Mezhdunarodnye svyazi sovetskoy nauki, tekhniki i kul'tury [International relations of Soviet science, Technology and Culture]. 1917-1932. Moscow, 1975; Udovichenko P. B., Gorin A. O. Scientific and cultural relations of the USSR with capitalist countries. - Bulletin of the Kiev University, International Relations and International Law series, 1981, vol. 13; Chernikov I. F. On Soviet-Turkish cultural and scientific relations in the 20-30s of the XX century. In: Balkan Studies. Issue 7. 1982; Molchanov V. F. Soviet-Argentine scientific and cultural relations. - Latin America, 1983. N 1; and others.

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After the end of the First World War, the League of Nations and its various committees and commissions, including the International Commission for Intellectual Cooperation, the International Organization of the Red Cross and other associations with humanistic goals, settled in Geneva.

Cultural and scientific contacts and connections in the conditions of imperialist intervention and blockade were a real way to spread the truth about Soviet Russia, the October Revolution, the Communist Party's policy, and to mobilize progressive forces in defense of our country and to support it. V. I. Lenin in his letters and telegrams to Soviet diplomats V. V. Vorovsky in Stockholm, Ya. A. Berzin in Bern, A. F. Ioffe wrote to Berlin that they should publish as much material as possible about the socialist revolution in Russia and spare no expense for it. "It is necessary to publish 100 times more," he wrote, "in 4 languages." 2
After the expulsion by the Swiss government in November 1918 of the 3rd representative office of Soviet Russia, its function was actually performed by the Soviet Representative Office of the Red Cross (RCC), headed by S. Y. Bagotsky, which established ties with the International Committee of the Red Cross and other organizations. The hostility of the Swiss authorities, their patronage of the White Guard emigration, as well as the prejudice of the heads of international organizations who were in this country, made it extremely difficult to establish contacts and connections in the field of science and culture.

Loyal and consistent friends of Soviet Russia were the Swiss workers, whose advanced part had long been closely connected with the Bolshevik emigration before the revolution. Lenin, on leaving Switzerland in 1917, wrote in his" Farewell Letter to the Swiss Workers":: "We send our fraternal greetings to these comrades with whom we have worked hand in hand as like-minded people." 4 "The gigantic wave generated by the 10 days that 'shook the world'," recalled K. Farner, a prominent figure in the Swiss Labor Party,"also swept through Switzerland, stirring up even the most stagnant minds." 5 When the famine broke out in Soviet Russia, Swiss workers organized fundraisers, organized sales of Soviet handicrafts, film screenings, exhibitions and concerts to raise funds for the benefit of the hungry, and explained the true causes of the disaster .6 Representatives of the artistic intelligentsia also took part in this campaign. In April 1922, the Berne Committee of Artists and Artists opened an exhibition of paintings in Bern and organized a lottery for the benefit of starving people in Russia. At the same time, Bagotsky organized a Soviet exhibition in the same room. This exhibition, which highlighted the achievements of the people as a result of the victory of the October Revolution, was moved from Bern to Zurich and was a great success7 .

Among the progressive part of the technical intelligentsia, there was also a desire to help Soviet Russia with their work and knowledge. In July 1920 F. Platten wrote to Lenin: "I am approached in large numbers by engineers, technicians, all sorts of specialists, entire factory groups of employees who perform complex me-

2 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 50, p. 193.

3 The mission of Soviet Russia headed by Ya. A. Berzin was opened in Bern in June 1918. She was expelled on false charges of involvement in the protests of Swiss workers, and this was the de facto severance of diplomatic relations.

4 Lenin V. I. PSS. Vol. 31, p. 88.

5 Farner K. The working class of Switzerland before and after the Great October Socialist Revolution (1914-1921). Moscow, 1958, pp. 25-26.

6 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3385, op. 1, d. 18, l. 19a; La Santinella, 28, 29. VII, 29. VIII. 1921.

7 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3341, op. 6, d. 330, ll. 75, 131.

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mechanical works, mechanics and watchmakers with a request to apply for permission to enter Russia in order to enable them to benefit from their intensive work in Soviet Russia. " 8
Bagotsky, who in the autumn of 1921 became the representative of the People's Commissariat of Health of the RSFSR in Switzerland, actively worked to establish direct links with progressive Swiss medical circles, as well as the Epidemic Commission of the League of Nations .9 In October - November 1922, the agitation and organizational center of the International Committee for Medical Assistance of Russia was established with the participation of the ROCC representative office in Switzerland. In a circular letter, Bagotsky defined the tasks of the center as follows:"We consider it necessary to mobilize all our contacts in order to quickly launch the work, bringing together all foreign scientific and medical circles sympathetic to the tasks of this organization." 10 The center's activities were effective and brought great benefits both in providing medical care and in establishing contacts with a wide range of scientific communities in Switzerland and other European countries. At the same time, a scientific commission of 20 doctors was set up in Switzerland under the ROSC representative office to select abstracts from foreign literature on the issues most interesting to the People's Commissariat of Health. This was extremely important for familiarizing Soviet medical workers with the development of science and practical methods of treatment abroad. 200 research papers were sent to Moscow on the treatment of tuberculosis, protection of motherhood and infancy, fight against epidemic diseases, etc. 11 .

Taking into account the great political significance of foreign public information about the activities of the People's Commissariat of Health of the RSFSR in the five years that have passed since the October Revolution, People's Commissar N. S. Semashko made a number of reports in Switzerland. In January 1923, he made a report at a meeting of the hygiene section of the Epidemic Commission of the League of Nations, in which he highlighted the activities of the People's Commissariat of Health and the Soviet Government to help the hungry and fight epidemics .12 The spread of such objective information led to a change in the political orientation of many figures of foreign medicine and other intellectuals in relation to Soviet Russia. However, despite the sympathy of the working class and the progressive public for the Soviet State, the Swiss government strengthened its anti-Soviet policy, encouraging the activities of various White Guard and fascist organizations, such as the National League.

The murder of V. V. Vorovsky, a member of the Soviet delegation to the International Lausanne Conference, on May 10, 1923, and the anti-Soviet position of the Swiss government, which actually took the murderer under protection, forced the Soviet government to declare a boycott of Switzerland. This state of affairs continued until April 1927, when the Swiss Government granted the Soviet Union's legitimate demand for the inviolability of its representatives. It took into account the needs of its economy and the material damage caused by the loss of the Soviet market. But nevertheless, unlike the governments of many countries, the Swiss government stubbornly refused to restore diplomatic relations with the USSR until 1946. Even when 33 States approached the Soviet Union with a proposal to join the League of Nations, Switzerland, which was a member, opposed it.

8 Cit. by: Sventsitskaya O. V. Fritz Platten-the Fiery Revolutionary, Moscow, 1974, p. 145. As you know, in the mid-20s, under the leadership of Platten, two agricultural communes were created in the USSR: "Consent" and "Solidarity".

9 TsGA RSFSR, f. 482, op. 35, d. 74, ll. 15-18.

10 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3341, op. 6, d. 328, l. 116.

11 Ibid.

12 Ibid., 73, l. 1.

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But even during this period, the cultural and scientific exchange between the USSR and Switzerland was not interrupted. In 1924-1927, the cooperation of the People's Commissariat of Health with the Epidemic Commission located in Geneva continued to develop, which brought significant results. Thus, the Epidemic Commission organized courses to study the health service in a number of countries. Soviet doctors also took part in the courses. At the conference in Geneva, which summed up the results of the courses, one of the members of the Soviet group - head of the sanitary Department of the People's Commissariat of Health S. Kazansky made a report on the establishment of sanitary affairs in the USSR .13
Contrary to the anti-Soviet course of the Swiss government, from the second half of 1923 onwards there was a very favorable attitude among the intelligentsia, especially scientists, towards the question of organizing a society for cultural relations with Soviet Russia. As Bagotsky reported, the Swiss group of the Society for the Study of New Russia was supposed to be formed in early January 192414 . A year later, such a society was established in Lausanne. It consisted of 70 people. It was headed by engineer Torris, and Dr. M. Tobler, a prominent figure in Mezhrabpom 15, became its vice-chairman . Members of the Society were not only residents of Lausanne, but also Bern, Zurich and Basel.

Immediately after its formation, the Society took a number of steps to disseminate objective information about the USSR and establish direct contacts with our country. Its members read reports on the Country of Soviets in Bern, Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne. At the initiative of the Society, the scientific community was asked to cooperate with Swiss scientists in the Soviet scientific press and to invite Soviet scientists to cooperate in scientific publishing houses in Switzerland. As a result of the Society's activities, articles appeared in the Swiss press devoted to various problems of socialist construction and the economic life of the USSR. The same questions often served as the topics of research papers and dissertations of Swiss students and young scientists .16
However, until the normalization of Soviet-Swiss relations, the Society's activities were cut off from Soviet institutions and its members were threatened with various kinds of reprisals. Describing the atmosphere in which I had to work at that time, Bagotsky wrote:: "Every newspaper employee who publishes anything positive about the USSR runs the risk of being classified as unreliable." 17 The leadership of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPD) and the reformist trade unions, which went to the dissolution of the Basel Cartel, also adhered to the anti-Soviet position. - Ed .) for sending a delegation to the U.S.S.R. in 1927 at the suggestion of the Communists 18 .

The All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOX), established in 1925, virtually all communication with Switzerland was carried out through Bagotsky, who became an authorized VOX and had contacts with various international organizations and a number of well-known scientists and cultural workers. Its activities were extremely important for the development of cultural relations between the two countries. He managed to find and send to the Soviet Union a number of archives, including the Bund archive and the library of Russian Social Democrats; in 1928, he also sent 358 books to the Zurich emigrant Russian Library. The books were sent to the Karl Marx Institute and the Karl Marx Institute. Engel-

13 TsGA RSFSR, f. 482, op. 35, d. 101, ll. 463, 465.

14 TSPA IML under the Central Committee of the CPSU, f. 17, op. 60, d. 531, l. 40.

15 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5281, op. 2, d. 82, l. 41.

16 VOX Information Bulletin, 1925, No. 23; pp. 7-8.

17 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op 11, d. 9, l. 100.

18 Dragunov G. P. Switzerland. Istoriya i sovremennost ' [History and Modernity], Moscow, 1978, p. 47.

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sa.Bagotsky's participation in the international conference "New School" in Locarno in 1927, together with Professor D. I. Azbukin of Moscow State University, was of particular importance for the promotion of the Soviet system of public education and pedagogy in the West. The official delegation of the People's Commissar of Millet was not present at this conference. The conference participants showed great interest in the Soviet school and asked Azbukin to make a report. During the conference, contacts were established with teachers from a number of countries and an agreement was reached to publish materials about the Soviet school. The body of the international association "New School" published a report on the report 19 .

After the end of the Soviet-Swiss conflict, scientific and cultural ties between the two countries significantly revived. This was largely due to the initiatives of the Soviet Government, voiced in 1927 in the speeches of M. M. Litvinov in the Disarmament Commission of the League of Nations. The progressive Swiss public was very pleased with the specific disarmament program put forward by our delegation. The Swiss Society for the Study of the New Russia launched an energetic activity to organize reports and excursions of its members to the USSR. The Society began to invite Soviet scientists, writers, artists and musicians to Switzerland, and participated in the preparation and organization of Soviet exhibitions. Active figures of the Society during these years, who did a lot to spread true information about the USSR and its socialist construction, were Professor of the University of Basel, Director of research at the International Association for Social Progress, former head of the Labor Department S. Bauer and hygiene scientist Messerli 20 .

In 1927, Bauer visited the Soviet Union and participated in the celebrations dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. In Moscow, at the House of Scientists, he delivered a report on " The social policy of the Soviet Union and its significance for the labor protection of Western workers." The speaker stated that "representatives of Soviet Russia, whose social legislation is being scrutinized by the West, should actively participate in the exchange of experience on socio-economic and financial policy issues." 21
After returning from the USSR, S. Bauer made presentations about our country to various audiences. Since the cantonal government in Geneva forbade the university to provide an audience for S. Bauer's reports, he spoke at the workers ' club. His report was very interesting for the workers, who sent a delegation to the USSR to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution. Its members also made presentations on the USSR. Professor Messerli gave a number of lectures and organized an exhibition dedicated to the USSR at the University of Lausanne. In total, the Society made 25 scientific reports from 1925 to 1930. Of these, three reports made by Professor S. Bauer were devoted to the first five-year plan, and one report was broadcast on the radio. The Society organized an exhibition of Soviet books, posters and an exhibition on the protection of motherhood and infancy in the USSR 22 .

In 1927, for the first time in Switzerland, the anniversary of Great October was celebrated relatively widely. On November 6, 1927, a meeting organized by the VOX and ROCC representative offices was held in Bern, which was attended by representatives of the Union of Friends of the USSR and the Society for the Study of New Russia, who came from many cities of the country. Except

19 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3341, op. 6, d. 348, l. 110; f. 5283, op. 9, d. 46, l. 47.

20 Ibid., f. 3341, op. 6; d. 355, ll. 338-342.

21 Ibid., f. 5283, op. 9, d. 23, ll. 3-4; Izvestiya, 5, 13. XI. 1927.

22 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, d. 62, ll. 13-14; d. 82, l. 41.

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Finally, the participants of the solemn meeting got acquainted with the exhibition dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution 23.

The Soviet offices of ROCC and VOX in Switzerland systematically introduced the public of this country to the scientific and cultural activities in the USSR, with its achievements in the field of social development. In March 1929, the representative offices opened an exhibition in Geneva on maternity and infancy protection and social assistance in the USSR. The first responses of the bourgeois press were very favorable. Soon, however, the pro-Fascist League for the Struggle against the Third International and its Swiss branch launched a furious campaign in the press, trying to present the exhibition as propaganda and demanding its closure. However, the exhibition was not closed, moreover, the International Bureau of Education asked to give him 200 books for the world exhibition, organized in Geneva. The Soviet exhibition was visited by about a thousand people, among them a large number of employees of medical institutions of the League of Nations, the International Labour Office, members of the ICRC and the International Union for Children's Aid .24
VOX was active in providing information to the Swiss public about the USSR. For this purpose, printed materials, photographs used in organizing reports, as well as in the press were sent. The VOX bulletin was distributed in Switzerland in 100 copies, and correspondence was conducted with numerous correspondents who were interested in various issues of the scientific and cultural life of the USSR. In addition, VOX instructed Soviet specialists traveling to Switzerland to give lectures and reports there. In 1929, for example, Soviet scientists V. V. Ivanov and L. S. Stern read a number of reports during their stay in Switzerland. At the request of VOX, Swiss specialists who worked in our country and returned to their homeland made reports and, what was especially interesting for the audience, shared their own observations .25
The normalization of Soviet-Swiss relations affected not only the revival of the societies ' activities, but also the inclusion of other organizations and institutions in the cultural exchange of both countries. For example, at the initiative of the Swiss magazine "Schweizerische Areboo fur Volkskunde", an agreement was reached on the exchange of publications with Soviet local history societies .26 The International Bureau for Combating Alcoholism regularly began to send its publications to the relevant Soviet organizations .27 The bookselling center, established in Switzerland in the mid-20s by N. A. Rubakin, was very active. He regularly informed European scientists and writers about the progress of Soviet science and culture, and had close ties to VOX, where he received newsletters and other literature. Regular visitors of this center were professors and students of Swiss, French, and German universities 28 . Since 1927, the Swiss press began to publish notes and articles about the USSR, objectively covering economic, social and cultural events in our country29 . In 1934, an agreement was signed in Bern between the directorate of the Swiss Telegraph agency and a representative of TASS on the exchange of information30 .

23 Ibid., f. 3341, op. 6, d. 355, l. 397.

24 Ibid., 350, ll. 136-137, 227.

25 Ibid., f. 5283, op. 2, d. 62, ll. 13-14.

26 TsGALI SSSR, f. 941, op. 1, d. 111, l. 43.

27 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, d. 119, l. 88.

28 LO of the Archive of the USSR Academy of Sciences, f. 208, op. 2, d. 94, ll. 52-53; Ioffe A. E. Uk. soch., pp. 210-211.

29 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3341, op. 6, d. 355, l. 452.

30 Izvestiya, 17. II. 1934.

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A great interest of the Swiss public was aroused by the speeches of A. V. Lunacharsky during his visit to this country. After his reports in Bern, Lausanne and other cities, Bagotsky wrote to him on November 21, 1931: "Your report wants to arrange a general student organization Zurich "Studentenschaft" in the hall of the university. In February 1932, Bagotsky reported that the Zurich group of the Union of Friends of the U.S.S.R. had requested that Lunacharsky's report be given at the Society's meeting. His speeches contributed to the activation and expansion of the sphere of activity of the Union of Friends of the USSR.

In a number of European countries and in the United States during these years, great interest was shown in the system of planned economy in the USSR, and in particular in the first five-year plan. In Germany, for example, the Arplan Society was established. In May 1932, the Plan group was organized in Geneva. She set out to study the experience of Soviet economic management. This group heard a report by A. N. Rubakin "On collective farming in the USSR", which was attended by 150 people. A similar group was supposed to be created in Lausanne. In August of the same year, a conference of the Arplan Society was held, which was also attended by Swiss scientists .31
The growing interest in the USSR among the Swiss intelligentsia and workers led to the fact that, in addition to the Lausanne Society for the Study of New Russia, a Society for Cultural Rapprochement with the USSR was established in Geneva in 1930. Its chairman was Brochet, and its general secretary was M. Bierschmeier, a well-known journalist, active in the organization of "Free Thinkers". The society published its materials about the USSR in some Swiss press organs: "Travail", "Droits de peuple", in the central organ of "Freethinkers" - "Libre pensee international", bulletin of the Lausanne People's House. These publications were distributed in Switzerland in many thousands of copies .32
But not only the problems of economic and social life in the USSR attracted the attention of the Swiss public. She closely followed the development of Soviet art. One of the best films of the world cinema, Battleship Potemkin, began to be shown in Switzerland in 1926. It was shown in Zurich, Bern, and Basel. Soon its screening in the French cantons of Switzerland was banned, however, the film was watched by residents of the most important cities and rural areas of the country. The press assessment was very positive. In 1927, the Prometheus rental company produced such Soviet films as Abrek Zaur (directed by B. A. Mikhin) and Wings of a Serf (directed by Yu.V. Tarich) in Switzerland. In the same year, Swiss viewers got acquainted with the films "Mother" by V. I. Pudovkin, "Katka-the Paper Ranet" by F. Ermler .33
The great role of Soviet cinema was recognized by the invitation of leading directors of the USSR to the International Congress of Independent Cinematography, held in Switzerland in 1929. The purpose of the congress was to discuss the problem of eliminating the dependence of cinematography on big capital and strengthening the progressive role of cinema in the development of mankind. The congress agenda included the creation of an international federation of film clubs and an international film production cooperative. From the USSR, such world-famous directors as S. M. Eisenstein, A. P. Dovzhenko, and D. Vertov participated in the congress. The congress was attended by prominent figures of world cinema: L. Blondel, R. Clair, A. Cavalcanti, L. Pic and others, who represented the cinematography of Germany, Austria, England, and Belgium-

31 Documents of Foreign Policy of the USSR, vol. 15, Moscow, 1969, p. 486; TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, 119, ll. 85, 86.

32 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, 62, ll. 13-14.

33 TsGALI USSR, f. 645, op. 1, d. 385, ll. 122-124.

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Czech Republic, Spain, USA, France, Holland, Italy, Japan, Switzerland 34 .

Characteristically, Eisenstein was granted permission to enter Switzerland only on the condition that he refused to speak publicly. Nevertheless, he was invited to speak. When he "appeared on the podium and with his silent posture showed the audience that he was unable to speak, it caused a completely unbridled delight of the audience. The police thus made Eisenstein's name popular." After the congress, Eisenstein gave talks in Zurich at the Forum Cinema, in the working-class district of Zurich. His performances in other Swiss cities were banned, and the Swiss police asked him to leave the country 35 .

The participation of Soviet film directors in the congress helped to establish ties between Soviet and Swiss cinematographers and to increase interest in the Soviet Union's highly ideological, artistic and humanistic cinematography. Following silent films, Swiss audiences also got acquainted with the first sound Soviet films. In March 1933, the film "A Trip to Life" (directed by N. Eck)was repeated in Bern. 36 In 1934, the film "Petersburg Night" (directed by G. Roshal) was shown with great success. Newspapers regarded the screening of the film as an outstanding event. The National Zeitung described the Soviet film as "a work of great art", while the Social-democratic Arbeiter Zeitung wrote:: "This Soviet film is in all respects a never-before-seen, exceptional mood film with excellent photography and wonderful editing." In 1936, the authors of the film "We are from Kronstadt". V. Vishnevsky and E. Dzigan visited Switzerland along with other countries. Their film, which was known to be a huge success in all countries of the world, was warmly received by the Swiss public .37
Figures of both professional and working theater followed the development of theatrical art in the USSR with great interest. The Workers 'Theater Union of Switzerland (RTSSH) studied and used the Soviet experience of organizing amateur performances, in particular the famous "Blue Blouse". In 1932, the RTSSH created 10 propaganda groups modeled on the "Blue Blouse". In 1933, the Swiss theater group 38 also took part in the International Olympiad of Amateur Revolutionary Theaters in Moscow . As for professional theater groups, in Switzerland in 1928, the Leningrad Academic Chapel successfully toured and in 1930, the Moscow Chamber Theater successfully toured .

In June 1933, the International Theater Congress was held in Switzerland, where almost all European countries were represented. The USSR participated in such a congress for the first time, and the Soviet delegation's story about the creative work of theaters, with authors and audiences, and the development of drama in our country aroused great interest. At the initiative of the Union of Friends of the USSR, the Soviet delegation spoke at a crowded public meeting of 40 . In September 1935, prominent theater figures from 19 countries, including Switzerland, came to the III Moscow Theater Festival. After the end of the festival, they will

34 Le drapeau rouge, 6.IX.1929.

35 TsGAOR USSR, f. 7668, op. 1, d. 215, l. 13; Eisenstein S. Selected works. In 6 vols. Vol. 1. Moscow, 1964, p. 580.

36 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, d. 118, l. 56.

37 Izvestiya, 10. X. 1934; 15. VII. 1936.

38 Documents of Foreign Policy of the USSR, vol. 15, p. 796.

39 Rabochy Theater, 1928, N 2, p. 14; Ioffe A. E. Internatsionalnye, nauchnye i kul'turnye svyazi Sovetskogo Soyuza [International, Scientific and cultural Relations of the Soviet Union]. 1928-1932. Moscow, 1969, p. 159.

40 Izvestiya, 3. VII. 1933.

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They were received by the secretary of the Central Election Commission of the USSR I. A. Okulov, who told them about the development of the Soviet multinational theater. The reception participants expressed their admiration for the achievements of the Soviet theater 41 .

Since the late 1920s, the number of Soviet art exhibitions in Switzerland has been increasing. In 1929, such an exhibition was opened in Zurich. My impressions of her were most favorable. Museums in four Swiss cities have requested to provide some of its exhibits for their exhibitions .42 As noted by the Swiss press, this Soviet exhibition, as well as the subsequent one, significantly differed in its content and forms from the exhibitions of the early and mid-20s. In this regard, the review of the National Zeitung newspaper on the Soviet art exhibition organized in Zurich in 1931, where works reflecting the socialist construction in the USSR were presented, is characteristic. Emphasizing the realistic nature of the exhibition, the reviewer wrote: "As far as we can judge from the materials available to us, this has not always been the case. In the beginning, about 12 years ago, futurists and artists of extreme trends; abstraction and constructivism played a leading role in the USSR... they compiled a short-lived gospel of that time. No matter how much this theory was written and published, and no matter how much it was praised, the working class did not accept it. " 43 In total, in 1931, VOX sent 12 exhibitions of various kinds to Switzerland. In 1934, VOX organized an exhibition of Soviet graphics, and in 1938-a photo exhibition "Soviet Construction" .44
The development of scientific and cultural ties between the USSR and Switzerland during the period under review was carried out with constant opposition from reactionary elements and the Swiss authorities. The anti-Soviet orientation of bourgeois propaganda in all capitalist countries, including Switzerland, has been particularly intensified in connection with the Industrial Party case. Despite the obvious economic feasibility of developing relations with the USSR, some Swiss firms refused to conclude any contracts for providing technical assistance to the USSR. In particular, in 1930, Swiss watch companies stopped negotiations, and the owners of chemical enterprises stopped allowing Soviet representatives to get acquainted with the work of their enterprises. 45
The global economic crisis that gripped Switzerland, as well as the rise of fascists to power in Germany in 1933, significantly intensified the activities of fascist organizations in Switzerland, which operated with the tacit consent of its government. All this led to an increase in anti-Sovietism and anti-communism: in some cantons, the activities of the Communist Party and the Union of Friends of the USSR were banned. Progressive Swiss organizations, including the Union of Friends of the USSR and the Society for Cultural Rapprochement with the USSR, played an important role in the fight against the anti-Soviet campaign.

A. M. Gorky's appeal "To the Humanists"was of great importance for rallying the intelligentsia of the world in their struggle to support our country. In Switzerland, with the help of the Geneva Union of Friends of the U.S.S.R., this appeal was issued in a separate booklet. Not limited to its distribution, the Union in 1930 carried out work among the intelligentsia and Swiss youth. Thus, the Secretary of the Union, M. Bierschmeier, held talks with a group of Geneva youth about the danger of intervention in the USSR and the process of "Industrial Party" 46 . As a result of the work done

41 Ibid., 23. VIII, 10. IX. 1935.

42 TsGAOR USSR, f. 3341, op. 6, d. 350, l. 136.

43 TsGALI SSSR, f. 645, op. 1, d. 194, ll. 16, 17-21.

44 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 1, d. 157, l. 39; d. 277, ll. 24-26; d. 328, ll. 20, 25.

45 Za industrializatsii, 24. V 1930; TSGANKH SSSR, f. 3429, op. 3, d. 2647, ll. 1-2.

46 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 1, d. 140, ll. 58-59.

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After working to explain the true situation in our country and expose the imperialist anti-Soviet aims of the ruling circles of capitalist countries, a significant part of the Swiss intelligentsia, especially those who were closely connected with the working people, came out in defense of the USSR. In January 1931, a group of "Proletarian theater artists" (M. Bierschmeier, M. Millanson, S. Millanson, M. Tarall, etc.) wrote in response to Gorky's appeal:: "We are happy to know that the working people's Republic is defending itself together with its greatest writer, the one who best understood the people's soul." The growth in the number of its members was an indication of the effectiveness of the Union's activities. In 1931, it numbered about 100 people in Geneva alone .47 In 1932, a society was established in Zurich, bringing together enthusiasts of cultural rapprochement with our country throughout Switzerland. This society "New Russia" explained its tasks in this way - " society for promoting economic and cultural relations with the USSR."

From the beginning of 1933, some representatives of the Swiss commercial and industrial circles, as well as trade unions, began to put pressure on the government to develop economic relations with the Soviet Union. However, the Federal Council stubbornly refused to establish diplomatic and commercial relations with our country. And even when this issue was later raised by the Swiss public, the Council continued to maintain its anti-Soviet position. Under these circumstances, the Zurich Society tried to attract representatives of government and commercial circles to its work. According to the chairman of the Zurich branch of the Society, there are many sympathizers of the USSR in various Swiss cities, but they are afraid to take the initiative to organize a Cultural Communication Society due to the authorities ' unfriendly attitude towards the USSR.

The founders of the New Russia Society were architect Hütmozer, engineer Gurevich, economist S. Bauer, and artist Roshard. Roshard became the Chairman of the Society. Its steering committee includes, in addition to the group of founders, other prominent figures of science and art in Switzerland. The Committee met regularly once a month. In 1932, the New Russia Society had over 200 members .48 One of the most important forms of activity of the Society was the reports of its members after their trips to the USSR. In 1932, at a meeting of 150 people in Zurich, the artist Baumberger and the engineer Gurevich made presentations on the USSR, which were very popular with the audience. Under the influence of these reports, the Zurich authorities sent Prof. Rosharda. In November of the same year, he and L. S. Stern spoke at a meeting of the Society, which was attended by about 200 people. Gurevich and Baumberger made repeated presentations 49 .

In February 1933, Dr. Messis presented a report on the cultural achievements of the USSR at the Berne People's House. The report, as well as the brochure "Construction in the USSR" published in 2 thousand copies, were based on personal impressions of visiting the Soviet Union. At the same time, prof. Bauer lectured at the University of Basel on the Soviet five-year plan50 . In 1932, the New Russia Society organized an exhibition of works by Soviet artists in Zurich. The Wolfensberg Gallery displayed works by the famous Soviet graphic artist A. I. Kravchenko and artist V. N. Bartonov . Huge interest in the Swiss community-

47 Ibid., d. 164, ll. 17, 29.

48 Ibid., op. 2, d. 119, ll. 85-86 ob.

49 Ibid., d. 100, l. 7.

50 Ibid., d. 121, l. 30; d. 122, l. 44.

51 Ibid., d. 119, l. 88.

page 42

R. L. Samoilovich's reports about the Krasin icebreaker's expedition to rescue the Italian polar expedition of U. Nobile were called to Moscow, as well as in other European countries. Samoilovich performed in Geneva, Zurich, Bern, Locarno, Lugano and other cities. Its reports were attended by more than 4 thousand people. The reaction's attempts to disrupt these speeches failed. In Geneva, for example, a group of fascist youth received a strong rebuff from the audience, and Samoilovich's report was listened to with great attention .52
During the first five-year plans, a group of Swiss workers and specialists took a direct part in socialist construction in the USSR. In 1935, more than 50 foreign architects worked in the Moscow Academy of Architecture, planning workshops of the Moscow City Council, the People's Commissariat of Construction, the NKPS and the People's Commissariat of Agriculture. Among them is the talented Swiss architect G. Mayer, who participated in the development of the master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow 53 . Direct participation in the construction projects of the five-year plans and in the public life of our country made Swiss workers and specialists actively committed to the development of friendly relations between the two countries. After returning to their homeland, they organized the Soviet-Swiss society in Bern in 1932 in order to maximize the development of business and friendly contacts between Switzerland and the Soviet Union. 54
After the USSR joined the League of Nations, the cooperation of Soviet institutions and organizations with a number of League of Nations commissions and committees located in Switzerland, such as the Hygiene Committee, the Hygiene Section of the Labor Bureau, and the International Commission for Intellectual Cooperation, played a significant role in the development of Soviet - Swiss scientific and cultural ties. Foreign and Swiss members of these organizations visited the Soviet Union, getting acquainted with its economic and cultural life. Increasingly, Swiss scientists took part in international congresses and conferences held in the USSR. So, in September 1935, at the first International Topological Conference in Moscow, the Swiss scientist Hopf made a report. In the summer of 1937, 16 applications were sent to Moscow from Switzerland for participation in the XVII International Geological Congress .55
Since about the second half of the 1930s, the polarization of the Swiss public on the development of cultural and scientific ties with the USSR has become increasingly noticeable. Under the pressure of reaction, a part of the liberal-minded intelligentsia is withdrawing from active activity, and, on the contrary, the Union of Friends of the U.S.S.R., which united the workers and the most left-wing intellectuals, has intensified its activities, opposing the course of its own government and supporting by all means the peace-loving policy of the U.S.S.R. and the development of friendly relations with it. In September 1935, the regular congress of the Union of Friends of the USSR was held in Lausanne, bringing together representatives of all districts and major cities of Switzerland. In its unanimous resolution, the Congress noted that "the absence of normal relations between Switzerland and the Soviet Union is becoming intolerable" and "harms not only the economic and political interests of Switzerland, but also contradicts the opinion of the majority of the Swiss people, which demands the unconditional establishment of relations with the Soviet Union."56 In May 1937, the Eighth Congress of the Union of Friends of the U.S.S.R. demanded the lifting of the ban on civil servants joining the Union. In the same year, in connection with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War.

52 Ibid., ll. 88, 88ob., 93.

53 Izvestiya, 26. VII. 1935.

54 TsGAOR USSR, f. 5283, op. 2, d. 100, l. 7.

55 Izvestiya, 5. IX. 1935; Vestnik AN SSSR, 1936, N 11-12, p. 125.

56 Izvestiya, 26. VI. 1936.

page 43

The Union of Friends of the USSR organized mass demonstrations in Basel and Zurich on October 57 .

A review of Soviet-Swiss scientific and cultural relations in 1917-1937 suggests that the active work of VOX and other Soviet state and public organizations to familiarize themselves with the life of our country and its cultural construction aroused a warm response among the Swiss progressive intelligentsia and the working class. An important role in the process of their acquaintance with the life of the Country of Soviets was played by the organizations they created. Their work, which took place in the context of the anti-Soviet orientation of the Swiss government's policy, bore fruit: the Swiss public was able to learn the truth about the development of the economy and culture of the world's first socialist state. This contributed to the strengthening of friendship between the peoples of both countries. The development of scientific and cultural ties between the U.S.S.R. and Switzerland, and the active work of Soviet representatives in that country also helped establish business contacts with a number of international organizations whose centers were located in Switzerland, which, in turn, was important for familiarizing the world community with the achievements of socialist construction in the U.S.S.R. and strengthening its authority in the world.

57 Ibid., 10. V, 10. XI. 1937.

page 44


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