Cities, Gender, And Opposition During The Communist Rule

Cities, Gender, and Opposition during the Communist Rule
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In 1917, during the July days, Petrograd was in the middle of demonstrations as soldiers from Kronstadt came to realize their previous demands of getting power from the Provisional Government.At that time, Petrograd became the center of the Bolshevik revolution as the opposing parties fought for their share of power. However, the demonstrations in Petrograd were suppressed when the rebels were diffused by troops and the Provincial Government launched an investigation on Lenin, claiming that he was a German spy. Petrograd became the center of the demonstration in 1917 because the Kronstadt soldiers needed to fight for the Bolshevik revolution. Pointing out to the reason why, the author notes, “You have come here, you, red men of Kronstadt, as soon as you heard about the danger threatening the revolution…”[BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. 1917-July Days. Accessed November 26, 2018. http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1917-2/july-days/.] [BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Ibid.] [Ibid]
World War I also had some impact on major cities, especially in 1917, when people in those cities experienced food shortages.As a result, people in urban cites resulted to stealing from food stores and those who were caught faced the wrath of angry and hungry citizens. Law and order in the cities became a problem as people took matters into their own hands, rendering the Provisional Government useless at the time.Food shortage in the cities was caused by the increased number of refugees in the cities as a result of the war. In addition, most of the food and other basic amenities were being taken to soldiers, leaving people in urban areas with limited basic resources. The author explains further on the reasons, noting that, “The situation in Petrograd, far removed from the main food producing areas, was particularly grim.”Consequently, more people in the cities opted to move to rural areas for survival as others contracted diseases that eventually killed them, making the cities less populated in the end. Cities that were initially over-populated during capitalism changed drastically during the Communist Rule as the social classes were abolished.The migration from cities to rural areas was as a result of food shortages in the cities. As the author notes, “The persistence of workers’ ties to the village would save many of them when, during desperate years of civil war, they fled from the starving cities. In addition, the diseases that killed many of the city dwellers were as a result of poor infrastructure in the cities. This made cities uninhabitable as dwellers were vulnerable to diseases that result from poor sanitation.[BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. 1917 Food Supply. Accessed November 26, 2018. http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1917-2/food-supply/.] [Ibid] [Ibid] [Ibid] [Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. 1917-Depopulation of the Cities. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1917-2/depopulation-of-the-cities/] [Ibid] [Ibid]
In 1934, Russia’s modern city, Moscow, took a path of development in terms of infrastructure.Leaders called for the creation of a subway that was of great importance after its completion. Apart from facilitating movement in the city of Moscow, the subway system became a tourist attraction site as people from within and across the world came to experience it. It was a moment of victory for the leaders and the city as well as it became among the first cities with a modern transport system. Further, the subway also provided cover during the war, especially from bombs, which helped Russia protect its city people. In addition, other infrastructures were set to be updated to ensure that Moscow remained a modern city. The plan was to upgrade the old structures and in addition, the city was expanded so as to accommodate the expected changes.The creation of the subway in 1934 in Moscow turned things around as city people became aware of the government’s efforts to improve the infrastructure. This change was attributed to the need for a “modern transport system” and since Moscow was both a modern and a capital city, it was selected for the changes.[Geldern, James. n.d. 1934-The Moscow Metro. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1934-2/the-moscow-metro/] [Ibid] [Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. Rebuilding of Moscow. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1936-2/rebuilding-of-moscow/] [Geldern, 1934-The Moscow Metro]
Another city that experienced changes during the Communist Rule was the Stalingrad city, which was almost completely destroyed by the Nazi in 1943 in their attempt to take over the city. Not only were properties destroyed, but soldiers also lost their lives in the city during the attack. Petrograd, which was referred to as Leningrad in 1940, was also attacked by the Nazi, leaving many of the urban dwellers deprived of basic commodities for survival.The attack and destruction of Stalingrad and Leningrad cities can be attributed to the war between the Nazi and the Russian army, who fought relentlessly and while the Nazi were able to occupy part of Stalingrad, they were ultimately defeated by the Red Army, leaving the city in shambles. As in any war, destruction of lives and property is inevitable, and both Stalingrad and Leningrad were victims. Families lost their loved ones in the war, making them the most affected group of people.[Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. 1943-The Nazi Tide Stops. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1943-2/the-nazi-tide-stops/] [Geldern, James. n.d. 1943-900 Days. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1943-2/900-days/] [Siegelbaum, 1943-The Nazi Tide Stops]
After the war with the Germans, Russia celebrated 800 years of Moscow by erecting a monument to mark the resilience of the capital city and the country as a whole.In 1957, Akademgorodok became a city where scientific research would be conducted.This was especially the case because this city was far from Moscow and as such, scientists could conduct their research without interference from the political world. Other developments that happened in cities during the communist era were the construction of an airport, stadiums, and hotels in preparation for the Moscow Olympic in the 1980s. Clearly, during the Communist rule, cities in Russia went through structural changes, congestion, and depopulation and during wars, destructions. Political leaders played an instrumental role in influencing changes experienced in cities. The wars and the development in cities which affected city dwellers were as a result of decisions made by political leaders.[Geldern, James. n.d. 1947-Eight-Hundred Years of Moscow. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1947-2/eight-hundred-years-of-moscow/] [Geldern, James. n.d. 1956-Akademgorodok. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1956-2/akademgorodok/] [Siegelbaum, Lewis. n.d. 1980-Moscow Olympics. Accessed November 26, 2018.http://soviethistory.msu.edu/1980-2/moscow-olympics/]
When the Bolshevik took over power, women started enjoying rights that were initially unavailable. The International Women’s Day was launched, and women were given the right to divorce their husbands without seeking consent from them by the end of 1917. There were women in leadership positions, which marked the beginning of a nation focused on gender equality. Some female activists who understood the dynamics of the family were the main reason why gender issues received attention in the Communist Rule. The author notes that “women’s activists enjoyed significant legislative victories in the first years of the revolution”. As such, the revolution to empower women played a major role in gender sensitivity in Russia. However, gender issues continued...