«Physicists» or «lyricists»?: display of the discussion of the 1960s. in the Soviet caricature

Abstract

The article analyzes the perception of «the discussion of physicists and lyricists» through the prism of the Soviet caricature in the 1960's of the XX-th century. It has been revealed that the caricatures matched to the social and cultural context, reflected the all-Union «discussion of physicists and lyricists». The author approves that the «lyricists» were the object of ridicule, while the «physicists» represented the ideal model of the scientist. It was concluded that the journal’s satire was directed not against the Soviet system, science or art, within «physicists» and «lyricists» should work, but against the specific shortcomings of their activities. «Discussion of physicists and lyricists», which began in the early 1960's was intended to find out which kind of the intelligentsia is more important not only in the context of socio-political, but also in scientific and cultural aspects.

The choice of the source is due to the research problem. The «Krokodil», as the most popular and the only all-Union satirical magazine, had a significant impact on the contemporary society. Satirical periodicals were a special kind of Soviet humor, on the one hand, very popular among the population, and on the other hand – strictly controlled by the authorities. The «Krokodil» magazine was included to the forum for discussions, published the images produced by society, which made the readers aware of stereotypes familiar to them, raising their mood. «Krokodil» editors also had the opportunity to engage in discussions from the side of «lyricists», but the subordinate nature of the journal and the humanitarian environment (due to which problems and disadvantages were seen by each other) influenced their choice. It was found that numerically there were more «lyrical» characters, while «physicists» often served as an example for humanities.