What was the Stalin Prize for? Winners of the Stalin Prize

Citizens of the USSR, who achieved outstanding creative success in any field of activity, were encouraged by the country's main prize. The Stalin Prize relied on those who radically improved the methods of production, as well as the creators of scientific theories, technologies, vivid examples of art (literature, theater, cinema, painting, sculpture, architecture).

Joseph Stalin

There was a prize for the name of the leader for thirteen years - from 1940 to 1953, and was established a little earlier - in December 1939. The Stalin Prize had no state fund, the laureates were subsidized from the personal salary of IV Stalin, which was correspondingly huge - two of his posts were paid ten thousand rubles each monthly.

The prize fund was also the royalties for publishing the books of the leader in the USSR and abroad, which were also many, and payments in those days were rather big (Alexei Tolstoy even became the first Soviet millionaire). The Stalin Prize took a lot of money, almost everything. That is why after the death of the leader on his savings book there was a paltry amount - nine hundred rubles, while the average salary of the worker often exceeded seven hundred.

History

In 1939, in December, the sixtieth birthday of the leader was officially celebrated, and in honor of this event a prize of his name appeared. In February 1940, the Council of People's Commissars decided to establish prizes of one hundred thousand rubles (1 degree), fifty thousand rubles (two degrees) and twenty-five thousand rubles (three degrees) for the best literary works (prose, poetry, drama, literary criticism); As well as for achievements in other areas of art. In addition, annually the prize was awarded to people who made a special contribution to science, culture, technology or the organization of production.

In 1941 the Stalin Prize was awarded to the very first laureates. The record holder in the number of awarded Stalin prizes was SV Il'yushin, a famous aircraft designer, seven times marked by the special attention of the leader. The filmmakers Yu. A. Raizman and IA Pyryev, the writer KM Simonov, the aircraft designer AS Yakovlev, the composer SS Prokofiev and several others received the award six times. Actresses Marina Ladynina and Alla Tarasova became five-time laureates of the Stalin Prize.

Institution

The Stalin Prize of the USSR (originally called the Stalin Prize) was established by two resolutions. On December 20, 1939, the Council of People's Commissars decided: sixteen annual Stalin Prizes (100,000 rubles) were awarded to scientists and artists for outstanding work in such areas as technical, physical, mathematical, biological, chemical, medical, agricultural, economic, philosophical, legal and Historical and philological sciences, painting, music, sculpture, theatrical art, architecture, cinematography.

Ten premiums of the first degree, twenty - second, thirty - third degrees for the best inventions, plus three first - degree prizes, five - second and ten - third degrees for special achievements in the field of military knowledge were also established. A separate resolution concerning the writers, who received the annual Stalin Prize, was adopted in February 1940, and it stated that four first-degree prizes rely on laureates in every kind of literary activity: prose, poetry, literary criticism, drama.

Changes

The size of the Stalin Prize in rubles and the number of laureates have changed many times, and never in the direction of decrease, on the contrary - instead of one laureate of the first degree, for example, already in 1940 there were three in each nomination. In 1942, the premium (first degree) increased to two hundred thousand rubles. In addition, in 1949, a new - the International "For the Strengthening of Peace between Nations" appeared. He distributed the awards directly to the Council of People's Commissars, in which two special committees were created: one worked on awarding prizes in science, military knowledge and invention, and the latter was engaged in literature and art.

At first only new works were marked, which were completed in the given year. Applicants who finalized their works in the timeframe later than mid-October, fell into the lists next year. Then the terms were revised, and the winners could be people who have earned a prize in the last six or seven years. Thus, those awarded the Stalin Prize were in favorable conditions. Many evidence suggests that Iosif Vissarionovich took a direct part in the distribution of premiums of his name (and his own finances), sometimes the decision was taken almost single-handedly.

Elimination of

After Stalin's death, the will was not found, so the publications' fees could not be used to encourage laureates. After 1954, the Stalin Prize ceased to exist. Then the notorious campaign to eradicate the cult of the leader began.

In 1956, the Lenin Prize was established, which replaced the Stalin Prize in fact. The laureates of the Stalin Prize after 1966 changed their diplomas and honorary signs. Even the name was everywhere methodically changed, in encyclopedias and reference books Stalin began to be called the State Prize of the USSR. Information about the winners was mystified and dosed.

Separation rules

There was a special resolution of the Council of People's Commissars on the fair distribution of the award among several participants in the work for which it was awarded. If two people (co-authors) were awarded one prize, the sum was divided equally. For three, the distribution was different: the manager received half, and two performers - a quarter of the total. If there were a lot of people, then the manager received a third, the rest was divided equally in the team.

The first laureates of the Stalin Prize in Physics were P. L. Kapitsa, in mathematics A. Kolmogorov, in biology T. Lysenko, in medicine A. Bogomolets, VP Filatov, N. N. Burdenko, in geology - VA Obruchev, noted for the invention of the famous gunsmith VA Degtyarev, in aeronautical design - SA Lavochkin, in painting - AM Gerasimov, in sculpture - VI Mukhin.

The designer of metro stations "Kievskaya" and "Komsomolskaya" architect DN Chechulin was also awarded the Stalin Prize. AN Tolstoy received it for the book "Peter the First", MA Sholokhov - for the novel "Quiet Flows the Don", and the playwright NF Pogodin was noted after staging the play "The Man with a Gun".

How the works were considered

The work of the scientific warehouse was previously considered with the involvement of the relevant specialty of scientists, expert commissions of practitioners and even entire Scientific Research Institutes. Then the assessment was more complete and comprehensive with the issuance of a special conclusion for the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

If necessary, representatives of scientific research institutes and scientific organizations attended the meetings of the Committee. The decisions were made by a closed voting ballot.

Honorary Sign

After receiving the prize, each laureate received a corresponding title and an honorary mark of the Stalin Prize laureate, who needed to be worn on the right side next to the orders. It was made of silver in the form of a convex oval, covered with white enamel and fringed from below with a laurel wreath of gold. The enamel depicted the sunrise-golden rays, against which a star of red enamel with a gold rim shone above. The inscription in gold letters read: "To the Stalin Prize Laureate".

The top of the oval was framed by a corrugated ribbon of blue enamel with a gold edge, on which was written "USSR". A silver and gilded plate, to which an ear-honored sign was attached through a ear and a ring, was also inscribed: it was marked with Arab numerals on the year of awarding the award. Publication in the press about laureates of the current year has always appeared on December 21 - the birthday of JV Stalin.

War

In the menacing years of the war, this high award also found distinguished, because the creative intelligentsia worked more than ever - in a powerful patriotic impulse and with an enduring initiative. Soviet scientists, innovators, and inventors knew very well that it was now that their country needs more than during peace and quiet. Even 1941 brought the greatest achievements of the intelligentsia in virtually all spheres of life.

The industry was rebuilt in a military way, the resources of raw materials were expanded, and the capacity of production increased. The Stalin Prize of the first degree was awarded to the work of a group of academicians under the leadership of the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences VL Komarov who explored and developed ways of developing the Urals industry - black metallurgy, power engineering, construction materials and everything else. The result was a huge expansion of the production of all types of industry.

ND Zelinsky did a lot for defense chemistry. He was also awarded this award. Professor MV Keldysh and candidate of technical sciences EP Grossman worked for Soviet aircraft construction: they developed the theory of elastic oscillations and came up with a method for calculating airplanes for flutter, for which they received the Stalin Prize of the 2nd degree.

Dmitry Shostakovich

Outstanding by his creative power, the composer before his evacuation wrote his famous "Seventh Symphony" in besieged Leningrad. This work immediately entered the treasury of world music art. All-conquering humanism, readiness to fight to death with black forces, unshakable truth, sounding in every note, won worldwide recognition once and for all. In 1942 this work was marked by the Stalin Prize of the first degree.

Dmitri Shostakovich is another three-time Stalin Prize laureate besides the first: for the excellent trio of 1946 - the first-degree prize, and then - the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR, in 1950 they were awarded the Stalin Prize of the second degree of his oratorio "The Song of the Woods" on the poems of Dolmatovsky and Music for the film "The Fall of Berlin". In 1952 he received another Stalin Prize of the second degree for the suite for the choir.

Faina Ranevskaya

For many years worked the favorite of the audience, who did not play a single major role in the movie. This is an exceptionally talented actress. The Stalin Prize went to her three times: twice the second degree and once - the third.

In 1949 - for the role of Losev's wife in the "Law of Honor" Stein (Moscow Drama Theater), in 1951 - for the role of Agrippina in "Dawn over Moscow" Suvorov (the same theater), in the same year - for the role of Frau Wurst In the film "They have a homeland". In principle, any role performed by Faina Georgievna could be awarded this honor, as the classics of Soviet cinema were mostly created by this actress, the Stalin Prize laureate. In its time, it was great, and even now there certainly is not a person who does not know her name.