"In the Soviet Union in the 1930s, public celebrations flourished while Stalinist repression intensified. What explains this coincidence of terror and celebration? Using popular media and drawing extensively on documents from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, Karen Petrone demonstrates that to dismiss Soviet celebrations as mere diversion is to lose a valuable opportunity to understand how the Soviet system operated.". "This look at celebrations reveals the complex dialogues and negotiations between citizens and leaders in the endeavor to create Soviet culture."--BOOK JACKET.