Ideological Classification Systems for the Creation of 'Homo Sovieticus' in Latvian Libraries during the Second Soviet Occupation, 1944–1990
During the Soviet occupation of Latvia (1940-1941 and 1944-1990), libraries underwent Sovietization – a transformation process, in which the organizational, legal, ideological norms of the Soviet Union had to be adopted. Libraries were turned into instruments of occupying power, which led to signifi...
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| Опубликовано в: : | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/rhc, |
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| Главный автор: | |
| Формат: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Язык: | eng |
| Опубликовано: |
Revue d'histoire culturelle
2025
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| Предметы: | |
| Online-ссылка: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Итог: | During the Soviet occupation of Latvia (1940-1941 and 1944-1990), libraries underwent Sovietization – a transformation process, in which the organizational, legal, ideological norms of the Soviet Union had to be adopted. Libraries were turned into instruments of occupying power, which led to significant changes in their guiding principles and strategies. This sharply contrasted with the independence period of the Republic of Latvia (1918–1940), when libraries – mostly under the authority of municipalities or associations – operated with a considerable degree of independence, aligning their activities with the interests of their funders and readers.This study examines the manifestation of Sovietization in library practice, focusing on knowledge organization and classification. It explores how, under ideological constraints, classification systems in Latvian libraries were transformed from professionally neutral tools into mechanisms for structuring knowledge according to a single political doctrine. The study focuses on the adaptation of Lev Tropovsky's ideologically revised Universal Decimal Classification at the beginning of the renewed Soviet occupation and on the later transition to a new hierarchical Library Bibliographic Classification (Bibliotechno-Bibliograficheskaya Klassifikatsiya), developed by major Russian libraries and based on Marxism-Leninism.The mandatory implementation of this classification system in Latvia illustrates the regime's emphasis on political education and ideological control. Drawing on Soviet-era sociological data, the research also evaluates public attitudes towards libraries, using library attendance as the primary indicator. |
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