“A brief report on the work of the 3rd Congress by the All-Russian Photo-Cinema Department” as a source for the early history of Soviet visual propaganda

Section: Materials, Documents, Publications

“A Brief Report on the Services Provided by the All-Russian Photo-Cinema Department to the Third Congress” can be regarded as an important document on the history of Soviet visual propaganda during the Great Russian Revolution (1917–1922). The document provides insight into the activities of the All-Russian Photo-Cinema Department (VFKO) on the eve of and during the Third Congress of the Comintern held in Moscow. While the VFKO’s role in the development of early Soviet cinema has repeatedly attracted the attention of researchers, far fewer scholarly articles have been written on the significance of photography in its work. The author of the document, G. M. Boltyansky, headed the VFKO’s social chronicle subdepartment during the period under study. Analysis of the source demonstrates that during the crisis when shortages of paper, photographic equipment, and photographic materials persisted, as well as problems with printing and logistics, significant efforts were made to produce and distribute visual propaganda materials (primarily photographs and cinematography) on the eve of and during the Third Congress of the Comintern. The published source contains information about the interaction of the VFKO (primarily the social news subdepartment) with other government and administrative bodies, the focus, content, specifics of distribution and recipients of materials created by the VFKO.

DOI: 10.55959/msu.vestnik.journ.4.2026.205215

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