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PHJ № 1 (49) 2026 — B. N. Kovalev. SERGEY KAFTANOV: SUPERVISING FOR CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE DURING THE “THAW”

Sergey Kaftanov was one of the Soviet cultural leaders for almost 10 years — from 1953 to 1962.
While working in the sphere of culture, he introduced positive changes. The works of Sergey Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich were popularized. Collected works of European and American writers, “Adventure Library”, were published. The magazine “Foreign Literature” was issued since 1955. In May 1957, the Ministry of Culture separated out the Department of radio and television broadcasting. Thus, the State Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting was formed. At this time, the role of these media increased significantly. The TV set changed from being a technical miracle and a luxury item to an attribute of everyday life in Soviet families. In May 1959, Kaftanov was appointed Chairman of the State Committee for Radio and Television under the Council of Ministers of the USSR — the main broadcasting organization of the country. In this
position, he did a lot for the technical support of these media. New television and radio programs were produced, which became a symbol of the era. Such TV programs as “Film Travel Club” (since 1960), “Health” (since 1960), “Good morning!” (since 1960), “Club of the cheerful and sharp-witted” (since 1961) were broadcasted.

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PHJ № 3 (47) 2025 — A. N. Chistikov. ORDERS OF THE FILM REPERTOIRE CONTROL DEPARTMENT AS A HISTORICAL SOURCE

The article is devoted to the analysis of the orders of the Department for the Control of film Repertoire of the Main Directorate of Cinematography and Film Distribution as a historical source. These materials have not yet been subjected to a source assessment. The orders for 1954–1955 are used for the study. In the history of the country, these were the first years of the activity of the new political leadership, which led to noticeable changes in the domestic and foreign policy of the state. In the history of cinema, the period of low-quality has come to an end. The orders included an assessment of the movies’ readiness for rental or for continued display. According to the results of such an examination, they were divided into four groups: 1) allow, 2) extend, 3) remove, and 4) make corrections. The analysis of the orders leads the author to the conclusion that their use by historians will contribute to a more in-depth study of the history of Soviet cinema and film distribution, as well as state policy in the field of leisure. In some cases, orders can be considered as one of the tools for recording changes in the domestic and foreign policy of the Soviet country in the mid‑1950s and forming a new public opinion of Soviet viewers.

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PHJ № 3 (47) 2025 — O. V. Tatarnikov. THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORENBURG TELEVISION STUDIO DURING THE “THAW” (1961–1964)

The article examines the period of formation and development of the Orenburg Television Studio in 1961–1964. The main focus is on studying the structure of the TV studio, its repertoire and the everyday moments of its work. The article also describes various difficulties that plagued Orenburg television Broadcasting in the early years of its operation. The author emphasizes the influence of the “thaw” era on the active development of central and regional television in the USSR. Due to the fact that television staff have a certain creative freedom during this period, the Orenburg Television Studio was able to come from chaotic broadcasting to regular production of programs and films of its own production on central television in the 4 years that fell during this era. The author concludes that Orenburg television of the “thaw” era simultaneously combined an educational, entertaining and ideological repertoire. This feature has allowed local television broadcasting to become one of the main ways for Orenburg residents to spend their leisure time. The article is based on an extensive source base consisting of office records, periodical materials and sources of personal origin.