Television in the Soviet Union
Encyclopedia
Television in the Soviet Union was owned by the state and was under its tight control and Soviet censorship
.
The governing body in the former Soviet Union
was "USSR State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting or USSR Gosteleradio (Государственный комитет по телевидению и радиовещанию СССР, Гостелерадио СССР), which was in charge both of Soviet Central Television
and USSR Gostelradio
.
Soviet TV production was classified into central (USSR Gostelradio
and Soviet Central Television
(TsT SSSR)), republican
, and regional broadcasting
.
in the Soviet Union
started in 1938, first in Moscow
and Leningrad
only.
Initially TV was governed by the All-Union Committee for Radiofication and Radio Broadcasting at the USSR Sovnarkom (Всесоюзный комитет по радиофикации и радиовещанию при СНК СССР).
. Then there were the mountains such as the Urals. There were also the taiga
and steppes of the east and the north. Another problem was time. The Soviet Union encompassed 11 different time zones, and thus what would be shown at 18:00. in Moscow
would be different from 18:00. in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR (now Bishkek
, Kyrgyzstan
). The population too was unevenly spread out - there were more people in the European areas of the country than there would be in the eastern, Asian areas of the Soviet Union
. In addition, the Soviet Union also relayed their programming to other Warsaw Pact
states.
As a result, the Soviet television system, while similar to the Soviet radio system, was a combination of ingenuity to overcome the problems mentioned in the prior section as well as transmitting programming to the Communist world.
as the color system standard. The resulting system is commonly referred to as "SECAM D/K".
), and the Fourth Programme (the fourth channel). Not all channels were available everywhere in the Soviet Union. Many regions only had access to the First Programme and the All Union Programme until after perestroika
.
However, there would be a difference in that in the First Programme, the Company/Committee was allowed to broadcast regional programming alongside the official First Programme schedule. Depending on the political status of an administrative division, the Company/Committee would either broadcast the regional programming in either Russian
or the local language. In the Chechen-Ingush ASSR's case, this would mean that the regional programmes would either be in Russian, Chechen
, or Ingush
. The Company/Committee would also broadcast additional channels for their coverage area only.
's Anik
satellite system
and the U.S.
's satellite system, the Soviet Union could boast having the largest domestic satellite system
in the world. Part of the ingenuity lies in the programming itself. The Soviet Union was a master in time-shifting programmes so that everyone in the Soviet Union could enjoy television programming. This involved several solutions to the Soviet Union's geography and time zone problems:
The Soviet domestic satellite system was also known as Orbita
- in 1990 there were 90 Orbita satellites, supplying programming to 900 main transmitters and over 4,000 relay stations. The most famous Soviet satellites were the Molniya
(or "Lightning") satellites; other satellite groups were christened the Gorizont
("Horizon"), Ekran ("Screen"), and Statsionar ("Stationary") satellites. With the right equipment, people outside the Soviet Union who used TVRO satellite television could receive Soviet television programming.
-- a twelve-episode series -- which quickly became a cult film
, about Stirlitz
, a Soviet superspy in Nazi Germany
, who inspired many jokes (see Russian humour
).
Like all other forms of public media in the Soviet Union, Soviet TV was remarkable for having high levels of self-censorship. In addition to obvious state-mandated restrictions such as prohibition of any form of criticism of Soviet government, the list of taboo topics included all aspects of sex, with an exception of kissing, holding hands, and hugging, public nudity, graphic portrayal of violence, and coarse language. (Unlike on many Western TV channels, where these topics are usually regulated during daytime, in Soviet Union they were completely banned regardless of time of the day or target audience.) The subject of drug abuse was generally avoided. Religion was either portrayed critically or avoided.
The face of Soviet television began to change rapidly in the late 1980s. Many Western programmes, mostly from the United Kingdom and Latin America, were imported and became very popular among Soviet citizens. Talk show
s and game show
s were introduced, often copied from their western counterparts (for example, one of the earliest Soviet game shows, The field of miracles
, was copied from American Wheel of Fortune). Free speech regulations were gradually eased.
Until the late 1980s
, Soviet TV programming did not carry any advertisements.
, commonly known as TASS. TASS still exists today, transformed into the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia
(ITAR-TASS). It occupies a Leonid Brezhnev
-era building in Moscow
, characterized by a sculpture of the globe above the main entrance. Much like its counterparts in cinema and the press, it has suffered since the collapse of Communism.
Censorship in the Soviet Union
Censorship in the Soviet Union was pervasive and strictly enforced.Censorship was performed in two main directions:*State secrets were handled by Main Administration for Safeguarding State Secrets in the Press was in charge of censoring all publications and broadcasting for state...
.
The governing body in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
was "USSR State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting or USSR Gosteleradio (Государственный комитет по телевидению и радиовещанию СССР, Гостелерадио СССР), which was in charge both of Soviet Central Television
Soviet Central Television
The Central Television of the USSR , was the state television broadcaster in the Soviet Union....
and USSR Gostelradio
Radio in the Soviet Union
All-Union Radio was the radio broadcasting organisation for the USSR from 1924 until the dissolution of the USSR...
.
Soviet TV production was classified into central (USSR Gostelradio
Radio in the Soviet Union
All-Union Radio was the radio broadcasting organisation for the USSR from 1924 until the dissolution of the USSR...
and Soviet Central Television
Soviet Central Television
The Central Television of the USSR , was the state television broadcaster in the Soviet Union....
(TsT SSSR)), republican
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, and regional broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
.
History
Regular TV broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
started in 1938, first in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
only.
Initially TV was governed by the All-Union Committee for Radiofication and Radio Broadcasting at the USSR Sovnarkom (Всесоюзный комитет по радиофикации и радиовещанию при СНК СССР).
Timeline
- 1934
- 1 October: first TV sets were produced, with screen 3x9 cm, with mechanical rasterRaster scanA raster scan, or raster scanning, is the rectangular pattern of image capture and reconstruction in television. By analogy, the term is used for raster graphics, the pattern of image storage and transmission used in most computer bitmap image systems...
ization in 30 lines, 12.5 frame/s. - 15 November: first TV broadcast with sound in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
concert
- 1 October: first TV sets were produced, with screen 3x9 cm, with mechanical raster
- 1935
- 15 October: first sounded TV film
- 1938
- 9 March: first trial studio TV broadcast in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
from Shabolovka tower - 25 March: first full TV movie, The Great CitizenThe Great CitizenThe Great Citizen was the first Soviet made for TV movie. Made on March 25, 1938, it was directed by Fridrikh Ermler .A fictionalized biography of Sergei Kirov , the film was intended as ideological support for the Great Purges; it depicts life in USSR during the 1920s and 1930s.-Cast:* Nikolay...
(Великий гражданин) - 7 June: first trial TV broadcast in LeningradSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
- 9 March: first trial studio TV broadcast in Moscow
- 1945
- 15 December: Moscow TV center reinstated regular TV broadcasting after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- 15 December: Moscow TV center reinstated regular TV broadcasting after World War II
- 1948
- 4 November: Moscow TV center adopted a new 625 lines standard
- 1949
- 29 June: the first off-studio TV translation, of a soccer match from Dynamo stadium
- 1950
- 24 August: the first long-range broadcast, from Moscow to RyazanRyazanRyazan is a city and the administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Oka River southeast of Moscow. Population: The strategic bomber base Dyagilevo is just west of the city, and the air base of Alexandrovo is to the southeast as is the Ryazan Turlatovo Airport...
- 24 August: the first long-range broadcast, from Moscow to Ryazan
Television services
Because of the Soviet Union's size, a few problems had to be overcome. The first was geography: the European area of the Soviet Union was typical of Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Then there were the mountains such as the Urals. There were also the taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
and steppes of the east and the north. Another problem was time. The Soviet Union encompassed 11 different time zones, and thus what would be shown at 18:00. in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
would be different from 18:00. in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR (now Bishkek
Bishkek
Bishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
). The population too was unevenly spread out - there were more people in the European areas of the country than there would be in the eastern, Asian areas of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In addition, the Soviet Union also relayed their programming to other Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
states.
As a result, the Soviet television system, while similar to the Soviet radio system, was a combination of ingenuity to overcome the problems mentioned in the prior section as well as transmitting programming to the Communist world.
Soviet television standard
The Soviet broadcast television standard used System D (OIRT VHF band with the "R" channels ranging from R1 to R12) and System K (pan-European/African UHF band), with SECAMSECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM , is an analog color television system first used in France....
as the color system standard. The resulting system is commonly referred to as "SECAM D/K".
Soviet television channels
Generally there were four channels (called "programmes" in the typical European fashion then). The first channel (1st Programme) was the main channel. It was also the most adaptable for the republics to utilize (see Regional television services below). Other channels were the All Union Programme (the second channel), the Moscow Programme (the third channel aimed mostly at MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
), and the Fourth Programme (the fourth channel). Not all channels were available everywhere in the Soviet Union. Many regions only had access to the First Programme and the All Union Programme until after perestroika
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
.
Regional television services
In addition to the national television channels, each SSR and ASSR had its own state radio and television company or state broadcasting committees, although other regions were allowed regional state radio and television companies/state broadcasting committees. Taking the Chechen-Ingush ASSR as an example, like other areas of the Soviet Union the four national television channels would be broadcast by either a Television and Radio Company of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic or by a State Committee on Radio and Television Broadcasting.However, there would be a difference in that in the First Programme, the Company/Committee was allowed to broadcast regional programming alongside the official First Programme schedule. Depending on the political status of an administrative division, the Company/Committee would either broadcast the regional programming in either Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
or the local language. In the Chechen-Ingush ASSR's case, this would mean that the regional programmes would either be in Russian, Chechen
Chechen language
The Chechen language is spoken by more than 1.5 million people, mostly in Chechnya and by Chechen people elsewhere. It is a member of the Northeast Caucasian languages.-Classification:...
, or Ingush
Ingush
Ingush may refer to:* The Ingush language* The Ingush people, an ethnic group of the North Caucasus...
. The Company/Committee would also broadcast additional channels for their coverage area only.
Soviet satellite services
Alongside CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Anik
Anik (satellite)
The Anik satellites are geostationary communications satellites launched by Telesat Canada for television in Canada. In Inuktitut, Anik means "little brother".-The Satellites:-Anik A:...
satellite system
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's satellite system, the Soviet Union could boast having the largest domestic satellite system
Orbita
Orbita is a Soviet-Russian system of broadcasting and delivering TV signals via satellites. It is considered to be the first national network of satellite television....
in the world. Part of the ingenuity lies in the programming itself. The Soviet Union was a master in time-shifting programmes so that everyone in the Soviet Union could enjoy television programming. This involved several solutions to the Soviet Union's geography and time zone problems:
- Schedule. The national television channels were only on the air for part of the day. This would make it easy for transmitting the channels throughout the Union. For instance, the Fourth Programme aired from 1300-1740 GMT. This would make it easy for the Fourth Programme to be aired by satellite.
- Time-shifting. This is the heart of the programming aspect of the Soviet television system. By time-shifting programmes, this allowed the Soviet Union and countries that relayed Soviet television (such as Warsaw PactWarsaw PactThe Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
states). There were two types of Soviet time-shifting, one based on a similar radio programme, and "Double" programs, which was composite time-shifting for the different time zones. Only the First Programme was time-shifted based on the pattern of a similar radio programme (in the First Programme's case the pattern was based on the All-Union First Programme from Soviet radio (TV Orbita-1 (UTC +11, +12, and +13 time zones), TV Orbita-2 (UTC +9 and +10 time zones), TV Orbita-3 (UTC +7 and +8 time zones), TV Orbita-4 (UTC +5 and +6 time zones), and the First Programme (UTC +2, +3, and +4 time zones)). All other national television channels (the All-Union, Moscow, and Fourth Programmes) used the "Double program" composite time-shifting format.
The Soviet domestic satellite system was also known as Orbita
Orbita
Orbita is a Soviet-Russian system of broadcasting and delivering TV signals via satellites. It is considered to be the first national network of satellite television....
- in 1990 there were 90 Orbita satellites, supplying programming to 900 main transmitters and over 4,000 relay stations. The most famous Soviet satellites were the Molniya
Molniya
Molniya may refer to:* The Molniya , the Soviet military communications satellite.* Molniya orbit, distinctive orbit associated with the satellite....
(or "Lightning") satellites; other satellite groups were christened the Gorizont
Gorizont
Gorizont, , GRAU index 11F662, is a series of 35 Russian, previously Soviet, geosynchronous communication satellites launched between 1978 and 2000. The programme was started in order to develop a satellite system to relay coverage of the 1980 Olympic Games from Moscow. The first four satellites...
("Horizon"), Ekran ("Screen"), and Statsionar ("Stationary") satellites. With the right equipment, people outside the Soviet Union who used TVRO satellite television could receive Soviet television programming.
Programming
Soviet TV programming was highly diverse and somewhat similar to that of American PBS. It included news programs, various educational programs, documentaries, occasional movies, and children's programs. Major sports events such as soccer and ice hockey matches were often broadcast live. Programming was almost entirely either domestic or made in Warsaw Pact countries. Some TV miniseries were locally produced for TV, but rarely exceeded 5-10 episodes in length. A notable exception is Seventeen Moments of SpringSeventeen Moments of Spring
Seventeen Moments of Spring is a 1973 Soviet TV miniseries. It was filmed at Gorky Film Studio, directed by Tatyana Lioznova and based on the book of the same title by the novelist Yulian Semyonov. The series comprises 12 episodes of 70 minutes each...
-- a twelve-episode series -- which quickly became a cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
, about Stirlitz
Stirlitz
Max Otto von Stierlitz is the lead character in a popular Russian book series written in the 1960s by novelist Julian Semyonov and of the television adaptation Seventeen Moments of Spring, starring Vyacheslav Tikhonov, as well as in feature films, produced in the Soviet era, and in a number of...
, a Soviet superspy in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, who inspired many jokes (see Russian humour
Russian humour
Russian humour gains much of its wit from the inflection of the Russian language, allowing for plays on words and unexpected associations. As with any other culture's humour, its vast scope ranges from lewd jokes and wordplay to political satire.- Jokes :...
).
Like all other forms of public media in the Soviet Union, Soviet TV was remarkable for having high levels of self-censorship. In addition to obvious state-mandated restrictions such as prohibition of any form of criticism of Soviet government, the list of taboo topics included all aspects of sex, with an exception of kissing, holding hands, and hugging, public nudity, graphic portrayal of violence, and coarse language. (Unlike on many Western TV channels, where these topics are usually regulated during daytime, in Soviet Union they were completely banned regardless of time of the day or target audience.) The subject of drug abuse was generally avoided. Religion was either portrayed critically or avoided.
The face of Soviet television began to change rapidly in the late 1980s. Many Western programmes, mostly from the United Kingdom and Latin America, were imported and became very popular among Soviet citizens. Talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s and game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s were introduced, often copied from their western counterparts (for example, one of the earliest Soviet game shows, The field of miracles
Pole Chudes
Polé Chudes is a Russian adaptation of the U.S. game show Wheel of Fortune produced by VID, and hosted by Leonid Yakubovich and Rimma Agafoshina.-Format:...
, was copied from American Wheel of Fortune). Free speech regulations were gradually eased.
Until the late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, Soviet TV programming did not carry any advertisements.
News
The Soviet Union's television news was provided almost entirely by the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet UnionTelegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union , was the central agency for collection and distribution of internal and international news for all Soviet newspapers, radio and television stations...
, commonly known as TASS. TASS still exists today, transformed into the Information Telegraph Agency of Russia
Information Telegraph Agency of Russia
The Information Telegraph Agency of Russia , is the major news agency of Russia. It is headquartered in Moscow.- History :Its origin is in a letter sent by Finance Minister Vladimir Kokovtsov to foreign minister in March 1904 writing that "our trade and industrial circles, as well as the Finance...
(ITAR-TASS). It occupies a Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
-era building in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, characterized by a sculpture of the globe above the main entrance. Much like its counterparts in cinema and the press, it has suffered since the collapse of Communism.
See also
- Censorship in the Soviet UnionCensorship in the Soviet UnionCensorship in the Soviet Union was pervasive and strictly enforced.Censorship was performed in two main directions:*State secrets were handled by Main Administration for Safeguarding State Secrets in the Press was in charge of censoring all publications and broadcasting for state...
- Propaganda in the Soviet UnionPropaganda in the Soviet UnionCommunist propaganda in the Soviet Union was extensively based on the Marxism-Leninism ideology to promote the Communist Party line. In societies with pervasive censorship, the propaganda was omnipresent and very efficient...
- Soviet Central TelevisionSoviet Central TelevisionThe Central Television of the USSR , was the state television broadcaster in the Soviet Union....
External links
- CCCP TV: the Soviet TV portal Library of Congress—The U.S. Naval Academy Collection of Soviet & Russian TV Russian Museum of Radio and TV website
- The U.S. Naval Academy Collection of Soviet & Russian TV
- Nu Pogodi, the Soviet equivalent of Road Runner/Coyote, or Tom and Jerry.