Cultural Diplomacy of the USSR in the Cold War: the Bolshoi Ballet tours in the United States | iplomacia cultural da URSS na Guerra Fria: as turnês do Ballet Bolshoi nos Estados Unidos
Keywords:
Cultural Diplomacy, Cold War, Bolshoi BalletAbstract
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union promoted Bolshoi Ballet tours to gain prestige and promote its values through dance. These tours took place in the United States and were frequently reported by The New York Times, demonstrating interest and relevance of the topic for American public. The article aims to answer how cultural diplomacy was used by the USSR during the Cold War and to analyze the mobilization of Bolshoi tours to achieve Soviet recognition. For this purpose, Bardin's (1977) content analysis is used to identify the news about the Bolshoi Ballet in The New York Times. Thus, the Lacy-Zarubin Agreement (1958) was the precursor of cultural exchanges between the powers, foreseeing the tours. It is noted the involvement of the Soviet State in the choices regarding the tours, which brought prestige to the USSR, although the American perception was negatively influenced by the tensions of the Cold War.
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