Achievement Quote by Leon Trotsky
“If the Revolution has the right to destroy bridges and art monuments whenever necessary, it will stop still less from laying its hand on any tendency in art which, no matter how great its achievement in form, threatens to disintegrate the revolutionary environment or to arouse the internal forces of the Revolution, that is, the proletariat, the peasantry and the intelligentsia, to a hostile opposition to one another. Our standard is, clearly, political, imperative and intolerant.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: The Revolution and Art, 1917
The revolution must suppress any art that could undermine its unity, even if the art is technically excellent.
In simple terms: Revolutionary art must serve politics, not independent expression.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize political goals over artistic autonomy.
Themes
politics
art
revolution
control
Mood
tense
authoritarian
Type
political
ideological
When to use this quote
- political propaganda
- state censorship
- public murals
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
cultural hegemony
ideological conformity
Questions to Reflect On
- Should art be judged by its political impact?
- Can true creativity survive under strict ideological control?
A Different Perspective
Artistic merit alone cannot protect works from political suppression.
![“[Joseph] Stalin closes the exposition of these [Leon Trotsky] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of [Vladimir] Lenin's conception of the proletarian revolution."” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/240/leon-trotsky-2558_characteristics_joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-t_33931.jpg)
![“In Stalin each [Soviet bureaucrat] easily finds himself. But Stalin also finds in each one a small part of his own spirit. Stalin is the personification of the bureaucracy. That is the substance of his political personality.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/01b/leon-trotsky-2558_bureaucracy_in-stalin-each-soviet-bureaucrat-easily_198840.jpg)
