Neuvostoliiton Musiikintutkimus Murroksessa

Abstract

This review examines the development of research on Soviet music in Finland and internationally over the past two decades. Although quantitatively limited, Finnish scholarship has been scientifically significant and has made extensive use of archival research conducted in Moscow and St Petersburg. Early studies in the period focused on the structures of the Stalin era and the role of the state composers’ union, but the scope has since expanded to include cultural exchange during the Cold War, influences in music education, and musical connections between Finland and the Soviet Union. The review highlights popular music and folk music as under-researched areas and emphasises the need to approach the Soviet Union as a multinational federation rather than merely an extension of Russia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has radically altered the conditions of research, while also opening new perspectives for reassessing the role of the republics and critically re-evaluating the Soviet past.