Abstract
In the decades following Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953, the Soviet government largely continued his policies of accelerated industrialization. This drive for industrial growth had a profound impact on Soviet forests and the industry that was responsible for their management. While certain sectors of the economy, such as the military and space programs, enjoyed significant attention and monetary contributions from the government in the latter half of the twentieth century, the forestry industry was less fortunate. The Khrushchev and Brezhnev eras (1953-82) were plagued by poor communications between state officials and the management structure of the forestry sector, a lack of investment to train specialists and to develop new technologies and techniques, little commitment to waste reduction and more efficient use of resources, and an inability to break “old habits” that had beset that sector of the industry for decades. While the forestry industry struggled to modernize and reorganize, city planners faced challenges in meeting the demands of city-dwellers and state officials, who demanded the inclusion of urban green spaces and forest belts in both old and new cities. \r \r This thesis analyzes the contemporary Soviet press from the mid-1950s through the early-1980s regarding the functioning of the Soviet forestry industry and the development of urban green spaces and forest belts, revealing the inefficient systems that directed these areas of interest and concern. Although the press reported some areas of progress (e.g. the development of a common positive perception of urban green spaces by the 1980s), the overall assessment was negative, with little tangible improvement in the primary areas of concern. Of the various factors that contributed to this failure, the most egregious included poor communications, disinterest of local and national government officials in the long-term projects, and under-investment in modern technology, techniques, and infrastructure.