# Zhdanov Doctrine (1946)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1946-zhdanov-doctrine
Categories: main-event

Party ideologist Andrei Zhdanov attacked Anna Akhmatova and Mikhail Zoshchenko in August 1946, launching a campaign against Western influence in culture. A famine struck in 1946-1947. Composers such as Shostakovich and Prokofiev were condemned in 1948. The doctrine ended wartime hopes for relaxation.

## Why it matters
The doctrine ended wartime hopes for relaxation.

Ruler at the time: [Joseph Stalin](https://history-russia.com/rulers/joseph-stalin)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Zhdanov Doctrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhdanov_Doctrine)
- [Wikipedia — Soviet famine of 1946–1947](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_famine_of_1946–1947)
- [Wikipedia — Khrushchev thaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khrushchev_thaw)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Zhdanov Doctrine](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Zhdanov+Doctrine)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)