Política Externa e Identidade: As ações de diplomacia cultural soviética com o Ballet Bolshoi na potência ocidental (1947 - 1989)

Abstract

Contemporary International Relations face new dynamics, such that conflicts like the war between Ukraine and Russia, the rise of the BRICS, and the growth of nostalgic movements related to Soviet society are increasing, indicating the need to turn attention back to Russia. In this sense, the aspect of culture stands out, capable of permeating different States, carrying the values and ideals of another nation. In the context of the Cold War, the USSR promoted several tours of the Bolshoi Ballet around the world, including in the United States, its greatest opponent, where they received significant media attention, especially from The New York Times. Therefore, the issue of this study is to understand: what was the identity concentrated in the Bolshoi Ballet during its tours, and how was this cultural diplomacy action received and portrayed by The New York Times? To achieve this goal, primary sources will be analyzed, including documents from the cultural relations departments of the USSR and the USA, as well as news from the digital archive of The New York Times, filtered by the period between 1947 and 1989 and through the use of keywords, which will be categorized to identify the public opinion and American perception of the tours in the United States. To this end, the ballet will be identified as part of Soviet cultural diplomacy, with the Bolshoi Ballet especially being recognized as a representative of Soviet identity. Moreover, newspapers will be understood as representatives and formulators of public opinion. Finally, the study concludes that the Bolshoi Ballet carried with it the culture and identity constructed by the Soviet narrative; however, the reception of the USSR's cultural diplomacy was ambiguous, as although the tours did not change the American view of the Soviet model, they enhanced the prestige and recognition of Soviet culture through the Bolshoi Ballet.