Special cadres of culture are trained to direct the cultural
institutions. Their preparation extends beyond the realm of culture to
Marxism-Leninism, however, and they are generally trained to enable them
to become involved in all aspects of the life of the community. The
various cultural institutions, while genuinely serving to expose the
masses to culture, are also important instruments of political and
social indoctrination.
In practice, the principles of socialist realism require that literary
and artistic works actively promote the goals of the Party and reflect
Communist ideology. Besides generally being "a weapon for the education
of the new man with the ideals of socialism and the principles of
Communist morality," literature, drama, music, and art must inspire
nationalism and allegiance to the Party and stimulate the people to work
toward fulfillment of Party plans, whether they are in the economic or
the social spheres. The criterion used to evaluate cultural works is the
degree to which they further the goals of the Party and socialist
development.
In conjunction with the initiation of the Cultural Revolution, Enver
Hoxha expounded upon the vital role of the various aspects of culture in
a speech to the Fifth Congress of the Albanian Workers' Party in
November 1966. The task set by the Party is that "literature and art
should become a powerful weapon in the hands of the Party for the
education of the working people in the spirit of socialism and
communism; that literature and art should stand at the vanguard of the
struggle for the education of a new generation ideologically and morally
pure; that all artistic creation should be of a high ideological level
and be permeated by both the Party's militant revolutionary spirit and a
healthy national spirit."
Such demands have been made of authors, artists, and musicians since the
inception of the Albanian People's Republic. Since 1966, however, when
the Cultural Revolution was initiated, the importance of culture has
received greater emphasis and the demands for ideological purity of all
creative works have increased. The Cultural Revolution was still in
motion as of the early months of 1970.
The dominant themes of Albanian culture under communism have concerned
the history of Albania, the struggle of the Communist-led partisans
during the War of National Liberation, and the transformation of the
backward, superstitious society into one that is modern and governed by
progressive, socialist principles. In the mid-1960s, however, the Party
called upon writers and artists to go beyond these themes and to portray
the contemporary struggles for the creation of socialism. Party guidance
stipulates that it is not enough to describe the past struggles and
achievements. The ongoing hardships faced by the peasants and workers
must be reflected in artistic works. The heroes are to be workers,
peasants, and engineers, as well as the partisans.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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