VOKS and China during the Anti-Japanese War 1931–1945: Moral Support and Cultural Cooperation

The article researches the little-studied problem of the activities of the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS) during the Anti-Japanese war. Cooperation, strict moral and friendly support of peoples in difficult times are no less important than military assistance. After the restoration of the Soviet-Chinese diplomatic relations in 1932, VOKS continued its work with China. It was not limited only by cultural field. After the outbreak of large-scale Japanese aggression in 1937 and the Great Patriotic War in 1941, VOKS focused mainly on military-patriotic issues. It interacted with the Sino-Soviet Cultural Association (SSCA), formed in 1935, which became the main base for cooperation. VOKS subscribed to periodicals for China; sent literature; provided materials for photo exhibitions and lectures; articles on the situation in the USSR for publication in the official press and the SSCA magazine "Culture of China and the USSR"; held art exhibitions and organized film screenings; provided contacts between the public figures, scientists, artists, writers etc. of the two countries. VOKS carried the truth about the Soviet Union, about its determination to fight world fascism together with China, worked with all sectors of society determined to resist the enemy, thus helping to maintain a united anti-Japanese front. By showing the successes of the Red Army and the Soviet people in the fight against the enemy, VOKS carried a positive impact on the moral and psychological state and mood of Chinese society, supported the motivation and ability of the population to wage war to victory.

VOKS, China, USSR, cultural cooperation, moral support, anti-Japanese war