This text consists of seven plays, each written by a different author.

Field marshal Kutuzov / Vladimir Solovyov --

The orchards of Polovchansk / Leonid Leaonov --

On the eve / Alexander Afinogenova --

Smoke of the fatherland / L. Sheinin --

Engineer Sergeyev / Vsevolod Rokk --

The Russian people / Konstantin Simonov --

The front / Alexander Korneichuk.

'Seven Soviet Plays contains seven plays by seven different Soviet authors. The plays are done in the style of socialist realism, and are largely set during the Stalinist period in the Soviet Union. The plays focus on both human interaction and power dynamics, as well as espousing the ideology of the Bolshevik party. A forward written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana introduces and contextualizes the plays. Field Marshal Kutuzov by Vladimir Solovyov follows the life and military campaigns of Russian Civil War general Field Marshal Kutuzov. The Orchards of Polochansk by Leonid Leaonov tells the story of a former noble estate now turned into housing for several Bolshevik party members, all of who are pursuing proletarian ends. On The Eve by Alexander Afinogenova depicts the life of a Soviet Russian family on the eve of the Nazi invasion of 1941. Smoke of the Fatherland by L. Sheinin follows the efforts of a former Russian land owner who collaborates with the Nazi invaders in order to try and reacquire his lost lands, to no avail. Engineer Sergeyev by Vsevolod Rokk follows the decision by Soviet soldiers and engineers to destroy a hydroelectric damn in order to deny its' usage to advancing Nazi forces. The Russian People by Konstantin Simonov depicts the lives of Soviet citizens of a town surrounded and cut off by Nazi incursion into Soviet territory. The Front by Alexander Korneichuk presents a wartime critic of some of the senior generals of the Soviet Military. The beginnings of the plays have a brief biography of each author written by Dana, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.' --From cataloger

The plays contained in this resource were originally written in Russian; the plays have all been translated into English in this anthology. The anthology itself was published in English, containing the translated plays.