Les liens fragiles entre l’URSS et l’Occident : la figure du passeur culturel dans les années 1950

This is a case study of a Soviet encounter with a sample of Western culture during the Cold War period : the reception of French cultural production in the USSR through the personality of Yves Montand , the first important artist that marks profoundly the Soviet cultural field alter the Stalin ’ s death . Focusing our study on the reception of the French culture by Soviet publics , the study is based on analysis of the private letters addressed to Obraztsov who served as «cultural passeur ». His role is crucial for the recognition of the French singer in the land of the Soviets . Obraztsov , as a cultural mediator , knows the cultural , but especially ideological , codes of his country . He then manages to construct an image , choosing the traits " in conformity " with Soviet reality , which allows realizing the cultural transfer and contributing to the improvement of the official and informal contacts between the two countries . The study is based mostly on unpublished archival sources , such as the correspondence between Obraztsov and Montand , and the many unpublished letters from Soviet citizens to Obraztsov about his programs on Yves Montand , but also on primary sources such as press articles . This study is a part of my work to prepare the PhD thesis entitled " The Making of the Image of France in the Soviet Media : 1946­ 1958 " under the direction of Mr . André Filler , MCF HDR at the University of Paris VIII .Filimonov Dimitri. Les liens fragiles entre l’URSS et l’Occident : la figure du passeur culturel dans les années 1950. In: Revue Russe n°51, 2018. Russie, la force des faibles. pp. 41-51