[73] "Organizatsiia Kostromskogo Proletkul'ta," Sbornik Kostromskogo Proletkul'ta , no. 1 (1919), p. 107.
[74] Rainin, "Rost Proletkul'ta," Proletarskaia kul'tura , no. 9/10 (1919), p. 31.
[75] See the excerpts from Krupskaia's speech at a meeting for leaders of provincial Adult Education Divisions, January 24–28, 1919, cited in Vneshkol'noe obrazovanie (Moscow), no. 2/3 (1919), column 73.
[76] See the minutes of Proletkult central committee meetings for the first part of 1919, TsGALI f. 1230, op. 1, d. 3, ll.1–30. On LebedevPolianskii see d. 230, 1.71 ob.
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educational and self-help society that had been established in 1914 now applied to the central Proletkult for aid. The society's chairman insisted that he had worked for the Proletkult's aims since his group had started, even though it was obvious that his circle did not cater exclusively to the working class[77]
The educational division in the small town of Novosil, in Tula province, believed that the Proletkult continued the tradition of people's houses, local cultural centers with long prerevolutionary histories. The division president forwarded reports to Narkompros explaining that the low cultural level of the population in his district could be remedied if they started an active cultural center. The local population had nowhere to go and nothing to do with its free time. The solution was to build a Proletkult center. In fact the town really needed two centers, a small wooden Proletkult right away and a large brick one for future activities.[78]
Even under the best of circumstances, the careful distinctions between Proletkult and Narkompros work were difficult to implement. Some organizers refused to give up their maximalist claims to cultural control. Vasilii Ignatov, national leader and head of the Tula organization, was a particularly brazen offender. He had helped to formulate very ambitious programs for both the Petrograd and the Moscow organizations. When he moved on to Tula in early 1919, he insisted that the Proletkult take control of all city and provincial theaters and cinemas and even seize all available photographic equipment for its projects.[79] To solve potential disputes with Narkompros, he proposed to take charge of the Proletkult and
[77] Questionnaire dated 1919, TsGALI f. 1230, op. 1, d. 117, ll. 30–30 ob. See also the questionnaire from the cultural-educational circle in the village of Karchum, Viatka province, December 24, 1918, ibid., 1.27.
[78] "Doklad uezdnomu Ispolkomu o postroike v g. Novosile uezdnogo Proletkul'ta," May 23 [1919], TsGA RSFSR f. 2306, op. 3, d. 317, ll.17–18.