Cinema as a means of mobilization of the population of the Urals to repel the enemy during the Great Patriotic War

The paper describes the forms and methods of work of the Party and State bodies aimed at the full and effective use of the Soviet film industry in the labour and patriotic mobilization of the residents of the Urals. The problems of the development of documentary films are analyzed. It is noted that despite the pronounced emphasis on the rear issues, the Ural documentarians also focused on the needs and aspirations of the front-line soldiers. Demonstrating on the front line the achievements of the “supporting edge of the power”, they gave soldiers confidence in the steadfastness of the rear, capable of supporting the victories of the Red Army with all its might. The process of formation of feature film art in the Urals is shown. The activities related to the organization of the Sverdlovsk studio of feature films are described: the decisions made by the authorities, their practical implementation, expressed in specific construction works, the installation of the necessary equipment, and the solution of personnel tasks. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the functioning of the regional cinema network; the issues of strengthening its material and technical base, the formation of the personnel base are reflected. It is proved that the rate of restoration of the cinema network in the Urals in the second half of the war was ahead of all-Russian indicators, making the region one of the main consumers of film products. Considerable place is devoted to the analysis of the successful combination of various forms of mass-political work with the show of documentaries and feature films. It is concluded that the organization of various kinds of defence film festivals and film festivals, patriotic film lectures and front-line monthlies increased the emotional perception of the events taking place in the Urals, helped to strengthen the morale and confidence of the population in the imminent defeat of the enemy.