The Image of Victory in Soviet Cinema in the Year of the Tenth Anniversary of the End of the Great Patriotic War: Methods of Artistic Representation

This study aims to identify and classify the specific cinematic means of embodying the cultural code of the "victorious people" in Soviet feature films released in 1955, the tenth anniversary of the Great Patriotic War. The research is driven by the paradox of this anniversary year: despite the absence of films directly depicting wartime events, the theme of victory permeated cinema through a system of symbolic substitutions and analogies. The research material comprises a purposeful selection of six films representing two key thematic clusters: military service ("Maksim Perepelitsa", "The Case with Corporal Kochetkov", "Stars on the Wings") and narratives of overcoming natural disasters or confronting spies, which served as metaphorical analogues to the war ("Two Captains", "In Square 45", "The Road"). The methodology is based on an integrated cultural-semiotic analysis, which allows for the deciphering of symbolic meanings and narrative structures that convey the foundational cultural code. The research process involved a sequential examination of the selected films to identify recurring patterns of representation across visual, narrative, musical, and character-architectonic dimensions. The analysis yields a definitive typology of five primary methods for encoding the victor's ethos. First, the use of symbolic markers, including visual signs (medals worn in civilian life), musical leitmotifs (martial marches), and agitational props (regimental history boards). Second, the construction of plot-level analogies, where battles against natural elements or hidden enemies directly mirror frontline heroism, transferring the archetype of struggle to peacetime conditions. Third, the glorification of the army as the direct heir to victory, achieved by depicting service as a school of character, showcasing military hardware, and presenting conscription as a high honor. Fourth, the deployment of archetypal character transformations, where the protagonist's journey from a flawed individual to a cohesive hero personalizes the collective victory. Fifth, the juxtaposition of idyllic peacetime life with the constant need to protect it, thereby justifying and perpetuating the defender's code. The conclusion asserts that Soviet cinema in 1955 employed a complex, indirect strategy to reinforce the cultural code of the victors. By avoiding direct war depiction and instead utilizing a system of metaphors, symbols, and analogous conflicts, filmmakers effectively translated the experience of the past war into the language of contemporary peaceful challenges, ensuring the continuity and relevance of the victorious identity in the public consciousness.