The Thaw

"The Thaw" refers to a period of relaxed censorship and increased artistic freedom in the Soviet Union during the late 1950s and 1960s, initiated by Nikita Khrushchev after Stalin’s death. It allowed more open expression in literature, film, and other arts, leading to greater criticization of past injustices and exploration of new ideas. This era reduced restrictions on artists and writers, fostering a climate of cultural experimentation and more honest societal reflection, before the eventual tightening of controls in subsequent years.