The evolution of the image of the USSR in the works of American journalist Eugene Lyons

The 1920s marked the collapse of empires and the birth of new states. It was a challenging time for the Soviet Union: a recently established state that had not yet firmly established connections with the outside world. Therefore, it was crucial to gain recognition abroad, and journalism could play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. During this turbulent time, the Soviet Union, as a young state with a new ideology, came under the close scrutiny of foreign journalists. Its image in the eyes of the foreign public was largely shaped by the activities of the press. It is particularly interesting to trace the formation of this image based on materials from overseas print media. This article examines the peculiarities of the work of American journalists and correspondents who worked in the territory of the Soviet Union in the 1920s. In particular, special attention is paid to the work of Eugene Lyons, a well-known author of that time, who came from an immigrant family. He is especially noteworthy because, being the first foreign journalist to interview Joseph Stalin, a committed socialist and someone who shared the ideology of the Soviet Union and openly sympathized with its policies, Lyons later underwent a radical change in his views, which is reflected in his memoirs, such as Assignment in Utopia. The reevaluation of his views is vividly depicted in the book Stalin, Czar of All the Russians. The journalistic materials written by Lyons in Moscow while working as a correspondent for the United Press International reflect the image of the USSR created in the American press of the late 1920s and early 1930s and represent a special area of scholarly interest. In this article, an attempt was made to analyze the overall direction of Eugene Lyons’ articles during his time in the Soviet Union, as well as to describe his career path. The focus of this material was placed on analyzing the j ournalist’s articles dedicated to two significant events of the late 1920s: the rescue of the Nobile Expedition and the Shakhty Trial. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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