At the time of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese people did not know much about the Soviet Union or had a hostile attitude towards it. After the ‘Month of Sino-Soviet Friendship’ and other official propaganda activities, the public gained a certain understanding of the Soviet Union, and the image of the Soviet Union as a friendly and powerful country was initially established in the minds of the public. Through a series of activities, the positive image of the Soviet Union has been consolidated in people’s minds, and their identification with the Soviet Union and the socialist road has been strengthened. At the same time, a negative image of the Soviet Union that strayed outside the official discourse always persisted. The criticism of Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the political struggles at the top of the CPSU had a great impact on the positive image of the Soviet Union in the minds of the Chinese people, arousing their suspicion and confusion. The image of the Soviet Union in the minds of the public was closely linked to the Sino-Soviet relationship, and after the breakdown of the Sino-Soviet relationship, the image of the Soviet Union in the minds of the public became predominantly negative.

Wang Zihui is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of History at Northwest University.