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=E. Conclusion (100-150 words) Tips]=

“The majority of my symphonies are tombstones. Too many of our people died and were buried in places unknown to anyone…that’s why I dedicate my music to all of them’ [1  " wrote the composer Dmitri Shostakovich;  a direct reference to the effects of Stalin's rule and the music written to reflect it.    Obviously it has to be taken into account that o  n many occasions this music was, to an extent, 'censored' by Stalin , as were most art forms of the time, nevertheless, the underlying messages still prevail. Despite being twice denounced, Shostakovich , if we are to trust his Memoirs written by Volkov, was one of the few members of the Russian Intelligentsia to succeed in transmitting the reality of Stalin's USSR through his art.

Word Count: 123

[1] Volkov Solomon., 1979. Testimony : The Memoirs of Shostakovich. Great Britain: Hamish Hamilton Ltd.