摘要：The article presents the results of the hermeneutic analysis of Soviet films of the “thaw” period (1954-1968) about university students. It compares the media texts to the cultural and historic tradition and reality of the “thaw” epoch. The research objective was to analyze and characterize the cultural and historical contexts, define the role and value of the university topic in the mirror of the Soviet cinema in terms of social studies, culture studies, film studies, anthropology, gender studies and media education. The author of the article concludes that the Soviet cinematography of the “thaw” epoch based on the communist ideology: 1) placed special emphasis on moral education and overall youth culture promotion; 2) propagandized a humanist ideal of the film character – a romantic protagonist whose moral and human properties appeal to the audience; 3) used stereotyped role and gender media text character profiles; 4) broadened the scope of problems, narrative and genre range of media texts about university and students; 5) presented the media image of the Soviet student more realistically in comparison to the cinematography of the Stalinism epoch; 6) presented an idealized media image of the university teacher as a true professional and transmitter of humanistic moral values and code of conduct; 7) created an idealized media image of the Soviet university in conformity with the government social policy of disseminating the idea of higher education among young people; 8) sometimes allowed the production of politically and ideologically neutral media texts; 9) altered the concept “struggle” in media texts about youth and created for youth: the focus shifted from the ideological or/and political struggle onto the moral and/or social struggle.
