Paper short abstract:

On both sides of the Iron Curtain, the Space Age induced a whole range of perceptions about what is “out there”. Using examples of creative and scientific production of that time, the paper will present a variety of ideas that shaped different notions of progress in the former “Eastern Bloc”.

Paper long abstract:

The title of Lyuben Dilov’s fantasy novel from 1969 introduces us to the ambiguity of intellectual reactions towards the so-called Space Age in socialist countries – a mixture of fascination, anxiety, pride, and concern, which reshaped the concepts of science, art, and religion. The 20th century was a turbulent time but also a time of great discoveries. Men and machines went to outer space and returned to tell the tale. New sciences emerged and the optimism that the cosmos might be mastered with their help was pervasive. On both sides of the Iron Curtain, the Space Age induced a whole range of perceptions in politicians, artists, and scientists about what is “out there” and what it would entail to discover it. Spiritual and material notions of progress entwined with utopic and dystopic scenarios; Cold War competition clashed with ethical concerns. “Who is going to win the Space Race?”, “Is ‘The New Man’ a creature from outer space?”, “If we are entering an intergalactic society, which are its rules?” All this gave new creative impulses for writers and artists but also for natural scientists – suddenly nothing seemed impossible. Using examples of creative and scientific production of that time, the paper will present a variety of ideas that shaped different notions of progress in the former “Eastern Bloc”, and uncover another facet of the ambiguous relationship between religion and science in this context.