INFORMATION CONTROL AND CENSORSHIP UNDER THE TOTALITARIAN REGIME: THE SUPPRESSION OF FREE THOUGHT

This article explores the mechanisms and effects of information control and censorship in the Soviet Union during the era of totalitarian rule, particularly under Joseph Stalin. Through archival data, historical analysis, and comparisons with other authoritarian regimes, the study demonstrates how censorship served as a political tool to eliminate dissent, restrict public discourse, and create a singular ideological narrative. The suppression of free expression profoundly impacted intellectual, cultural, and scientific development, while also shaping the psychological climate of fear and conformity among the population.