The political history of the Soviet Union was defined by its formation in 1922 as a one-party state under the Communist Party, its totalitarian rule under Joseph Stalin with the Great Purge and forced collectivization, its emergence as a superpower during the Cold War, and its eventual collapse in 1991. Culturally, it was a period of intense state control, though with fluctuations like the "Khrushchev Thaw," which saw some relaxation of censorship. The state promoted ideologies like socialist realism, which glorified communism, while also overseeing significant advancements in areas like space exploration, alongside widespread suppression of dissent and a focus on state-controlled culture.