The October Revolution opened the way for the broad masses to the heights of human culture, the possibility of mastering all the wealth that humanity has accumulated, and applying their creative abilities in creating a new socialist culture. Already in the early years of the revolution, the question arose about the attitude to the cultural heritage of the past. Of particular interest for the study of this problem are 1917-1920. - the first years of the formation of socialist culture. It was a period of the greatest difficulties that the Soviet state had to overcome, in the form of the economic and cultural backwardness of the country, the frenzied resistance of the overthrown exploitative classes within the country, civil war and foreign intervention.