The Russian Association of Proletarian Writers, also known under its transliterated abbreviation RAPP (Russian: Российская ассоциация пролетарских писателей, РАПП) was an official creative union in the Soviet Union established in January 1925.[1]
Among its stated purposes was "to scourge and chastice [literature]" in the name of the Party", i.e., effectively encouraging censorship of literature on ideological grounds. Among the first targets were Yevgeny Zamiatin and Boris Pilnyak. [2] It became notorious for its "enthusiastic" attacks on writers who failed to fit the RAPP's definition of the "true Soviet writer", which have eventually earned criticism from the leadership of the Bolshevik party.[1] Among its targets were both pro- and anti-Bolshevik writers, notably including Mikhail Bulgakov, Maxim Gorki, Vladimir Mayakovski, Alexey Tolstoy, Boris Pilniak, and Yevgeni Zamyatin.
In April 1932 RAPP, together with other creative unions, such as Proletkult VOAPP, and RAPM, was disbanded, and the USSR Union of Writers (together other new creative unions) was established instead.