"Lenin in Smolny" Isaac Brodsky 1930
The dominant artistic direction of literature and art in socialist countries during the Soviet period was to use the aesthetic expression of the socialist world outlook, which was limited by the era of the establishment and creation of socialist society.
The ideal image of socialist life determines both the content of art and the basic principles and structure of art. Its emergence and development are inseparable from the spread of socialist ideas in all countries and the development of the revolutionary workers' movement.
Socialist realism, or socialist modern realism, is an artistic style characterized by the praise and depiction of communist values. Socialist realist art was also the only officially recognized form of painting at that time, an artistic method of showing the life of the Soviet people in the late 20s and early 90s of the 20th century.
Contrary to its artistic style, classicism and romanticism. Socialist modern realism has much less in common with traditional realism. It idealizes a prosperous and happy life built under the leadership of the Communist Party.
A distinctive feature of social realism is socialist modern realism, which has always been an important part of the official ideology and propaganda of the Soviet government. Therefore, in accordance with the teachings of Marxism-Leninism, the leadership of the Communist Party put forward strict requirements for the creativity of artists.
The main feature of socialist modern realism is considered accessibility to the general public. Social realist works should be accessible to anyone, although not extremely simple, with distinct themes. Regardless of your level of education or age, the ideological orientation is unambiguous. Artistic creation should sing about the heroic feat of the Soviet people in their struggle for the construction of communism. The straightforwardness of the artistic image does not allow the use of complex metaphors, abstractions and symbolic concepts.
The artistic approach of social realism has always been under the scrutiny and control of the state. Any work that does not meet the established standards is banned, and its author is severely criticized and even punished by the government.
The history of social realism dates back to before the October Revolution, and its founder, Anatoly Lunacharsky, was an outstanding figure in Soviet art. In 1906, the First Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union of Soviet SSR coined the term proletarian social realism, specifically referring to works of art inspired by the spirit of revolutionary class struggle that overthrew the tsarist regime. This view is based on Lenin's idea of the inseparable link between proletarian art and the party.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the traditional social foundations in all fields, including the arts, underwent a fundamental transformation. The academic classics of painting, sculpture, graphics and literary works have become obsolete, and the development of various avant-garde art currents, such as futurism; constructivism; Suprematism; functionalism; Expressionism; monism, etc.
But by the end of the 2020s, the powerful Soviet government seriously decided to rectify the creation of plastic arts. Under the conditions of building communism, it needed a powerful instrument of ideological influence on the masses, and this became social realism.
The public figure of the time, Ivan Gronsky, published an article in the Literary Gazette published on May 23, 1932, first proposed the title of this artistic approach: social realism. Two years later, at the Congress of Soviet Writers, the main principles of social realism were formally defined, which all artists in the USSR must strictly follow.
From then on, social realism became the only method of artistic creation in the USSR for many years. The main figures of the works of writers, painters, sculptors and filmmakers are mostly simple Soviet workers and peasants - members of the ideal socialist society, and of course any criticism of the current social system is intolerable.
After World War II, social realism became an integral part of the ideological systems of Eastern European countries, where communist ideals dominated regimes were established. This artistic style was also adopted by many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, which chose the path of socialist development after independence.
Despite conflicting assessments by art historians, in most countries of the former Soviet Union, social realism was considered part of the cultural heritage of humanity. This style of art has long lost its political significance, but in North Korea it is still considered the only official artistic orientation.
"Trumpeter of the First Cavalry Corps", Mitrofan Golekov, 1934
The Death of a Commissioner, Kukima Petrov Watkin, 1928
"Torture of the Communists" Boris Ioganson. 1933 year
Khrushchev in the Virgin Land, Sakhanov Aleksandr, 1962
"Captain" Boris Grigorievich Nesterov, 1972
"Meeting of cadets of aviation academies" Yefanov Vasily Porokofeyevich, 1938
"Female Cadet" Jihei Ivan Antonovich
Argyoko, Yusifr Vasilyevich, 1970
"Lenin in Smolny" Barotsky
"Fight for Sevastopol"
Social realism is characterized by:
• an accurate description of reality, fully in line with the development of historical revolutions;
• the harmony of the author's artistic vision with the ideology of the state;
• educating workers and peasants in the spirit of socialism;
For example, the large-scale sculptures "Motherland - Mother Calling", "Workers and Collective Farm Women", etc.
"Conquest of the Universe"
In the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, a broad group of artists was formed in the USSR, who called themselves the "Society of Revolutionary Artists". These painters depicted the working life of workers and peasants, the heroic battles of the Red Army and the deeds of famous revolutionary activists, showing the boiling construction scenes of construction sites and mines. They organize themed exhibitions (such as "Life of the Red Army" or "Lenin") and like to go to the people for inspiration.
"Lenin and Stalin in Smolny" Vladimirsky
The famous master painter Mikhailovich Belov Maslakov is an outstanding representative of this. The following 15 works are representative works:
1. "Solitude" 2000
2. Belomoye Nature Reserve, 1985
3. "Argentine Tango", 1991
4. "Remembrance Day" 2000
5. "Summer of Chukchi Women" 1979
6. "The Battle of the battleship Admiral Schell" 1991
7. "The Dock. Geologist" 1977
8. "Memory of the Siege"
9. "Spring Song" 1990
10. "Guerrilla", 1996
11. On the Edge of the Taiga, 1960
12. "The Path Along the River", 1964
13. Romanticism, 1980
14. "The Rare Road", 1975
15. "The Field of Love"
"Admission Review" Sergey . Grigolievich, 1949
2022.11.7 Written by Valojamon