The art of the Soviet period

[Игорь Гурьев]

The art of the Soviet period

Sometimes the art of the Soviet period, mistakenly identified with socialist realism.
This, of course, the wrong approach, our approach is not postmodern.

Socialist Realism was the official doctrine of the Soviet Union, he proposed "a realistic depiction of reality in its revolutionary development."
Such a definition is easier to make some novels ("Virgin Soil Upturned", for example) - they show a "revolutionary development" reality.
In the painting to show the "development" of something hard enough - because at least one-stage as the main qualities of this art form.
Well, "The Defense of Petrograd" Deineka.
It is socialist realism? At first glance, like so: peasants have to defend Petrograd from the hero of World War Yudenich.
But the picture of this was written before the rise of the term "socialist realism."
Image of Soviet leaders - is, of course, socialist realism, as they developed a revolutionary reality.
In reality, the main task of socialist realism was the task of propaganda: to show "success" of the USSR, to exalt the "heroes of labor," show "heroic work" and "heroism" of the military struggle, the episodes of the revolution and civil war, and exalt every bosses and so on.
In landscape painting Socialist Realism was considered an image of industrial plants, hydroelectric plants, the Lenin Mausoleum, tractors in the field and so on.
Thinking about what percentage of the more or less prominent Soviet artists fit into the concept of "socialist realism" and sometimes you get up in a deadlock.
That is to take at least the same Kukryniksov. They have several "thematic" paintings ("Tanya", "End", "Escape from Novgorod fascists"), which is quite a socialist realism. However, in his landscape painting, they continued the tradition of the "Union of Russian Artists" and, in general, any socialist realism in their lyrical landscape was not.
That is pure, wholly socialist realist call, perhaps, and one can not. That "sotsrealitichnogo" to "Walk in Abramtsevo" B. Johansson, author of "Communist Interrogation"?
The fact that all the socialist realist artists was another side - that is understandable.
Two of these studies (Johanson and Kukryniksy) we still enough: thematic paintings were written to order, and landscapes - "for himself."
There are, however, more complex cases. For example, Sergei Gerasimov, Arkady seams.
Gerasimov - basically a master of landscape painting, impressionism is tremulous, very impressive. There he and "Lenin delegates" - the picture propaganda, quite suitable for the canons of socialist realism. But "Kutuzov at Borodino" - this is a common pattern in the style of the late 19th century, and Socialist Realism is nothing there.
It is the same with the formation. Frankly propagandistic paintings had a one-two and a handful (maybe except that "They are going to the polls"). Layers does not embellish the life of the Russian countryside, but do not criticize. He just found the stories that would suit him and his bosses.
Some artists have started before the revolution (Baksheev, for example) do not undergone any evolution in the direction of socialist realism.
Byalynitsky-Birula wrote "Lenin Hills" - this fits the propaganda. But he wrote, this manor house, just like all the rest of its manor house, in the same style!
Artists "severe style" with a social realism, around the end of 1950, it is left him, focusing everyone on the subject.
In short, socialist realism - is quantitatively not even much of Soviet Art, and qualitatively - there and say nothing.
While, for example, the same "Interrogation of Communists" is written just great!