Soviet Socialist Realism - Thematic Philatelist · Soviet Socialist Realism 1930s - 1970s Back to Realism / Naturalism Forward to Impressionism Socialist Realism is a form of realist

Soviet Socialist Realism1930s - 1970s

Back to Realism / Naturalism Forward to Impressionism

Socialist Realism is a form of realist art originating in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the 1930sand spreading to other Communist countries after World War II.

Intended to glorify the proletariat, the Communist party, and the nationalleader, it essentially constituted a form of state propaganda. It was forgedin the USSR under Josef Stalin, and the first move towards its officialestablishment came in 1932 when the Central Committee decreed that allindependent artistic groups be disbanded in favour of new state-controlled unions.

In 1934 Stalin's son-in-law Andrei Zhdanov gave a speech at the All UnionCongress of Soviet Writers in which he asserted Socialist Realism to be theonly form of art approved by the party. Henceforth, artists would berequired to provide a "historically concrete depiction of reality in itsrevolutionary development �combined with the task of educatingworkers in the spirit of communism". Zhdanov also repeated Stalin'sphrase describing the artist as an "engineer of the human soul".

USSR 1979. Alexander Michailowitsch Lupochin: "To Petrograd!".

As there was little supporting aesthetic theory to be found in the writings of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, thesubstance of Socialist Realism developed gradually from these initial, rather vague statements through thesubsequent criticisms and comments of the party. Broadly it came to mean that the artist should depict realevents and people in an idealized, optimistic way that provided a glimpse of the glorious future of the USSRunder communism. This vision is particularly clear in a painting from the Soviet Socialist Realist period whereyou see Lenin moving forward.

This vision is particularly clear in a painting by Pavel Kusnetzov, executed 1967, where you see Lenin movingforward, borne by the masses' appraisal. His head is shown against the Red Flag, and he holds his arm out as ifhe were giving a speech that shows the way to freedom. The masses are shown moving right > left, against ourreading direction (left > right), giving an impression of "the people" fighting for their rights, a fight that cannotbe stopped. A true heroic and revolutionary painting of the leader, acclaimed by his followers. Unfortunately,due to current copyright legislation, I am unable to show you the painting by Kusnetzov, but the sameheroic, historical technique was adapted by the French Romanticist painter Eugene Delacroix -- yet in a slightlydifferent form -- on his famous painting "Liberty Leading the People".

Instead I have found some interesting images on the Internet, showing similar paintings. The below painting ofLenin shows the dictator in a speech. He is placed at the same height of a tower, that seems pretty smallcompared to his stature, and on the background of clouds moving in the swift wind in the opposite direction ofhis self-confident face, giving an impression of "we shall overcome". This composition signals clearly that "itmay be windy right now, but soon the sun will again shine brightly on us. Be patient".

Socialist Realism http://heindorffhus.motivsamler.dk/arthistory/frame-Style14...

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Vasili Filippovich Ivanov: "Vladimir Ilich Lenin Speaking." Oil on canvas.

Art was to be accessible to the masses and should serve a social purpose. Concurrently with the show trials andpurges of political opponents in the 1930s, artists who did not conform to the dogmas of Socialist Realism wereeither ousted from employment, exiled, or killed. In stark contrast with the avant-garde atmosphere of the1920s, all "formalist", progressive art was decried as capitalist and bourgeois, and thus devoid of any relevanceto the proletariat.

Though party decrees drastically narrowed artistic freedom, there was nevertheless a variety of interpretationsof Socialist Realism in terms of style and subject-matter. Popular subjects included images of workers in thefields or factories, glorifying portraits of Stalin and other state figures, historical scenes of the Revolution, andidealized depictions of domestic life. There are plenty of such examples on Soviet postage stamps -- the originalpaintings all belonging to the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow -- but due to current copyright legislation I amunable to show any such stamps on this page.

Karp Trokhimenko: "Stalin as an Organiser of the October Revolution". Oil on canvas.

Following the end of World War II, Socialist Realism acquired a vehemently nationalist element, with foreigninfluences being especially criticized. This led to a highly polished, academic style and an emphasis on glorioushistorical scenes, for example, Vladimir Serov: The Entry of Aleksandr Nevski into Pskov (1945, Russian StateMuseum, St. Petersburg).

Stylistically, artists were encouraged to imitate the work of Russian painter Ilya Repin, although some producedtimid imitations of Impressionism or employed a deliberately naive manner. A favored exponent of socialistrealism was painter Sergei Gerasimov, who produced such exemplary images as A Collective Farm Festival(1936-1937) and Stalin and Voroshilov in the Kremlin (1938), both in the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Dueto current copyright legislation I am, unfortunately, unable to show you any of Gerasimov's paintings onstamps.


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stamps.

The new Eastern Bloc countries also had Socialist Realism imposed on them by the USSR. However, with thedeath of Stalin in 1953 and the decline of his reputation under Nikita Khrushchev, Socialist Realism became lessforcefully upheld, though it remained the official aesthetic. It was also eagerly taken up in Communist China,where it was the only acceptable style until the death of Mao Zedong in 1976.

In Bulgaria, particularly the painter Nenko Dimitrov Balkanski was anexponent of Socialist Realism. He was born on September 20th, 1907, inKazanlak, Bulgaria.

He graduated in painting under Professor N. Marinov and Professor B.Mitov from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia 1930, and later became amember of the "Native Arts" Union and the Union of "New Artists".

Not much is known about Balkanski's life and professional career. Heseemed to be a very modest person, who was uninterested in publicityand public acclaim, but preferred to work for the sake of art as such.

The majority of his works are on permanent display at the NationalGallery in Sofia.

The works displayed on this page show a certain robust nature,combined with an inner refinement and openness to the world, quiteunusual for a person who grew up in a fairly closed society.

Bulgaria 1984. Nenko Balkanski. Self Portrait.

The set shown below was issued in 1984, and depict some of his works from a period of his career when helived and worked in Paris.

Bulgaria 1984. Boy with Mouth Accordion.Bulgaria 1984. Portrait of two Ladies. Bulgaria 1984. An Open Window in Paris.

Three more Balkanski-paintings have been issued on stamps. I do not have them, but for those of you whomight be interested, here are the catalogue numbers from Michel: 1969 "A Worker Family" (Michel #1934), 1972"A Family" (Michel #2148), and 1987 "Boy with Mouth Accordion (Michel #3602).


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Although the Danish Socialist Realism was never dictated by the government, there is no doubt that some of theDanish Socialist Realist artists were communists, and certainly approved the Soviet ideology in all its facets --which is easy to do when one is not forced to, but has the artistic freedom of expression. This is probably whythe Socialist Realism in arts was to some degree maintained up to the 1970s by artists like Folmer Bendtsen(1907-1993, not represented on stamps) and his contemporaries. The most blatant philatelic example I canthink of in this style is the below set of stamps, issued 1976, showing glass blowers in various stages of theirwork, and idealizing the so-called society of workers and peasants.

Denmark 1976. Glass Blowing. Four different stages of the glass production at Holmegaard Glassworks.Design by Helle Jessen, and engraved by Cz. Slania.

With the disintegration of the Communist Bloc in the late 1980s, Socialist Realism fell out of favour and insteadbegan to be used ironically in some works as a means of attacking the old Communist system.

Sources and links:

Microsoft Encarta 2002.

Wikipedia - Socialist Realism

What is Socialist Realism?

Ilya Yefimovich Repin

Dobrich Art Gallery

Domino Art Bulgaria (in Bulgarian)

Czeslaw Slania's Engraved Stamps and Bank Notes.


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Soviet Socialist Realism - Thematic Philatelist · Soviet Socialist Realism 1930s - 1970s Back to Realism / Naturalism Forward to Impressionism Socialist Realism is a form of realist