Art under Socialist Realism

by Gleb Prokhorov

The history of Soviet culture can only be understood within the context of the dictatorship of Socialist Realism. Socialist Realism appeared in order to proceed towards what was then conceived as a bright new future - the Communist paradise on earth. The idea of creating Socialist Realist art was an ideal concept in itself. However no single work of art, not even the most grandiose monument, could have matched the ideals of this grand concept. As a critic wrote in the early 1930s at the dawn of Socialist Realism, even as the style was being born 'none of the artists, and not a single work, measured up to its scope'. This book will be of interest to all readers with an interest in the classical period of Soviet Socialist Realism.