| Socialist Realism - The History | | | | Vladimirski is a classic example of Socialist Realism |
| As the name connotes, Socialist Realism in art | | | | with the realistic figures of school children |
| was designed to acclaim the Communist leaders. | | | | presenting bouquets of roses to Stalin. Similarly, |
| It originated in the Communist United States of | | | | various artists, including Isaac Brodskiy, Alexei |
| Soviet Russia around the 1930s. After the Second | | | | Nesterenko, and Stepan Karpov created Lenin's |
| World War ended in 1945, this art began taking | | | | portraits. For nearly 60 years, this genre of art |
| roots in other Communist nations like China. | | | | remained the official style of Soviet Russia, being |
| Socialist Realism was similar to the French art | | | | an instrument of political evangelism. For instance, |
| movement of 1850s in its representation of | | | | 'The First Tractor' by Vladimirski was a discursive |
| forms and the treatment of space. However, | | | | eulogy of the State, which first imported tractors |
| unlike Realism, it was limited in the terms of | | | | from Henry Ford & Son Company and |
| themes and experimentation with subjects. | | | | eventually started manufacturing them |
| It suppressed creativity and freedom of | | | | indigenously. |
| expression, and was later criticized as a 'forced' | | | | This painting serves to glorify the 'progressive' |
| art. Socialist Realism came into being in the regime | | | | approach of the Soviet State and a step towards |
| of Joseph Stalin, through his year 1932 decree on | | | | collective farming. Despite being the State artist, |
| 'The Reconstruction of Literary and Art | | | | Vladimirski painted 'Black Ravens,' the vehicles |
| Organizations.' At this time, when the Soviet | | | | used by the dreaded NKVD, a secret police force |
| Government was using visual art forms as an | | | | of Stalin. NKVD was notorious for using coercive |
| advertisement medium. | | | | force for arresting and executing innocent victims |
| Artists & Their Works | | | | in Stalin's regime. However, this piece managed to |
| 'Roses for Stalin' by the official painter, Boris | | | | clear the censorship barrier, amidst criticism. |