Building New Country Soviet Youth

The theme of Komsomol and Building New Country Soviet Youth have been widely presented in Soviet art. It was born back in the 1920s, at the time of formation of Soviet art, loudly sounded in the 1950s and became one of the leading. Revealing the nature of modernity, this topic as a reassuring leitmotif went through the labor theme, one of the most important in Soviet art – labor of Azerbaijani oil workers, the Uzbek cotton growers, the Baltic fishermen, Yakut hunters, Georgian metallurgists, Ukrainian grain farmers, and textile workers of Ivanovo. Youth Theme sounds pathetic in posters calling to the struggle for peace, and in the paintings devoted to the Soviet Army. Fresh lyrical notes to the theme brings genre painting, depicting the young contemporary – builder of a new society.

The bright reality embodied in art, these works have now become almost the document of history. Following these first works devoted to Soviet youth in the art of the 30s, where in the center were cheerful, upbeat romantic images of enthusiasts of the first five-year plan. The artists experienced new, fast rhythm of life. On construction sites of the country artists saw the unprecedented rise in youth work, their wildest dreams, and readiness for amazing accomplishments, which brought joy to the creative mind.

In the first five years began shock Komsomol constructions and appeared new words – Dneproges, Magnitogorsk, Uralmash, Turksib – words that sound now as the symbols of the first labor feats. During the first five-year plan, Soviet workers who exceeded their production quotas were designated as ‘shock workers‘ and given special incentives and awards.

And the images of those who selflessly worked for the young Republic were embodied in the works of I. Brodsky (“Shock workers of Dnieprostroi”), NM Avvakumov (“Komsomol blast furnace”), AA Deineka (“Donbass. Lunch”), VA Sinaisky (“Young worker”), SV Ryangina (“Higher!”), EE Lansere (“Underground mines Penetration”). Artists of the 1930s have been in the most remote corners where the building was in full swing, they felt themselves the same creators of a new, as the heroes of their works. It is characteristic that they are witnesses, the witnesses of the labor feats of the Komsomol, for which it received the Order of Red Banner of Labor – for lifting the economy.

Later artists of 1950 – 60s, referring to this period as a history of the Komsomol, in their works will show severe everyday life, and even tragic events. But for artists of 1930s mostly was inspiring their young contemporaries building a new world.

The World War II was over, but forever preserved the immortality of heroic Komsomol at the front and in the rear. The youth in those terrible years continues to live in the heroic and monumental images of Soviet art. The memory still lives in a lot of works, depicting the true selfless devotion of the Young Communist League to the Motherland, its dedication to the struggle against fascism, the heroes – the Komsomol, showing resilience and courage in a fierce battle with the enemy, courage and audacity of the young guerrillas, fearless young nurses … These drawings and paintings make up perhaps the true chronicle of the Young Communist League’s participation in World war II.

Artists of the 50s and 60s turned not only to the history of the Komsomol. They were eyewitnesses to the new labor feats – conquest of virgin lands and industrial development of Siberia. Again, as artists of 1930s, they were close to the Komsomol, now – in the first tents and the first furrow in the virgin fields with the pioneers, establishing a new city, and beginning giant construction.

Building New Country Soviet Youth

Building New Country Soviet Youth
Images scanned from the Illustrated album “The Youth of the country”.
Publisher “Soviet artist”, Moscow, 1978