Composer Dmitry Shostakovich (25 September 1906 – 9 August 1975). Outstanding figures of Soviet art Heroes of Socialist Labor

Outstanding figures of Soviet art Heroes of Socialist Labor
This publication features the outstanding figures of Soviet art – theater, music, ballet, cinema, and fine arts – awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. Established by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR eighty years ago – on December 27, 1938 – the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, the highest degree of labor difference, was appropriated to Soviet people for particularly outstanding services contributing to the rise of the national economy. They are people of science and culture who selflessly served their homeland. They brought the glory to the USSR with their skill and talent.
Of course, it’s impossible to talk about each of them in one publication. However, I want to begin with Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich. He was a brilliant composer-symphonist, a unique artist-communist, who possessed an exceptional musical-figurative skill. Doctor of Arts, Professor, an outstanding public figure, he was a People’s Artist USSR – the people in the full meaning of this word. An innovative musician, who expanded the boundaries of the use of musical expressive means. At the same time, he is the direct heir of Russian classical musical genius. It was in this capacity that he received world recognition.
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Painting by Mikhail Chepik (1872 – 1920). Flowers to Stalin. 1951. Oil on canvas. Thank you comrade Stalin for our happy childhood

Thank you comrade Stalin for our happy childhood
The history of this phrase dates back to July 6, 1936, when a delegation from the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR arrived in Moscow. The first secretary of the regional committee, Mikhei Yerbanov, headed it, along with the Minister of Agriculture Ardan Markizov with his wife (then a student of the Moscow Medical Institute). Also, with them was their daughter Gelya, who wanted to see the “leader of all nations”. So, at the meeting in Kremlin Gelya handed Stalin a bouquet of flowers with the words: “These flowers are from the children of Buryat-Mongolia.” The deeply touched Stalin took the girl in his arms and kissed her. This moment, captured by a lot of present photographers and newsreelists, became iconic. Besides, the photo, signed “Thanks to Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood!” appeared in all the newspapers of the USSR. The government and citizens liked the words so much that later they began to paint pictures from the legendary photo. Such an iconic image adorned children’s institutions, produced in posters and even in sculptural compositions.
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Kukryniksy. Portrait Photo by Lev Ivanov. Soviet artists Lenin Prize Laureates

Soviet artists Lenin Prize Laureates
Noteworthy, the Lenin Prizes weге adjudged оn every birthday of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ‘for works generally acknowledged as being best in literature, art, music, as well for the production of plays and acting in films and оn the stage‘. From the resolution by the Central Committee оf the Communist Party, and Соuncil оf Мinisters оf the USSR ‘Оn Lеnin Рrizes for the best works in sсiеnce, teсhnоlоgу, literature and аrt’. ‘Рrаvdа’. September 8, 1956.
This post features the most notable personalities in Soviet Art. In addition, the portraits of the awarded artists – work by Soviet photographer Lev Ivanov. These photographs appeared in the album prepared for the birthday centenary of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin by the Аvrora Art Publishers jointly with the Glаvроligгаfprоm Рrinting-hоusе # 5 attached to the Committee of the USSR Council оf Мinistеrs for Рrinting. And in the first photo – the trio of Kukryniksy – Mikhail Vasilievich Kupriyanov (b. 1903), Porfiry Nikitich Krylov (b. 1902), and Nikolai Aleksandrovich Sokolov (b. 1903). They received the highest award – the Lenin Рrize in 1965 for the series of political cartoons published in ‘Рravdа’ and ‘Кrокodil’.
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USSR by Danish cartoonist Herluf Bidstrup

USSR by Danish cartoonist Herluf Bidstrup

This post is a continuation of the previous article – “What Herluf Bidstrup saw in USSR”, based on the book of Danish communist Herluf Bidstrup (September 10, 1912 – December 26, 1988). The book includes lots of cartoons which capture everyday life of the Soviet people. An honorary member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR, laureate of International Lenin Peace Prize (1964) visited the Soviet Union many times. So, the presented gallery of selected images from his book reconstructs the impressions of the author. According to Bidstrup, his cartoons – fleeting, sometimes casual impressions, but they can be interesting for those who want to know more about the world’s first socialist country. “I deeply respect the Soviet people and I bow before them more than before anyone. For 50 years they have created a society which was utopian before, under difficult conditions and thanks to selfless labor and heroic struggle”. Bidstrup, Herluf
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What Herluf Bidstrup saw in USSR

“What Herluf Bidstrup saw in USSR” – the title of the book of cartoons published in 1970s in Moscow. Noteworthy, Danish cartoonist Herluf Bidstrup (September 10, 1912 – December 26, 1988) was a Danish communist, who drew cartoons on foreign policy and social themes. In particular, his work “What Bidstrup saw in the USSR” captures and presents everyday life of the Soviet people in humour genre. The life, which he saw with his own eyes after he had travelled to the Soviet Union. By the way, Herluf Bidstrup, an honorary member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR, received the International Lenin Peace Prize in 1964. Books with drawings by Bidstrup published in the USSR in huge editions and were very popular. Bidstrup was a convinced communist and considered in the USSR as a “progressive artist” because in his cartoons he exposed the ulcers and vices of a capitalist society, which in fact are relevant even in today’s state of world capitalism.
Since 1945 he worked in the newspaper of the Communist Party of Denmark “Land og Folk”. Meanwhile, the gallery of selected images from his book reconstructs the most important events of the time, according to the author.
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Admission to the pioneers. Ya. V. Titov. Pioneers in paintings of Soviet artists

Pioneers in paintings of Soviet artists
The pioneer organization was not a “sect of young communists”, as Western propaganda represented it, but a children’s and youth association that cultivated positive qualities and a spirit of camaraderie, which today is so lacking for modern children. It is from the absence of pioneers and Komsomol that young people today are trying to unite in military-patriotic clubs, football games and other associations of varying degrees of legality. In Soviet times, everything that modern youth is looking for was given by the Pioneer and the Komsomol.
For those who were pioneers, this time meant hikes, campfires, sports competitions, exciting games, developing clubs and other pleasant memories. Pioneers were almost all who managed to live in the USSR at the age of over 10 years. At the dawn of the pioneer organization, only the best ones were accepted there, but then the criteria were reduced, and by the 1970s and 1980s they began to accept everyone.

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Miss USSR Famous Soviet weaver Dusya Vinogradova (1 August 1914 – 7 September 1962)

Miss USSR Famous Soviet weaver Dusya Vinogradova
The initiator of the Vinogradov movement (Stakhanovite movement in the textile industry), in 1930 she was the symbol of the “new man.” Member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1939.
Despite the fact that Dusya and Marusya Vinogradova installed the labor records together, often in the press and books focused only Dusya. And this is no accident: the whole Soviet country fell in love with this beautiful and charming girl. Besides, Soviet politician and prolific author on revolutionary theory Bukharin admired Dusya Vinogradova, calling her “new woman”. In addition, Parisian Soviet writer Ilya Ehrenburg was so excited about meeting with Dusya that published a “Letter to Dusya Vinogradova” in Bukharin “News”. However, a week later he had to repent before Stalin. Meanwhile, the foreign press generally presented Dusya Vinogradova as “Miss USSR” (for example: G. Friedrich, «Miss U.S.S.R .: The Story of a Girl Stakhanovite» New York, 1936). More than that, the cult of Dusya Vinogradova reached cinema. In particular, her image of Tanya Morozova depicted famous Soviet actress Lyubov Orlova in the film by Alexandrov “Shining Path” (1940).
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