Creator of new life – Man of labor in Soviet art

Creator of new life – Man of labor in Soviet art

Realistic art is always responsive to the radical transformation of life – the revolutionary events, social change, building a new society. Since the decrees of the Soviet power and the first Five-Year Plans in our fine arts observed the emergence of new themes, new hero – the creator and builder. And the old, original art for the classic theme of labor takes on a special meaning, unusual urgency. A man and a working man in his work – an inquisitive, searching, active, looking into the future, a real creator and master of life – a collective image of a multinational Soviet art born of the Great October Revolution. How it has changed over the years, in the course of events, a series of tests? On this question eloquently respond the best works of Soviet artists – from established classics to our contemporaries.

Soviet art is multinational. The artists reflect in their portraits and thematic paintings through transmitting person’s appearance, landscape, household items, costume features representative of particular nationality. In the late 1920’s – early 1930’s, many Russian artists went to work in the eastern republics of the USSR. Promoting recovery and the development of national art schools, they create works on the theme of work and life in the Soviet republics. For example, in the picture “Kazakhs-fabzaychata” G. Shegal shows remarkable feature of the new life – education of young generation of the working class.

Inspired by the successes of socialist construction, representatives of the national school of painting in the works seek to express the importance and greatness of the human era of socialism. Images created by them tend to sound monumental. This is seen clearly in the portrait of N. Niyazov. Author of the painting Uzbek painter A. Abdullayev uses here a solemn manner the story of the hero – as in the past in such way depicted famous generals. And for the artist the ordinary worker has an equally important social significance.

Free labor, companionship of people in the team, opportunities to exercise and develop the creative abilities determine the diversity of contemporary personality, the commitment to spiritual and physical perfection. These qualities imprint artists in portraits, thematic paintings, sculpture and graphics. They see their task not just superficially illustrate the events, not only diligent resemblance to convey the appearance of heroes, but the main thing – to reveal the moral sense of the people’s participation in the production in the conditions of deepening scientific and technological revolution. Artists are guided in their work and the desire to understand and vividly express the high sense of everyday social labor of the Soviet people.

Creator of new life – Man of labor in Soviet art