Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet agitprop theater Blue Blouse

Soviet agitprop theater Blue Blouse

Theatre Magazine Blue Blouse, dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the theater. Soviet agitprop theater Blue Blouse

Soviet agitprop theater Blue Blouse

Blue Blouse – Soviet theater of small forms, kind of campaign platform. It existed from 1923 to the beginning of the 1930s. For the first time established in Moscow at the Institute of Journalism, on the basis of a “living newspaper”; initially – theatrical troupe (the participants were working in a blue blouse – hence the name). The initiator of its creation, the author and one of the artists B.S. Yuzhanin. Soon appeared further 15 such groups. The subjects of their repertoire was topical, it combined the heroism and pathos, satire and humor. Program of Blue Blouse was built mainly on a collective recitation, folk songs and sport dances. Blue Blouse team performed in “Red corners”, clubs, shops of factories. Similar groups sprang up in other cities, serving as a basis for the creation of a number of professional theaters and giving impetus to the search for new forms of theater and variety of performances. In the Blue Blouse began creative work many Soviet writers, composers, actors, directors and artists. Besides, several groups of Blue Blouse toured abroad (Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, and China), influencing the theater movement in different countries.
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Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov 1918-2004

Firstborn. 1963. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov (1918 - 2004)

Firstborn. 1963. Oil on canvas. Painting by Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov (14 October 1918 – 18 February 2004)

Soviet artist Nikolai Ovchinnikov can be called a pillar of socialist realism in art of Chuvash republic. With all his achievements and contradictions. His 1950-1960s paintings always impressed contemporaries with picturesque worshiping of ordinary workers and the powers, nature and heroes transforming it.
graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin in 1951, the studio of R. Franz. Candidate of Arts (1955). Among his honors – People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1984) and the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1968). He was Professor, Head of the Department of Fine Arts of the Chuvash State Pedagogical Institute. The long-term chairman of the Union of Artists of the Chuvash ASSR. Member of the Board of the Union of Artists.
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Soviet Bashkir artist Akhmad Lutfullin

Soviet Bashkir artist Akhmad Lutfullin

May Day in the village in 1930s. 1969. Soviet Bashkir artist Akhmad Lutfullin

Soviet Bashkir artist Akhmad Lutfullin born in the village Askarovo, Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Republic, February 4, 1928. As a boy he went on foot to Magnitogorsk, and began to study at a vocational school to become the turner. However, after the war, in 1945 he entered the Leningrad Architecture and Art School. After graduation from the institute, he continued his artistic skills at the Ufa theater and art school. In addition, he studied at Vilnius State Art Institute of the Lithuanian SSR (1951-54).
Akhmat Lutfullin – Member of the USSR Union of Artists (1960), Honored Artist of BASSR (1966), Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1978) and Member of the Russian Academy of Arts (1997). He was an elected member of the board of the Union of Bashkir artists. Besides, he was a chairman and member of the Art Council of the Bashkir workshops of RSFSR Art Fund, and a board member of Artists Union. Also, Lutfullin was a member of the Audit Commission of the Union of Artists.
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Soviet artist Vitaly Mayboroda 1954-1992

Soviet artist Vitaly Mayboroda 1954-1992

Diploma students. Painting by Soviet artist Vitaly Mayboroda 1954-1992

Soviet artist Vitaly Mayboroda born February 4, 1954 in Solntsevo (Moscow region). He was interested in art since childhood, and painted a lot. He loved to go hiking, as he said himself, it was his inspiration. In his youth he studied painting in the drawing club at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers. His work attracted the attention of experts, as they differed it from the others by its originality, realism and a deep thought. Many experts predicted him a great future in the arts, as noticed the presence of talent. In 1971, he entered the Moscow State Academic Art School in memory of 1905.
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Soviet artist Nikolay Dormidontov 1898-1962

Soviet artist Nikolay Dormidontov (4 February 1898 - 24 October 1962)

Skier 1931. Soviet artist Nikolay Dormidontov (4 February 1898 – 24 October 1962)

Soviet artist Nikolay Dormidontov was born 4 February 1898 in St. Petersburg. He studied at the Drawing School of Society for the Encouragement of Arts (1914-1918). His teachers were prominent Russian artists Arkady Rylov, Nikolay Roerich, Ivan Bilibin and Grigory Bobrovsky. After graduation from drawing school, he studied art in Vkhutemas (Higher Art and Technical Studios), in the workshops of D. Kordovsky, V. Shukhaev, K. Petrov-Vodkin, and V. Tatlin (1918-1922). He began participating in exhibitions of Soviet Art in 1922. Nikolay Dormidontov was the founder of The Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia (1922-32), and head of its Petrograd (later Leningrad) branch. In addition, he was a member of such Art associations as “Sixteen” (1926-1928) and “Workshop of artists” (1930-1932). Besides, he taught art in Leningrad Art-Industrial college (1923-29). In 1932 he became a member of Leningrad branch of the USSR Union of artists. During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) he lived in besieged Leningrad, where he created a series of graphic works on the theme Leningrad in blockade.
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Soviet artist Nikolai Andreyevich Tyrsa 1887-1942

Soviet artist Nikolai Andreyevich Tyrsa 1887-1942

Still life. Soviet artist Nikolai Andreyevich Tyrsa 1887-1942

Soviet artist Nikolai Andreyevich Tyrsa (1887-1942) studied at the All Russian art school at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, workshop of Léon Bakst (1905-1910). Then, in 1907-1910 in the school of drawing and painting of EN Zvantseva, in the etching workshop of V.V. Mate. Nikolai Tyrsa was a member of association of “Union of Youth”, “World of Art” (1915), the Union of Left trends in art (1922) and “Four Arts” (1926 – 1928). In addition, he worked in the Department of Fine Arts of the People’s Commissariat of Education (1918-1920). He was engaged in easel painting, book illustration (mostly for children) and easel graphics (drawings, lithographs), arts and crafts. Besides, he performed sheets for “Fighting Pencil” (1939).
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Symbolic geometric pattern of famous Soviet porcelain

Symbolic geometric pattern of famous Soviet porcelain

Tea set. Soviet artist Anna Yatskevich. Lomonosov Porcelain Factory. Leningrad, the USSR. Gold medal at Brussels World’s Fair. 1958. Symbolic geometric pattern of famous Soviet porcelain

Symbolic geometric pattern of famous Soviet porcelain

Few people know that the famous geometric pattern of the Leningrad porcelain is a symbol of remembrance of the heroic feat of the blockade of Leningrad. The most famous pattern of the Leningrad porcelain – Cobalt net. It appeared shortly after the end of the blockade in 1944. It was not just a geometric pattern. The artist Anna Yatskevich, author of the famous blue logo of Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (LPF), painted with mesh porcelain tea set of sculptor Serafima Yakovleva, in memory of the taped crosswise windows of homes and cross spotlights illuminating the sky during the siege of Leningrad.
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