Soviet Art

Space exploration Matchbox labels made in USSR

Right 55 years ago, on April 12, 1961 the world has learned the name of the first man in space – Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The USSR printing factories released in large quantities posters, stamps, matchbox labels devoted to the great event. This post features Space exploration Matchbox labels of the time. People began collecting match-box labels as soon as they appeared. There were collections in the Soviet Union which included labels made in 1846. During the past 100 years collecting match-boxes has become a very popular hobby. Thousands of Soviet people collected match-box labels, sold, bought, and exchanged them. The labels show not only the name of the factory and the year of production. They are priceless source of information on history, culture, science, art. On matchbox labels were printed portraits of outstanding people, significant and even historic events in the life of the country, kinds of plants, species of animals, sports, etc. So collecting match-box labels is not just a hobby. Together with philately and numismatics it enriches our minds with interesting and useful information.
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Greatest Soviet Films. Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession, 1973. Starred: Alexander Demyanenko, Natalya Selezneva, Yuri Yakovlev, Natalia Krachkovskaya, Leonid Kuravlev, Vladimir Etush, Savely Kramarov, Mikhail Pugovkin, Natalia Kustinskaya

Thirty Greatest Soviet Films
No matter how much Russian citizens talk about how good or bad it was in the Soviet Union, the USSR movies were stunning. Here is the list of Thirty Greatest Soviet Films – the pride of the nation, the wealth of the Soviet and Russian people, along with the great masterpieces of art. And no matter how many years pass, these films are a part of everyone who was born in the USSR. The rankings are based on the results of voting of visitors of kinopoisk.ru website. The first in the list of best Soviet films is “Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession”, 1973 comedy film made by unsurpassed Soviet director Leonid Gaidai. The film in the genre of fantasy, comedy, and adventure. For foreign audience, the film known under the name “Ivan the Terrible: Back to the Future” is worth watching.
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April 3, 2016 – Soviet professional holiday Geologists Day

3 April 2016 is a 50-year anniversary of the Soviet professional holiday Geologists Day.
First celebrated in 1966, the Day of Geologist is on the first Sunday in April. It is the professional holiday for the most romantic profession – geologist. It was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 31 March 1966 in commemoration of Soviet geologists work in the creation of the mineral resource base of the country. In fact, the reason for the establishment was the opening of the first fields of the West Siberian oil and gas in 1966. Chosen on the first Sunday in April, because it is the start of most geological expeditions, and in order the geologists could have time for celebrating their professional holiday. Then, they leave for distant sparsely populated areas of the country for the summer, until late fall.
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Soviet actress Tamara Syomina

Soviet actress Tamara Syomina was born 25 October 1938 in the town of Lgov of Kursk region, into the family of army officer. Her father was a tank regiment commander who died during the World War II. In 1942 her mother Tamara and her two children were evacuated, and later they moved to Bryansk, where Tamara attended school. In 1946, in the life of Tamara appeared stepfather – Peter Syomin, who became for her a loving father and a true friend. As a gratitude to him, Tamara bears his name. After high school, Tamara decided to go to school for working youth, at the same time working part-time as a librarian and a secretary. Having decided to become an actress, she came to Moscow, and in 1956 became a student of workshop of Pyzhov in the All-Union institute of Cinema.
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You returned life to us. Soviet poster artist Viktor Ivanov (29 October 1909, Moscow – 26 November 1968, Moscow)

Born 29 October 1909 in Moscow, Soviet poster artist Viktor Ivanov was an honored Artist of the RSFSR (1955) and Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Arts (1958). A recognized master of political posters, he worked as a painter and artist of cinema. In 1929 he graduated from the Moscow State Technical College of Fine Arts, where he was trained at the Studio of D. Kardovsky. The same year he entered the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the Russian Academy of Arts in Leningrad, from which he graduated in 1933. While a student, he began working as a poster artist of Izogiz. In 1930 he worked as a film artist at the “Mosfilm”. Since 1934, he became a permanent participant of all-Russian, all-Union and international exhibitions.
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Soviet State Awards

Soviet State Awards
From the very first days of its existence, the young Soviet Republic was in the ring of fire fronts. Soldiers and commanders of the newly established Red Army showed unprecedented courage and heroism of defending the gains of October. September 16, 1918 decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (Central Executive Committee) established the first Soviet award – the Order of the Red Banner. It was given to soldiers and commanders, military units and formations, groups of workers who played a prominent role in the defeat of the interventionists and internal counterrevolution. April 8, 1920 the Central Executive Committee established for rewarding senior officers – the Red Army Honorary revolutionary weapon – saber (cutlass) with gilded hilt and pommel superimposed on it the Order of the Red Banner.
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Soviet painter Victor Shatalin – ‘Squads of young fighters were gathering’. 1969-1970. canvas, oil

Russian Soviet painter Victor Shatalin (1926 – 2003) was a master of genre painting on the military, revolutionary and patriotic themes. Victor was born in a village of Saratov region. From the age of 13 he studied at the Leningrad Art School at the Academy of Arts of the USSR. In 1941, 15-year-old boy went to the front, and became the “son of regiment” of the 1st Ukrainian Front. After the end of World War II, in 1945, Victor attended the Kiev Art School named after Shevchenko, after which he entered the Kiev Art Institute.
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