Soviet Children Learning Art

Soviet Children Learning Art … Everyone has his own, unique childhood. But there are common elements that unite several generations in one concept: the Soviet people. And all of them come from childhood. Regardless of nationality, Soviet children were brought up on the same values. Kids in kindergarten were taught to distinguish between good and bad, set an example of famous historical figures and prominent contemporaries: the heroes of war and labor, the best representatives of various professions. Children were also shown negative examples, and they were presented so pedagogically correct that caused rejection in young citizens of the USSR on a subconscious level.

To the spiritual food for the children, the Soviet government paid special attention. Before to sow “reasonable, good, eternal” in the fragile minds of children, the Ministry of Culture officials have passed a book, song or movie through a strict censorship. No less strictly they filtered “adult” works of art, because in the Soviet Union there was not age restrictions. Even movies for “16+”, that nosy children still managed to see, were cleaned up, trimmed and fitted to the ideological platform.

At the same time, artists, writers, poets, filmmakers and composers tried to do their best for kids. And not only because of fear of censorship. Creative people liked to see their works brought up in the younger generation such qualities as kindness, compassion, respect for elders, love for all living things. Thanks to children’s magazines and newspapers, paintings and sculptures, novels and adventure stories, movies, cartoons and musical performances those who grew up in the USSR, remember it as the happiest time. It was a huge and bright world full of faith in the goodness, justice and universal happiness. The world that was real. It was only later, much later, it turned into an illusory … And then the children were truly happy.

Soviet Children Learning Art

Images are scanned from Soviet era magazines