Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev. October. 1927

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev (1878–1960). Sculptural composition October. 1927

At the beginning of 1928, Hall of the Central Museum of the Revolution of the USSR officially opened their doors for visitors. There was a jubilee exhibition dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. It was first shown sculptural composition “October” by Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev (1878–1960), which stood out among the works of their program exposure, with the sharpness of social sound. Brightly and vividly embodied the heroism of the revolution, the work was seen as a symbol of the new era of accomplished changes. The idea of ​​the artist – to show the age-old human dream, the inviolability of the achievements of socialism – grew up in the capacious collective image of the people and their stories. With discreet and at the same time sublime language Matveyev conveyed the main idea of ​​the time – the assertion of the ideal of freedom.

Portrait of artist Boris Musatov, 1959

Portrait of artist Boris Musatov, 1959. Tretyakov Gallery

Due to the depth and significance of the content of expression means and the strength of their impact on the audience, the work stood up on a par with the best works of the era of revolutionary themes. Heroes of Matveyev defended freedom in the class struggles, summed up a decade of achievements of the Soviet Union, heralded the prospect of future changes.

Three well-built male figures embodied a young country, a new society. These are people of different social classes and generations – a middle-aged wise farmer, young, confident in his abilities worker, and the Red Army soldier in Budyonovka.

Matveyev chose static, stable position. In the figures there is nothing brief, transitory. Only the position of the soldier, a little lifted on the left leg, a gesture of his hand clutching a rifle, give a faint inner impulse, nature determination – the desire to show the willingness of the hero at any moment to defend the Fatherland. However, coming from within the movement does not violate the general impression of peace and balance.

The figure of the worker, dedicated as a central link in the group, represents the main force of the young Soviet state. The owner of a new life is depicted in full of inner dignity pose. His right hand is free to lay down on the hammer.

Ball, supported by peasant, is an allegory of the earth, terra firma, but also serves as a support for your hands. Thus, the hammer and the ball – attributes that point to social class heroes – turn into important sculptural elements, through which linked the compositional relationship between the characters – workers and peasants.

After the first show at the exhibition, work of Matveyev, although marked by award of the Council of People’s Commissars, has caused contradictory rumors. However, work has found many enthusiastic fans, art lovers, who were able to appreciate the high level of skill, art and culture, originality of visual thinking of the author. Obviously, this is explained by the fact that after a brief oblivion the sculpture returned to Leningrad in 1934, once in the collection of the Russian Museum, and in 1958 was made in metal.

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev (1878–1960)

Work of Matveyev had to go through a rebirth. In 1968, its bronze copy was mounted on a pedestal in front of the concert hall “October”. Beyond the threshold of the Russian Museum it began a new life. Withstood the test of time, having overcome the vicissitudes of life, a monument has taken a worthy place among the monuments of the city on the Neva River, and entered the treasury of Soviet art.

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveev. October. 1927 (scanned magazine Young artist 11-1986)

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soldier. Left sculpture of composition ‘October’. 1927

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

In the center – a young, sure in his possibilities worker. Sculptural composition October. 1927

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Right – the peasant, middle-aged, wise, and experienced in life . Composition October. 1927

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Ball, supported by peasant – is an allegory of the land

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Self-portrait. 1933-1937. Gypsum. State Russian Museum

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Pushkin. A statue. 1948 – 1960 Bronze

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Marx monument in Petrograd. 1918. Concrete

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Monument to Marx in Petrograd. 1918. Concrete

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev (1878–1960) at his composition ‘October Revolution’

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

T. Shevchenko. 1930. Gypsum

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

profile. Self-portrait. 1939

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

Self-portrait. 1939 – 1941. Bronze. State Tretyakov Gallery

Soviet sculptor Aleksandr Matveyev

A.S. Pushkin (1799-1837). 1938-1940. Bronze

Chekhov. 1949 Gypsum

Anton Chekhov. 1949 Gypsum

A girl with a towel. 1916

A girl with a towel. 1916

A.I. Gertsen. 1912

A.I. Gertsen. 1912

Carrying beam. Fragment. The project of a monument in Dauria. 1931

Carrying beam. Fragment. The project of a monument in Dauria. 1931

Falling asleep boy. 1908

Falling asleep boy. 1908

Gardener. Crimean tatar. 1912

Gardener. Crimean tatar. 1912

Girl swimmer. 1911

Girl swimmer. 1911

Sitting boy. 1909

Sitting boy. 1909

Stone cutter Ivan Semyonov. 1912

Stone cutter Ivan Semyonov. 1912

The project of a monument in Dauria. 1931

The project of a monument in Dauria. 1931

The tomb of V. E. Borisov-Musatov. 1912. Granite. Tarusa

The tomb of V. E. Borisov-Musatov. 1912. Granite. Tarusa

The tomb of V. E. Borisov-Musatov. 1912. Granite. Tarusa

Closeup. The tomb of V. E. Borisov-Musatov. 1912. Granite. Tarusa

M. A. Minkus. Gravestone of AT Matveeva (bronze ebb from the model of 1909), Moscow, Novodevichy cemetery

M. A. Minkus. Gravestone of AT Matveeva (bronze ebb from the model of 1909), Moscow, Novodevichy cemetery