Socialist realism. Theory and artistic practice

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Socialist realism is a creative method of Soviet art, implying a truthful, historically specific reflection of reality in its revolutionary development for the purpose of the ideological and aesthetic education of workers in the spirit of socialism and communism. This is realism, based on the ideas of Marxism-Leninism, serving the development of a socialist society. His main aesthetic principles are truthfulness, nationality, and partisanship of art. Based on a truthful reflection of life, the art of socialist realism actively promotes the revolutionary transformation of life, the construction of a new society, the struggle for peace, democracy and socialism, and the formation of a new man.

The emergence of socialist realism is associated with the emergence of the working class on the historical arena, with the emergence of Marxism-Leninism and the beginning of the workers’ struggle for a revolutionary transformation of social life. The founder of this method in literature was A. M. Gorky. The basic principles of this method are equally applicable to all types of art.

In the works of some masters of fine art of the pre-revolutionary period (N. A. Kasatkin, S. V. Ivanov, A. E. Arkhipov, S. T. Konenkov, A. S. Golubkina), in revolutionary satirical graphics, trends emerged that anticipated socialist realism . The method of socialist realism acquired decisive significance in our artistic culture after the Great October Socialist Revolution. Having survived and won the fight against the formalistic movements and “left” tendencies of the 1920s, he achieved significant success in the 1930s, when this term itself was put forward (before that, terms such as “heroic realism”, “ monumental realism", "social realism", etc.). The term “socialist realism” best expresses the nature of Soviet art: it is the realism of the socialist era, realism fighting for socialism and embodying its ideology. The realistic essence connects it with the best traditions of world art, while the socialist nature of the development of these traditions determines the innovation of this method.

Socialist realism arose and developed in the struggle against bourgeois ideology and modernist art, in particular against the tendencies of naturalism and formalism, which led towards meaningless experiments. He is characterized by figurative truth and ideological depth, suggesting the perfection of artistic form and emotional strength. The method of socialist realism is not reduced to any formal characteristics; it presupposes uniform ideological and aesthetic foundations of art, but at the same time a diversity of individuals, genres, styles, artistic forms and national characteristics.

Socialist realism is embodied in the best works of Soviet multinational art, which have now become its classics: in the sculptures of A. T. Matveev and N. A. Andoev, I. D. Shadra and V. I. Mukhina, E. V. Vuchetich and N. V. Tomsky, L. E. Kerbel and M. K. Anikushin, in the paintings of A. A. Deineka and B. V. Ioganson, A. A. Plastov and Yu. I. Pimenov, P. D. Korin and S. A Chuikov, G. M. Korzhev, E. E. Moiseenko, A. A. Mylnikov and many other masters.

Works of socialist realism are characterized by a close connection with life, with modernity, a reflection of the natural and advanced in social development through unique, individualized images of people and events. The realistic reflection of life in this art acquires new features associated with a deeper and wider coverage of reality, the disclosure of multifaceted connections between the individual and society and, most importantly, with the reflection of life not only in its past and present, but also in the leading trends of its development, in its aspirations for the future. This is the essence of the revolutionary romance of socialist realism, its historical life-affirming optimism.

The art of socialist realism is characterized by a new type of positive hero - a creator, an active fighter for the improvement of social life. At the same time, the art of socialist realism, showing shortcomings, negative trends, and contradictions of reality, helps the people in their struggle to strengthen and develop a new society, for peace and cooperation between peoples. In the passionate affirmation of the new, the beautiful, in the angry denial of the old, outdated, in the definite ideological and aesthetic position of the artist, the civic pathos and communist party spirit of his work are expressed.

The art of socialist realism is increasingly spreading and strengthening in the work of artists from socialist countries, as well as in the work of outstanding progressive artists of the capitalist world. This art is developing and conquering new frontiers in the fight against bourgeois ideology and modernism, which belittles and destroys the image of man, leading to the collapse of the artistic form; it is in the forefront of the development of world progressive artistic culture, gaining more and more authority and love among workers all over the world.

Socialist realism- artistic method of Soviet literature.

Socialist realism, being the main method of Soviet fiction and literary criticism, requires the artist to provide a truthful, historically specific depiction of reality in its revolutionary development. The method of socialist realism helps the writer to promote the further rise of the creative forces of the Soviet people and overcome all difficulties on the path to communism.

“Socialist realism requires the writer to truthfully depict reality in its revolutionary development and provides him with comprehensive opportunities for the manifestation of individual talent and creative initiative, presupposes the richness and diversity of artistic means and styles, supporting innovation in all areas of creativity,” says the Charter of the Writers’ Union THE USSR.

The main features of this artistic method were outlined back in 1905 by V.I. Lenin in his historical work “Party Organization and Party Literature,” in which he foresaw the creation and flourishing of free, socialist literature under the conditions of victorious socialism.

This method was first embodied in the artistic work of A. M. Gorky - in his novel “Mother” and other works. In poetry, the most striking expression of socialist realism is the work of V.V. Mayakovsky (poem “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin”, “Good!”, lyrics of the 20s).

Continuing the best creative traditions of the literature of the past, socialist realism at the same time represents a qualitatively new and highest artistic method, since it is determined in its main features by completely new social relations in a socialist society.

Socialist realism reflects life realistically, deeply, truthfully; it is socialist because it reflects life in its revolutionary development, that is, in the process of creating a socialist society on the path to communism. It differs from the methods that preceded it in the history of literature in that the basis of the ideal to which the Soviet writer calls in his work is the movement towards communism under the leadership of the Communist Party. In the greeting of the CPSU Central Committee to the Second Congress of Soviet Writers, it was emphasized that “in modern conditions, the method of socialist realism requires writers to understand the tasks of completing the construction of socialism in our country and the gradual transition from socialism to communism.” The socialist ideal is embodied in a new type of positive hero, which was created by Soviet literature. Its features are determined primarily by the unity of the individual and society, impossible in previous periods of social development; the pathos of collective, free, creative, creative work; a high sense of Soviet patriotism - love for one’s socialist Motherland; partisanship, a communist attitude to life, brought up in Soviet people by the Communist Party.

Such an image of a positive hero, distinguished by bright character traits and high spiritual qualities, becomes a worthy example and subject of imitation for people, and participates in the creation of a moral code for the builder of communism.

What is qualitatively new in socialist realism is the nature of the depiction of the life process, based on the fact that the difficulties of development of Soviet society are difficulties of growth, carrying within themselves the possibility of overcoming these difficulties, the victory of the new over the old, the emerging over the dying. Thus, the Soviet artist gets the opportunity to paint today in the light of tomorrow, that is, to depict life in its revolutionary development, the victory of the new over the old, to show the revolutionary romance of socialist reality (see Romanticism).

Socialist realism fully embodies the principle of communist partyism in art, since it reflects the life of the liberated people in its development, in the light of advanced ideas expressing the true interests of the people, in the light of the ideals of communism.

The communist ideal, a new type of positive hero, the depiction of life in its revolutionary development based on the victory of the new over the old, nationality - these main features of socialist realism are manifested in infinitely diverse artistic forms, in the variety of styles of writers.

At the same time, socialist realism also develops the traditions of critical realism, exposing everything that interferes with the development of the new in life, creating negative images that typify everything that is backward, dying, and hostile to the new, socialist reality.

Socialist realism allows the writer to give a vitally truthful, deeply artistic reflection of not only the present, but also the past. Historical novels, poems, etc. have become widespread in Soviet literature. By truthfully depicting the past, a writer - a socialist, a realist - strives to educate his readers using the example of the heroic life of the people and their best sons in the past, illuminating our lives today with the experience of the past.

Depending on the scope of the revolutionary movement and the maturity of the revolutionary ideology, socialist realism as an artistic method can and does become the property of advanced revolutionary artists in foreign countries, at the same time enriching the experience of Soviet writers.

It is clear that the embodiment of the principles of socialist realism depends on the individuality of the writer, his worldview, talent, culture, experience, and skill of the writer, which determine the height of the artistic level he has achieved.

Details Category: Variety of styles and movements in art and their features Published 08/09/2015 19:34 Views: 4849

“Socialist realism affirms being as an act, as creativity, the goal of which is the continuous development of man’s most valuable individual abilities for the sake of his victory over the forces of nature, for the sake of his health and longevity, for the sake of the great happiness of living on the earth, which he, in accordance with the continuous growth of his needs, wants treat everything as a beautiful home for humanity united in one family” (M. Gorky).

This description of the method was given by M. Gorky at the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers in 1934. And the term “socialist realism” itself was proposed by the journalist and literary critic I. Gronsky in 1932. But the idea of the new method belongs to A.V. Lunacharsky, revolutionary and Soviet statesman.
A completely justified question: why was a new method (and a new term) needed if realism already existed in art? And how did socialist realism differ from simple realism?

On the need for socialist realism

A new method was necessary in a country that was building a new socialist society.

P. Konchalovsky “From the Mow” (1948)
Firstly, it was necessary to control the creative process of creative individuals, i.e. Now the task of art was to propagate state policy - there were still enough artists who sometimes took an aggressive position in relation to what was happening in the country.

P. Kotov “Worker”
Secondly, these were the years of industrialization, and the Soviet government needed art that would raise the people to “deeds of labor.”

M. Gorky (Alexey Maksimovich Peshkov)
M. Gorky, who returned from emigration, headed the Union of Writers of the USSR, created in 1934, which included mainly writers and poets of Soviet orientation.
The method of socialist realism required the artist to provide a truthful, historically specific depiction of reality in its revolutionary development. Moreover, the truthfulness and historical specificity of the artistic depiction of reality must be combined with the task of ideological remodeling and education in the spirit of socialism. This setting for cultural figures in the USSR was in effect until the 1980s.

Principles of socialist realism

The new method did not deny the heritage of world realistic art, but predetermined the deep connection of works of art with modern reality, the active participation of art in socialist construction. Each artist had to understand the meaning of the events taking place in the country and be able to evaluate the phenomena of social life in their development.

A. Plastov “Haymaking” (1945)
The method did not exclude Soviet romance, the need to combine the heroic and romantic.
The state gave orders to creative people, sent them on creative trips, organized exhibitions, stimulating the development of new art.
The main principles of socialist realism were nationality, ideology and concreteness.

Socialist realism in literature

M. Gorky believed that the main task of socialist realism is to cultivate a socialist, revolutionary view of the world, a corresponding sense of the world.

Konstantin Simonov
The most significant writers representing the method of socialist realism: Maxim Gorky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Alexander Tvardovsky, Veniamin Kaverin, Anna Zegers, Vilis Latsis, Nikolai Ostrovsky, Alexander Serafimovich, Fyodor Gladkov, Konstantin Simonov, Caesar Solodar, Mikhail Sholokhov, Nikolai Nosov, Alexander Fadeev , Konstantin Fedin, Dmitry Furmanov, Yuriko Miyamoto, Marietta Shaginyan, Yulia Drunina, Vsevolod Kochetov and others.

N. Nosov (Soviet children's writer, best known as the author of works about Dunno)
As we can see, the list also contains the names of writers from other countries.

Anna Zegers(1900-1983) - German writer, member of the German Communist Party.

Yuriko Miyamoto(1899-1951) - Japanese writer, representative of proletarian literature, member of the Japanese Communist Party. These writers supported socialist ideology.

Alexander Alexandrovich Fadeev (1901-1956)

Russian Soviet writer and public figure. Winner of the Stalin Prize, first degree (1946).
From childhood he showed a talent for writing and was distinguished by his ability to fantasize. I was fond of adventure literature.
While still studying at the Vladivostok Commercial School, he carried out orders from the underground Bolshevik committee. He wrote his first story in 1922. While working on the novel “Destruction,” he decided to become a professional writer. “Destruction” brought fame and recognition to the young writer.

Still from the film “The Young Guard” (1947)
His most famous novel is “Young Guard” (about the Krasnodon underground organization “Young Guard”, which operated in territory occupied by Nazi Germany, many of whose members were killed by the Nazis. In mid-February 1943, after the liberation of Donetsk Krasnodon by Soviet troops, from the pit located Not far from the city of mine No. 5, several dozen corpses of teenagers tortured by the Nazis, who were members of the underground organization “Young Guard” during the occupation, were recovered.
The book was published in 1946. The writer was sharply criticized for the fact that the “leading and directing” role of the Communist Party was not clearly expressed in the novel; he received critical remarks in the Pravda newspaper actually from Stalin himself. In 1951, he created the second edition of the novel, and in it he paid more attention to the leadership of the underground organization by the CPSU (b).
Standing at the head of the Writers' Union of the USSR, A. Fadeev implemented the decisions of the party and government in relation to the writers M.M. Zoshchenko, A.A. Akhmatova, A.P. Platonov. In 1946, Zhdanov’s well-known decree was issued, which effectively destroyed Zoshchenko and Akhmatova as writers. Fadeev was among those who carried out this sentence. But the human feelings in him were not completely killed, he tried to help the financially distressed M. Zoshchenko, and also bothered about the fate of other writers who were in opposition to the authorities (B. Pasternak, N. Zabolotsky, L. Gumilyov, A. Platonov). Having such a hard time experiencing this split, he fell into depression.
On May 13, 1956, Alexander Fadeev shot himself with a revolver at his dacha in Peredelkino. “...My life, as a writer, loses all meaning, and with great joy, as a deliverance from this vile existence, where meanness, lies and slander fall upon you, I am leaving this life. The last hope was to at least tell this to the people who rule the state, but for the past 3 years, despite my requests, they cannot even accept me. I ask you to bury me next to my mother” (Suicide letter from A. A. Fadeev to the CPSU Central Committee. May 13, 1956).

Socialist realism in fine art

In the fine arts of the 1920s, several groups emerged. The most significant group was the Association of Artists of the Revolution.

"Association of Artists of the Revolution" (AHR)

S. Malyutin “Portrait of Furmanov” (1922). State Tretyakov Gallery
This large association of Soviet artists, graphic artists and sculptors was the most numerous, it was supported by the state. The association lasted 10 years (1922-1932) and was the forerunner of the Union of Artists of the USSR. The association was headed by Pavel Radimov, the last head of the Association of Itinerants. From that moment on, the Itinerants as an organization virtually ceased to exist. The AHR members rejected the avant-garde, although the 20s were the heyday of the Russian avant-garde, which also wanted to work for the benefit of the revolution. But the paintings of these artists were not understood and accepted by society. Here, for example, is the work of K. Malevich “The Reaper”.

K. Malevich “The Reaper” (1930)
This is what the AKhR artists declared: “Our civic duty to humanity is the artistic and documentary recording of the greatest moment in history in its revolutionary impulse. We will depict today: the life of the Red Army, the life of workers, peasants, leaders of the revolution and heroes of labor... We will give a real picture of events, and not abstract fabrications that discredit our revolution in the face of the international proletariat.”
The main task of the Association members was to create genre paintings on subjects from modern life, in which they developed the traditions of painting by the Wanderers and “brought art closer to life.”

I. Brodsky “V. I. Lenin in Smolny in 1917" (1930)
The main activity of the Association in the 1920s was exhibitions, of which about 70 were organized in the capital and other cities. These exhibitions were very popular. Depicting the present day (the life of the Red Army soldiers, workers, peasants, revolutionaries and labor), the artists of the Academy of Arts considered themselves heirs of the Wanderers. They visited factories, mills, and Red Army barracks to observe the lives of their characters. It was they who became the main backbone of the artists of socialist realism.

V. Favorsky
Representatives of socialist realism in painting and graphics were E. Antipova, I. Brodsky, P. Buchkin, P. Vasiliev, B. Vladimirsky, A. Gerasimov, S. Gerasimov, A. Deineka, P. Konchalovsky, D. Mayevsky, S. Osipov, A. Samokhvalov, V. Favorsky and others.

Socialist realism in sculpture

In the sculpture of socialist realism, the names of V. Mukhina, N. Tomsky, E. Vuchetich, S. Konenkov and others are known.

Vera Ignatievna Mukhina (1889 -1953)

M. Nesterov “Portrait of V. Mukhina” (1940)

Soviet sculptor-monumentalist, academician of the USSR Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the USSR. Winner of five Stalin Prizes.
Her monument “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” was erected in Paris at the 1937 World Exhibition. Since 1947, this sculpture has been the emblem of the Mosfilm film studio. The monument is made of stainless chromium-nickel steel. Height is about 25 m (height of the pavilion-pedestal is 33 m). Total weight 185 tons.

V. Mukhina “Worker and Collective Farm Woman”
V. Mukhina is the author of many monuments, sculptural works and decorative and applied items.

V. Mukhin “Monument “P.I. Tchaikovsky" near the building of the Moscow Conservatory

V. Mukhina “Monument to Maxim Gorky” (Nizhny Novgorod)
N.V. was also an outstanding Soviet monumental sculptor. Tomsky.

N. Tomsky “Monument to P. S. Nakhimov” (Sevastopol)
Thus, socialist realism made its worthy contribution to art.

Socialist realism is a creative method of literature and art of the 20th century, the cognitive sphere of which was limited and regulated by the task of reflecting the processes of reorganization of the world in the light of the communist ideal and Marxist-Leninist ideology.

Goals of socialist realism

Socialist realism is the main officially (at the state level) recognized method of Soviet literature and art, the purpose of which is to capture the stages of the construction of Soviet socialist society and its “movement towards communism.” Over the course of half a century of existence in all developed literatures of the world, socialist realism sought to take a leading position in the artistic life of the era, contrasting its (supposedly the only true) aesthetic principles (the principle of party membership, nationality, historical optimism, socialist humanism, internationalism) to all other ideological and artistic principles.

History of origin

The domestic theory of socialist realism originates from “Fundamentals of Positive Aesthetics” (1904) by A.V. Lunacharsky, where art is guided not by what is, but by what should be, and creativity is equated with ideology. In 1909, Lunacharsky was one of the first to call the story “Mother” (1906-07) and the play “Enemies” (1906) by M. Gorky “serious works of a social type,” “significant works, the significance of which in the development of proletarian art will someday be taken into account” (Literary Decay , 1909. Book 2). The critic was the first to draw attention to the Leninist principle of party membership as determinant in the construction of socialist culture (article “Lenin” Literary Encyclopedia, 1932. Volume 6).

The term “Socialist realism” first appeared in the editorial of the “Literary Gazette” dated May 23, 1932 (author I.M. Gronsky). J.V. Stalin repeated it at a meeting with writers at Gorky on October 26 of the same year, and from that moment the concept became widespread. In February 1933, Lunacharsky, in a report on the tasks of Soviet drama, emphasized that socialist realism “is thoroughly devoted to the struggle, it is a builder through and through, it is confident in the communist future of humanity, it believes in the strength of the proletariat, its party and leaders” (Lunacharsky A.V. Articles about Soviet literature, 1958).

The difference between socialist realism and bourgeois realism

At the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers (1934), the originality of the method of socialist realism was substantiated by A.A. Zhdanov, N.I. Bukharin, Gorky and A.A. Fadeev. The political component of Soviet literature was emphasized by Bukharin, who pointed out that socialist realism “differs from simple realism in that it inevitably places in the center of attention the image of the construction of socialism, the struggle of the proletariat, the new man and all the complex “connections and mediations” of the great historical process of our time... Stylistic features , distinguishing socialist realism from bourgeois... are closely related to the content of the material and the goals of the volitional order, dictated by the class position of the proletariat" (First All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers. Verbatim report, 1934).

Fadeev supported the idea expressed earlier by Gorky that, unlike “the old realism - critical... our, socialist, realism is affirming. Zhdanov’s speech, his formulations: “depict reality in its revolutionary development”; “At the same time, the truthfulness and historical specificity of the artistic depiction must be combined with the task of ideological reworking and education of working people in the spirit of socialism,” formed the basis of the definition given in the Charter of the Union of Soviet Writers.

His statement that “revolutionary romanticism should be included in literary creativity as an integral part” of socialist realism was also programmatic (ibid.). On the eve of the congress that legitimized the term, the search for its defining principles was qualified as “The Struggle for the Method” - under this title one of the Rappov collections was published in 1931. In 1934, the book “In Disputes about Method” was published (with the subtitle “Collection of articles on socialist realism”). In the 1920s, there were discussions about the artistic method of proletarian literature between theorists of Proletkult, RAPP, LEF, OPOYAZ. The theories of “living man” and “industrial” art, “learning from the classics,” and “social order” were permeated through and through with the pathos of struggle.

Expansion of the concept of socialist realism

Heated debates continued in the 1930s (about language, about formalism), in the 1940s-50s (mainly in connection with the “theory” of conflict-free behavior, the problem of the typical, “positive hero”). It is characteristic that discussions on certain issues of the “artistic platform” often touched upon politics and were associated with the problems of aestheticization of ideology, with the justification of authoritarianism and totalitarianism in culture. The debate lasted for decades about the relationship between romanticism and realism in socialist art. On the one hand, we were talking about romance as a “scientifically based dream of the future” (in this capacity, at a certain stage, romance began to be replaced by “historical optimism”), on the other hand, attempts were made to highlight a special method or stylistic movement of “socialist romanticism” with its cognitive possibilities. This trend (identified by Gorky and Lunacharsky) led to overcoming stylistic monotony and to a more comprehensive interpretation of the essence of socialist realism in the 1960s.

The desire to expand the concept of socialist realism (and at the same time to “shaken” the theory of the method) emerged in domestic literary criticism (under the influence of similar processes in foreign literature and criticism) at the All-Union Conference on Socialist Realism (1959): I.I. Anisimov emphasized the “great flexibility” and “breadth” inherent in the aesthetic concept of the method, which was dictated by the desire to overcome dogmatic postulates. In 1966, the Institute of Lithuania hosted the conference “Current Problems of Socialist Realism” (see the collection of the same name, 1969). The active apologetics of socialist realism by some speakers, the critical-realist “type of creativity” by others, the romantic by others, and the intellectual by others, testified to a clear desire to expand the boundaries of ideas about the literature of the socialist era.

Domestic theoretical thought was in search of a “broad formulation of the creative method” as a “historically open system” (D.F. Markov). The resulting discussion took place in the late 1980s. By this time, the authority of the statutory definition had finally been lost (it became associated with dogmatism, incompetent leadership in the field of art, the dictates of Stalinism in literature - “custom”, state, “barracks” realism). Based on real trends in the development of Russian literature, modern critics consider it quite legitimate to talk about socialist realism as a specific historical stage, an artistic movement in literature and art of the 1920s-50s. Socialist realism included V.V. Mayakovsky, Gorky, L. Leonov, Fadeev, M.A. Sholokhov, F.V. Gladkov, V.P. Kataev, M.S. Shaginyan, N.A. Ostrovsky, V. V. Vishnevsky, N.F. Pogodin and others.

A new situation arose in the literature of the second half of the 1950s in the wake of the 20th Party Congress, which noticeably undermined the foundations of totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Russian “village prose” was “broken out” of the socialist canons, depicting peasant life not in its “revolutionary development”, but, on the contrary, in conditions of social violence and deformation; literature also told the terrible truth about the war, destroying the myth of official heroism and optimism; The civil war and many episodes of Russian history appeared differently in literature. “Industrial prose” clung to the tenets of socialist realism for the longest time.

An important role in the attack on Stalin’s legacy in the 1980s belonged to the so-called “detained” or “rehabilitated” literature - the unpublished works of A.P. Platonov, M.A. Bulgakov, A.A. Akhmatova, B.L. .Lasternak, V.S.Grossman, A.T.Tvardovsky, A.A.Bek, B.L.Mozhaev, V.I.Belov, M.F.Shatrova, Yu.V.Trifonov, V.F.Tendryakov, Yu O. Dombrovsky, V. T. Shalamov, A. I. Pristavkin and others. Domestic conceptualism (Sots Art) contributed to the exposure of socialist realism.

Although socialist realism “disappeared as an official doctrine with the collapse of the State, of which it was part of the ideological system,” the phenomenon remains at the center of research that considers it “as an integral element of Soviet civilization,” according to the Parisian journal Revue des études slaves. A popular train of thought in the West is an attempt to connect the origins of socialist realism with the avant-garde, as well as the desire to substantiate the coexistence of two trends in the history of Soviet literature: “totalitarian” and “revisionist”.

“Socialist realism is a late avant-garde movement in Russian art of the 30s and 40s, combining the method of appropriating artistic styles of the past with avant-garde strategies.” Boris Groys, thinker

When I hear the words “socialist realism,” my hand goes somewhere. Or for something. And my cheekbones are aching with melancholy. Lord, how much they tormented me with them*. At school, at art school, at university... But you need to write about him. For this is the most extensive direction in art on Earth and within it the largest number of works for one direction was created. It practically had a monopoly on a territory whose area had never been dreamed of by any other movement - what was called the camp of socialism, something like that from Berlin to Hanoi. His powerful remains are still visible at every turn in his homeland - which we share with him - in the form of monuments, mosaics, frescoes and other monumental products. It was consumed with varying degrees of intensity by several generations of varying numbers of billions of individuals. In general, socialist realism was a majestic and creepy structure. And his relationship with avant-garde art, which I am actively talking about here, is extremely difficult. In a word, socialist realism has gone.

Boris Iofan, Vera Mukhina. USSR Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Paris

Apparently, Stalin gave him the name after all, in May 1932, in a conversation with the ideological functionary Gronsky. And a few days later, Gronsky announced this name to the world in his article in Literary Gazette. And shortly before this, in April, by a resolution of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, all artistic groups were dissolved, and their members were gathered into a single union of Soviet artists** - the material carrier and implementer of a complex of ideas, which received its very name a month later. And two years later, at the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Writers, he received that very definition, practically a creed, with the creative application of which responsible cultural workers tormented several generations of Soviet creators and lovers of beauty: “Socialist realism, being the main method of Soviet fiction and literary criticism requires from the artist a truthful, historically specific depiction of reality in its revolutionary development. At the same time, the truthfulness and historical specificity of the artistic depiction of reality must be combined with the task of ideological remodeling and education of working people in the spirit of socialism.” There is no need to pay attention to the fact that we are talking about literature. It was a writers' congress, and they talked about their own things. Then this fruitful method covered almost all areas of Soviet creativity, including ballet, cinema and Georgian coinage.

Vladimir Serov. Lenin proclaims Soviet power at the 2nd Congress of Soviets

First of all, in this formula one sees a strict imperative - how to do it - and the presence of a task that traditionally did not belong to the field of art itself - the creation of a new person. These are, of course, worthy and useful things. They were invented - or, better, brought to such limits and affects - by avant-gardeism, thereby, the fight against which for socialist realism all the way was a sacred, honorable and obligatory occupation. It’s normal and somehow understandable to be human - to fight with a predecessor from whom he took a lot, especially when it comes to religious*** or almost religious practices, which, in many ways, were both socialist realism and avant-gardeism, especially Russian avant-gardeism .

Boris Ioganson. Interrogation of communists

After all, what did he, Russian avant-garde, do? He did not draw black squares of indefinite color for aesthetic pampering, but created serious projects for a radical remaking of the world and humanity towards utopia. And socialist realism was also developed for this purpose. Only if in avant-gardeism there were several projects-sects irreconcilably competing with each other: Tatlinism, spiritual Kandinism, Filonovism, Khlebnikovism, Suprematism of several sects, etc., then socialist realism united the insane energy of all these now ambiguously interpreted types of pathos of radical utopianism under one brand .

In general, socialist realism happily realized many avant-garde pink dreams of a black square color. The same totalitarianism - the fact that socialist realism was declared not the only one, but the main one - this is the usual Bolshevik cunning, in this case it is better to look at practice, and not at words. So here it is. After all, every avant-garde movement claimed to have the final truth and fought terribly with its neighbors who had their own Truth. Each movement dreamed of being the only one - there can never be too many truths.

Vasily Efanov. An unforgettable meeting

And now socialist realism becomes the only accessible direction in art, which is supported by the existence of serious institutions in all areas related to creativity - in the education system, in the system of government orders and procurement, in exhibition practice, in the incentive system (prizes, titles, awards), in the media , and even in the system of household/professional provision of art front workers with art materials, apartments, workshops and vouchers to the house of creativity in Gurzuf. Creative unions, the Academy of Arts, committees for various awards, the ideological department of the CPSU Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture, a bunch of different educational institutions from the art school to the Surikov and Repin Institutes, the critical press and literature **** - all this ensured a truly monotheistically harsh exclusivity socialist realism. There were no artists outside these institutions. Those. they were, of course, different kinds of modernists and nonconformists, but their existence was extremely marginal and even doubtful from the point of view of the laws of physics. Therefore, we can say that there were none at all. In any case, during the times of classical socialist realism, i.e. under Stalin. All this husk, not only to exhibit itself, in difficult times could not provide for itself with a brush without a membership card. Socialist realism was one and everywhere - from the main exhibition sites of the country to the work barracks with a reproduction from Ogonyok on the wall above the bed.

Sergey Gerasimov. Collective farm holiday

The uniqueness of socialist realism was also manifested in its expansion into adjacent areas of creativity. Every avant-garde ism sought to capture them, but only socialist realism managed to do this so consistently and unconditionally. Music, cinema, theater, pop music, architecture, literature, applied arts, design, fine arts - in all these territories only his laws were in force. It became a single project.

Palekh. Meeting of Heroes of Socialist Labor

Boris Iofan, Vladimir Gelfreich, Vladimir Shchuko. Competition project for the Palace of Soviets in Moscow. Perspective

Could any Suprematism dream of such total domination? Of course he could. But who will give him...

Avant-garde dreamed of religious art - not traditional Christian art, of course - the level of its utopianism, i.e. the depth and nature of the transformation of the world, the remoteness of the limits beyond which the new Universe and the new man were supposed to go, the qualities that they were supposed to acquire, were at a completely sacred height. The masters of avant-gardeism reproduced the behavior patterns of the messiahs - they themselves were the creators and bearers of the Law, followed by apostolic communities of disciples who disseminated and interpreted knowledge, surrounded by decreasing groups of adepts and neophytes. Any deviation from the canon was interpreted as heresy, its bearer was expelled or left on his own, unable to stand near untrue knowledge. All this was later reproduced by socialist realism with much greater energy. There were tablets with a basic law that was not subject to, let alone revision, friendly criticism. Under his umbrella, private discussions took place: about the typical, about traditions and innovation, about artistic truth and fiction, about nationality, ideology, etc. In their course, concepts, categories and definitions were honed, subsequently cast in bronze and included in the canon. These discussions were completely religious - every thought had to be confirmed by compliance with the Law and be based on the statements of authoritative bearers of knowledge. And the stakes in these discussions, as in creative practice itself, were high. The bearer of something alien became a heretic or even an apostate and was subjected to ostracism, the limit of which was sometimes death.

Alexey Solodovnikov. In a Soviet court

Avant-garde works for the most part sought to become new icons. Old icons are windows and doors into the world of sacred history, into the divine Christian world, and ultimately into heaven. New icons are evidence of avant-garde utopia. But the circle of those who worshiped them was narrow. And without mass ***** ritual there is no religious legitimacy.

Socialist realism also realized this dream of the avant-garde - after all, it was everywhere. As for the works themselves, the socialist realist icons - and all his works were, to one degree or another, icons connecting this created world with the communist utopia, with the exception of some completely worthless bouquets of lilacs - were created practically according to proven Christian canons. Even in terms of iconography.

Pavel Filonov. Portrait of Stalin

This is a completely normal Savior Not Made by Hands. It is characteristic that this picture was made by an avant-garde artist who tried to be a socialist realist here - this was in 1936. So let's say, a new icon painter in the square.

Ilya Mashkov. Greetings to the XVII Congress of the CPSU (b)

But the main dream of the avant-garde, realized, however, not by socialist realism itself, but by its creator, the Soviet government, is to create history according to the laws of artistic creativity. This is when there is an artistic plan, a creator-demiurge, practically equal to God, who alone, in accordance with his will, embodies this plan, and the artistic material is subjected to violence on the way to the result******. The Soviet government truly acted like an artist, uncompromisingly fashioning from raw human material what it saw as consistent with its design. Ruthlessly cutting off what is superfluous, adding what is missing, burning, cutting out and performing all the other cruel manipulations necessary when working with rough matter, which the creator resorts to on the way to creating a masterpiece.

Tatiana Yablonskaya. Bread

This is where the avant-garde artists really had a bad break. They thought that they would be the demiurges, and the demiurges were communist ideologists and bureaucrats, who used cultural masters only as carriers of their artistic will*******.

Fedor Shurpin. Morning of our Motherland

Here the question may arise: why did socialist realism, if it was so cool, use such an archaic language compared to avant-gardeism? The answer is simple - socialist realism was so cool that its language did not float at all. He, of course, could speak something similar to Suprematism. But there the barrier to entry is high, the religious and ideological message will take a long time to reach the addressee, who is the broad masses. Well, you would simply have to make unnecessary efforts to teach them this language, but it is not necessary. Therefore, we decided to focus on the generally familiar eclecticism of academism/peredvizhniki, especially since it has already shown itself well within the framework of the Academy of Religious Works. In principle, socialist realism needed some sufficient resemblance to life in order to make credible the messages that the government sent to the people. So that they get into the head without hindrance. At the same time, the pictorial quality, when it comes to pictures, was completely unimportant - recognizable, approximately as in life, and that’s enough. Therefore, the best works of socialist realism - and the quality criteria here, as in avant-gardeism, were established by the expert community, the main figures in which were, again, ideologists and functionaries, and not artists - i.e. those works that were awarded in any way, from the point of view of the same academicism, realism and other classical styles, are nothing. They are rather poor in painting.

Leonid Shmatko. Lenin at the GOELRO map

Mikhail Khmelko. “For the great Russian people!”

And the fact that socialist realism called for learning from the masters of the past was from him in order to gain some legitimacy in the tradition - like, they took the best from world art, they didn’t come from the trash heap. So, for example, surrealism compiled entire lists of its predecessors. It could also be private initiatives of specific figures who have not completely simplified their means of expression to socialist realism. Therefore, inside it there are works that are of high quality by the standards of traditional painting. But this is so, shortcomings of the method. Those. It turns out that those ideologically correct hacks that many artists sculpted solely for the sake of a career and income are truly good socialist realist pictures.

Socialist realism, if it is good anywhere, is not in these program structures,