1930s Culture

The culture and the arts are one of significant resources when studying history. They often give great hints and ideas to what the actual life was like in the periods being studied. Adding to that, they are not only a form of entertainments, but also have a strong political influence. Therefore, they are reviewed and treated carefully by historians. The USSR during the 1930s is no exception even though it was under a totalitarian regime. Even the biased culture and the arts give us further understanding and knowledge of the regime.

The culture and the arts of the USSR during the 1930s can be divided in two; the early 1930s and the mid to late 1930s. The early works were highly influenced by the Cultural Revolution of 1928 to 1931 and the latter

Subsequently, some galleries began to label exhibits according to the class origins of the artists. Works by artists with the proletarian background were more appreciated as well as avant-garde artists and experimental works were more encouraged. Pieces which celebrated industry techniques and development were more popular as well as abstract arts composed of geometric shapes. Meanwhile, works of old master paintings were vandalized as products of bourgeois culture. The traditional artists and realist painters like Aleksandr Gerasimov and Isaak Brodsky were attacked. Furthermore, the major artist association changed its name from Association of Artists of the Revolution to Association of Proletarian Artists in 1931. As a result, some artists left the organization because they were unable to adapt to the new

Stalin especially liked realism, because of its simplicity and ability to be easily understood by the masses and to tell a story. For this reaon, Socialist Realism became the fundamental artistic method.Socialist Realism indicated the future, rather than the present state of life. Its subjects were Soviet men and women, inspired by the ideals of socialism, building the glowing future. It was supposed to give hope to the masses as it shows the bright future. The period of practice of the Socialist Realism is called Zhdanovshchina, as it was a policy implemented by Andrei Zhdanov, the Party's new authority on cultural