During the Soviet era, artists had to be a part of the Soviet Union of Artists in order to become successful. When one was a member, he was ensured materials, space to paint, housing, and of course lots of money. The artists who were not part of the Union struggled to sell their art. They had to make money in other ways because they had no governmental support. Artists became very divided during that time period. They were either loyal to the regime or not.
The art had very academic topics. The artists in the Union were educated in specific institutions and thus they all learned the accepted styles and topics. In the early periods of the Soviet era the art was very dark. Most paintings contained images of people, usually with one main figure (Commonly Lenin or Stalin). The art aimed to remind the people about the formation of the Soviet Union. The art typically depicts the growth of the nation as a result of communism.
Many artists completely avoided the subject of politics in order to avoid conflicting ideology. Landscapes were not popular subject matters, but they were easier to paint since they lacked political messages.
The art had very academic topics. The artists in the Union were educated in specific institutions and thus they all learned the accepted styles and topics. In the early periods of the Soviet era the art was very dark. Most paintings contained images of people, usually with one main figure (Commonly Lenin or Stalin). The art aimed to remind the people about the formation of the Soviet Union. The art typically depicts the growth of the nation as a result of communism.
Many artists completely avoided the subject of politics in order to avoid conflicting ideology. Landscapes were not popular subject matters, but they were easier to paint since they lacked political messages.
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| юрий тулин painting from 1952. It is a big painting showing many contemporary people doing seemingly normal things. It is less gloomy than previous paintings. |
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