Socialist Realism

Socialist Realism was born in Malaia Nikitskaia no. 6, Moscow in October 26, 1932. In a stately home with art nouveau style the principles of art formulated - and from residence of writer Maxim Gorky the principle was developed into diktat which welcomed by the party and communist movements around the world.

In that year, at age 63, Gorky, author of the famous novel Мать had become a poet who was hailed by leaders of the state. Meeting at his home that day attended by Stalin and other top officials coming from the Kremlin.

Agenda of the day: preparing a law of art. Of course, the ideas did not come suddenly. Its seed had been developed in the art and literature of Russia before the Revolution of October 1917. Also when the revolution was won, and Lenin took control the "Proletarian Dictatorship" until he died and Stalin then replaced him. Gorky expected the legislation to be drafted would be able to "unite realism and romanticism", to describe "the present heroic" with "brighter" sound.

Joseph Stalin dan Maxim Gorky

About 50 writers were sitting in the large room (although the poet Akhmatova and Pasternak was not there; later they were removed and Mandelstam was also dumped). Ivan Gronsky, spokesman for the literature suggested that new legislation was named "Socialist Realism". Stalin agreed.

On that day he uttered his famous words, "Authors are supposed to be the engineer of human soul". In the First Congress of the Union of Soviet author in 1934,  Andrei Zhdanov -- government cultural affairs officer --  confirmed the sentence as the basic instructions.

The word "engineer" reflected what was being waged. Russia was launching its first five-year development plan. With a roar, the country was moving into a land of agrarian industry. Socialism was born with determination, discipline, and sacrifice. Lifestyle, way of thinking and working people must be changed.

In this context, "Socialist Realism" can be seen as part of the modernization strategy that is different from the way capitalism: from a semi-feudal society towards a new era through the enormity of the "Socialist Revolution".

"Realism" always has a fascination for those who move to changing times. In 19th-century Europe, the realism in art and literature came together with development of optical science and technology, especially the cameras. This technology reinforced the belief that "reality" could be captured and brought back  ("represented") as it was without delusions and wishful thinking. In France, Emile Zola - one of the pioneers of realism in literature (he described it as "Naturalism") - brought a camera everywhere. People believed that the reality -- matters of life and death exposed in the world -- could be cleaned from illusion and mystery.

But realism is not just coming from there. In the history of art and literature, this genre deals with the attitude of rejecting what is regarded as a social lie.

In 19th century France, Realism accompanying opposition to the return of conservative forces, after the 1848 Revolution. Realism was the intention to disarm the cosmetology of the bourgeois class life which moving into a new aristocracy.

Statement of artist Gustave Courbet asserted his defiance, "I was a partisan in all revolutions and above all is a Realist".

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the socialist thinker saw Coubert's realist paintings -- The Stone-breakers -- as "An irony directed to the presence of industrial civilization which unable to free man from the heavy duty".

In other words, in European Realism of the 19th century, the reality is indicative of protest. The essence of realism, Coubert said, was "the refusal of what is ideal." Maybe because of what the "ideal" is often determined by the ruling class.

Unwittingly, there were indications of protest in "Realism" formulated in the Gorky residence that day. Socialist realism was prepared by nomenklatura who was leading. They would not sue the state and denying an ideal world they wished to reach. Even then, since 1946, on top of it echoed the "bezkonfliknost theory" (without conflict), it is a work of art which should reflect the Soviet classless society, a society which almost reach the ideals of communism.

They really were building the future with confidence and optimism. In their establishment, the "Reality" that should be displayed by art and literature was the fact that was being constructed. "Artists," Stalin said, "Should show live "properly", and when they described it "correctly," they would show that life was moving to the direction of socialism."

It can be seen, here "True" has its own meaning. For Stalin, the "True" is the ideal destination to follow - something in the future. Osip Beskin, editor of official art magazine Iskutsstvo confirmed this view, "Revolutionary artist is not an" objectivist ", which captures and describes what is it. They are the "communism builders with extensive projections into the future."

 In the future, the image of the "ideal," there would be no rotten and dilapidated. Then the movement towards the ideal was the true and bold motion. Presumably it was desired by Gorky: the literature and art must depict "contemporary heroic", the "brighter" sound. In 1933 Gorky even encouraged the artists to produce "happily works".

Gustave Courbet

Boris Vladimirski "Roses for Stalin"

Sergei Gerasimov: Kolkhoz Holiday (1937)

Fedor Bogorodsky "Homeless"

So what happens is not mimesis of reality, not a reflection or bring back the reality. What happens is a staging of what is ideal. the Soviet Union's works of art after the mid-1930s confirmed the academic style with a large canvas, picture detail, finish, bright, as photographically documenting the events and heroic figures.

Using the words of Mao Zedong about "Revolutionary Romanticism", works of Socialist Realism emphasizes what is "closer to the ideal, and therefore more universal than the day-to-day life".

Emphasizing what is ideal, Socialist Realism is formulated as a normative principle. Each work must have "content" which politically is true: ideinost. The message must be easily to be understood. Artist Lvov asserted: "In art there should be no dimness shadows. Each case should be bright and can be understood by anyone. The enemy could be hiding there only for the lack of clarity. "

Novel, for example, must show "positive hero". The figures must be a man of steadfast, calm, serious, cautious, faithful, conscious of the struggle - like Pavel Pavlov in Mother or Zukrai in Nikolai Ostrovsky's novel which in its English version called How The Steel Was Tempered.

The "positive hero" certainly serves as a role model to convey the message. It is based on the idea, not of concrete life. It follows a certain ideal type. It is "typical" - and that's important.

told in front of the 9th Congress of Soviet Union Communist Party, "The artists, writers, and our performers must always be aware that what is 'typical' is a vital area in which party spirit is manifested in art."

Malenkov emphasized the need to manifest the "Spirit of party" : Partiinost is mandatory.  What can never be explained is how do we know the existence of "Spirit of party" and who determines it. In practice, the determiner is the Party officials. But the assessment may change due to changes in political direction.

In Socialist Realists Paintings (1998), Cullerne Matthew Bown recorded the event: the great works of Alexander Gerasimov, the commander of the First Cavalry (1936) -- which was officially on display in International Exhibition in Paris -- was removed. In the previous year, Stalin shot dead most of the figures enshrined in the painting. Because of fear, Gerasimov saved his work in his studio floor until Stalin's death.

History of Socialist Realism was not as straight as that envisioned by the drafters of the legislation
in 1932. Emphasis for approaching the "ideal" was already pushing the awesome art techniques, because imitating the works of "academic."

But there's no explosion of creativity as in the period ahead  and soon after the victory of Bolsheviks, when the various expression emerging and competing.

Under the supervision of Zhdanov, art and literature were forbidden to experiment with something different. It would be called "formalism" and would be dealt with as a "counterrevolution".

Ideas, art, and literature were treated so important at that time. Bolsheviks leaders were the inteligentias. Lenin wrote philosophical treatises and Trotsky was essayist who appreciated the lyrical poetry. History of Socialist Realism can not be separated from the motto kulturnost or "civilizing". But then the party fell into Stalin hands, and the bureaucrats, and the secret police. They still thought that the art was not something messing around - but with wary eyes.

"Only in Russia the poetry is respected: it can cause people to be killed," said the poet Osip Mandelstam. Sure enough: he wrote a poem deemed insulting Stalin. In 1938, he was arrested, exiled to Siberia, and died.
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(CZ-lacalifusa121413)