Paintings by Soviet artists that were hidden during the USSR (15 photos)

2 October 2024

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Everyone probably knows that there was censorship in the USSR. And it strictly regulated many spheres of life, including culture. This post contains paintings of different styles and artists that were banned at that time.

1. Valery Mishin "Bearers of the Cross", 1979

In the early 1930s, the Soviet state took control of the entire artistic space of the country, and the only acceptable style for members of creative unions was socialist realism. In response to this, Unofficial Soviet Art emerged.

2. Vladimir Ovchinnikov "At the TV", 1983

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Most often it is called "unofficial" or "non-conformist", emphasizing the fundamental differences from official socialist realism. This name unites various artistic movements in the fine arts of the USSR of the 1950s-1980s, which for political and ideological reasons were ousted from public artistic life.

3. Vladimir Luppian "Revolution as a Stage of Evolution", 1924–1961

Because of its "underground" existence, unofficial art in the USSR was closely connected with informal youth movements. During the Khrushchev Thaw, nonconformist art ceased to be banned, but its freedom remained limited, and it was used as a demonstration art on the international stage.

4. Erik Bulatov "I Live - I See", 1987

The 1970s were the next stage - a time of struggle of new authors for the right to be seen. The key event of this period was the Bulldozer Exhibition of 1974, dispersed by the police, which attracted attention to informal art and made it famous.

5. Vladimir Kozhukh “Cleansing”, 1987