In the Soviet state, sport was often an important element of propaganda and the formation of the "correct" Soviet person. After the revolution, sports teams and various societies, such as the famous Dynamo, Spartak and Torpedo, began to be organized at almost all enterprises. Sport was considered necessary for maintaining proper labor productivity, since without good physical shape it was very difficult to withstand all the loads and work hard on machines. It is no coincidence that at many enterprises the working day began with exercise. The best athletes, distinguished by their athletic build, participated in the Parade of Physical Culture Workers. It was held from 1919 to 1956 and promoted the triumph of Soviet ideology and the Soviet way of life.
Alexander Samokhvalov. S. M. Kirov receives the parade of athletes.
In the 1920s, artists were relatively free in their choice of means of expression and in their work. Socialist realism was not yet considered the only true art. Therefore, various avant-garde artists were active, in particular, El Lissitzky created the work "Football Player" combining a real photo of a football player and Lissitzky's characteristic avant-garde compositions of various geometric figures.
El Lissitzky. Footballer.
Lissitzky's initiative was taken up by Gustav Klutsis, who created many propaganda posters based on photomontage, where he deliberately violated all the laws of perspective, scale and proportions. But this seemed innovative and interesting, and his sports posters are even now considered an example of agitprop.
Gustav Klutsis. All-Union Spartakiad postcard.
In the 1930s, everything changed. The leadership began to look more closely at “formalism in art,” creative experiments were not particularly encouraged, and Klutsis himself was arrested and executed in 1938 as a “member of a terrorist organization.”
The creative association AKhR (Association of Artists of the Revolution) gained strength, which included Alexander Gerasimov, Konstantin Yuon, Isaak Brodsky and others. They considered the works of our Itinerants to be a source of inspiration, and realism was the only way to reflect reality. The Soviet leadership supported them: simple and understandable paintings did not require any explanations, only instead of criticism, the artists were strongly recommended to extol our successes and depict jubilant peasants and workers.
Sergey Luppov. Sports games at the stadium
An example is Sergei Luppov's painting "Sports Games at the Stadium". All the people depicted there resemble some athletes, the artist consciously gives preference to monumental forms and bright colors, enhancing the feeling of a universal celebration. However, sometimes impressionistic experiments were allowed, as in Vladimir Kashkin's painting, but only within the framework of the "correct" ideology.
Vladimir Kashkin. At the water stadium.
The artists paid special attention to the dynamics of their paintings, trying to find an original compositional structure and unusual points of view.
Diving
The images of athletes also changed: they no longer resembled ordinary people, but rather some kind of muscular monumental ancient heroes.
Alexander Deineka. Ball game
And their nakedness in this aspect has already become completely natural and relatively acceptable in art. This is not some kind of bourgeois passion or other vulgarity, but simply admiration for a healthy and strong human body in all its beauty.
Sergey Luppov. Water station
It is no coincidence that the women in the paintings of many socialist realists are very muscular and strong, like weightlifters or railroad tie layers, and are completely devoid of any coquetry or desire to look prettier.
German Melentyev. Hockey player.
They are completely impersonal, which, according to the artists, allowed ordinary viewers to associate themselves with them.
Alexander Deineka. Bathers
However, true masters of their craft, such as Alexander Deineka, were able to link ideology with their own concepts of beauty and create wonderful paintings that are still admired by many art lovers.
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