Socialist Realism artwork has always fascinated me.
I had never heard of this style until I visited the Soviet Union and saw it for myself. It is utterly unique in the sense that it was artwork officially sanctioned by the Soviet government with the purpose of glorifying communism. It wasn’t just slipshod propaganda, however. The paintings and sculptures were often technically superb and crafted by very talented artists. The best description I’ve heard of this style is that it is, ironically, very religious in nature; merely replace Jesus with Lenin or Marx, and you’ve got yourself a piece of socialist realism artwork with all the idolatry and adulation once reserved solely for the church.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, exhibitions of Socialist Realism have reemerged in Prague, Moscow, and various other former Warsaw Pact countries. Traveling beyond the former Iron Curtain was the only way to see such artwork. But this is no longer the case. There is actually a Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, Minnesota of all places! The curious can now stay stateside to check out the fascinating world of Socialist Realism artwork-the largest collection outside of the former Soviet Union-in addition to numerous other selections by Russian masters as well.