Author Description

One of the most energetic artistic debates of the 20th century took place in the Soviet Union in the years between 1917 and 1939, as different movements in the art world vied with each other in claiming to represent the true art of the people in the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat. The Party followed the debate closely, seeking to guide its progress and strengthen central control over the formulation of artistic policy, as advocates of social realism and symbolism took issue with exponents of modernism. Until now, Western interest in these debates has focused exclusively on the activities and theories of the modernists. Brandon Taylor aims to provide a full picture of Soviet culture in its early period - one that is fundamental to an understanding of the arts in the Soviet Union today.