Soviet and Post Soviet Art

Hurst 1

Hillary Hurst

Dr. Wendy Salmond

Soviet and Post Soviet Art

21 September 2011

A New Art

It is 1917; the Proletarian people are aggressively demanding change, and a revolution is

brewing strongly. In order to establish a course of action, collective action is needed on behalf of

Narkompros. Agitational propaganda is the best form of communication to the people. This

unique and politically based art will help encourage the people to participate and support the

revolution. Lunacharsky is a leader in creating this new form of art. Lunacharsky is a Bolshevik

literary and artist. Adversely, forms of expression which include iconoclasm, mass spectacles,

and Komfut philosophies are ineffective, and lack the impact needed in a successful revolution.

The people are from an old world, and they need aggressive persuasion and agitational

propaganda to move into the new world.

Agitational propaganda, or agitprop, is effective because it can create an immediate

response from the people. As Lunacharsky said, "…it excites the feelings of the audience and

readers and has a direct influence on their will…it brings the whole content of propaganda to

white heat and makes it glow in all colors" (191-2). Lunacharsky is implying that, if the people

are encouraged to act, they will. The people just need a good push. Posters, agit-trains, and agit-

ships are the most effective forms of art, or agitprop, and they are the easiest to implement.

'These posters are used to not only gain support for the Bolshevik cause, but to be a part of the

long-term educative task of conveying basic information to the Soviet masses" (Lodder 52).

Agit-trains and agit-ships are trains and ships which have been painted to appear like posters.

Hurst 2

These trains can travel large distances, and can attract large masses of people. In addition,