Socrealism

Socialist realism was more than just a trend in art. It was also, and perhaps predominantly, a method of educating the new post-revolutionary society in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In socialism, the state became the commissioner, consumer, and critic of art, treating it as a major propaganda tool. It is thus not surprising that the socialist realism patterns were imposed on artists working in those countries which found themselves in the Soviet sphere of influence after the end of the Second World War. In Poland, which was the Soviet Union’s closest neighbour and one of the larger countries in the post-war “Eastern Bloc”, socialist realism was the only permitted creative method in the years 1949–1956. The ideologists of the new art assigned a special role to sculpture, which, next to posters and murals, was considered the most socially accessible form of artistic expression due to the possibility of placing it in public space. Monuments as material carriers of ideology were used as an expression of power, but they also marked the places of strengthening collective identity. During the period of socialist realism in Poland, sculptural activity followed the main three directions: heroic, portrait, and architectural–decorative. Therefore, this paper aims to present theoretical and ideological assumptions relating to socialist sculpture and their confrontation with realisations in Poland during the period of the Soviet artistic doctrine. The paper also presents the aesthetic paradigms of socialist sculptures and their relationships with the canons of European art, and, for Poland, also with the native art, mainly sacral.

The article discusses the largely forgotten concept of realism developed by the French Marxist philosopher Roger Garaudy in his book D’un Réalisme Sans Rivages [Realism without borders].

In the first part of the article, I discuss the context in which the book was discussed when it was first published in Poland in 1967. I compare and contrast Garaudy’s observations with Polish critics, who, at the time, were also actively and passionately discussing the question of realism. Specifically, I refer to Julian Kornhauser and Adam Zagajewski’s Świat nie przed- stawiony [The unrepresented world] and Janusz Sławiński’s Rzut oka na ewolucję poezji polskiej w latach 1956-1980 [The evolution of Polish poetry from 1956 to 1980].

In the second part of the article, I analyse the selected fragments from Garaudy’s book, dem- onstrating that D’un Réalisme Sans Rivages may inform contemporary literary criticism and theory. I try to answer the question whether and how the tools proposed by the French think- er may be useful in describing contemporary literary phenomena and how his ideas can be used to formulate a new, not necessarily Marxist, concept of realism.

Stalin’s patronage over soviet art and literature was completely formalized at the beginning of
the 1930’s. Political subordination of all domains of culture and its ideological and party
standardization were expressed by implementation of socialist realism doctrine in 1934. The very
purposes of Stalinist culture were power sacralisation, fully unification and subjugation of the
Soviet Union citizens life to the socialist vision. Figure of the leader represents the idea of state
that yielded him as a new transcendent dimension. Stalin as an architect of excellent and total
piece of art—the socialism, obtained a new special status—became not only a sponsor of entire
cultural life, but also the notable, almighty creator. The main goal of Stalinist cultural revolution
was to realize the total plan of its leader: creation of the Soviet Man and the new world.

The article analyzes ways in which Stanislaw Lem's short stories collected in Sezam i inne opowiadania [Sesame and Other Stories] (first published in 1954) are a parody and satire on the imperialistic policies of both the USA and the Soviet Union. Parody and satire are discussed against a comparative background of specific examples of contemporary Polish and foreign literary works and with reference to the findings of Polish and international literary studies. As a result, the author postulates in the article that new politically subversive meanings of the stories unravel. Another issue considered in the analysis is Lem’s dexterous play with censorship by means of irony and parody (especially by hyperbolizing) thanks to which Polish censorship completely failed to decipher this double-dealing. The author comes to the conclusion that the criticism of imperial politics of the US in Lem’s short stories in question turns out to be a critique of the cold war politics of the Soviet Union as well.

Architectural sculpture does not only decorate – it often conveys information about the function and significance of the building and can also serve a role in advertising and propaganda. Ignored nowadays, this type of sculpture often hides some less serious content, featuring peculiar and ironic elements as well as embellishments that stand in stark contrast to its seriousness. Architectural sculpture is not always beautiful, it can sometimes be strange, and its appearance changes due to years of neglect and the impact of weather conditions. The exhibition at Królikarnia attempts to present to the viewers the current state of Warsaw’s architectural sculpture and to highlight forgotten narratives that concern objects that do not exist or never materialised. Materials for those who would like to find out more about the easily accessible outdoor art gallery are available as a supplement to the exhibition.

Downloadable PDF map, you can use on mobile devices or roam the city with a printed copy. The map comprises three relatively short routes that follow unique sculptures and reliefs, complete with short descriptions. Each route has an audio guide [available at  http://www.figuryretoryczne.pl/mapaEN.html] with a wealth of interesting details.

From the history of the Polish translations of Croatian literature. The third chapter of the book "Croatica. Croatian literature and culture in Poland between 1944 and 1989" about the first part of the whole period. The political relationships between both countries were appropriate throughout most of the period in question which, in turn, positively influenced the development of cultural contacts. Especially beneficial was the situation right after the war between 1944 and 1948 to Cominform resolution after which all the contacts were blocked. Though, a favourable political climate and, as it seems, real and sincere sympathies or even friendship were not enough to broaden the cultural cooperation. The obstacle consisted in the differences between the approach to socrealism, which was considered a biding doctrine in Yugoslavia, earlier than in Poland, and so was it discredited.

REZIME
Трг партизана у Ужицу представља не само индивидуалистичко и неконформистичко дело српске поратне архитектуре и планирања, већ је и пример политичке прагматике у циљу дефинисања и опросторавања одређене идеолошке и политичке намере. Вредан детаљ југословенске поратне архитектуре и културе који стоји у индексу деловања балансирајућих механизама друштва према политичком истоку и западу, нити је обликовно јединствен како се ценило у стручној публицистици, нити успели комеморативни простор идеологије.

Кључне речи: Трг партизана у Ужицу, Станко Мандић, Милорад Пантовић, соцреализам, високи модернизам

SUMMARY: Public Square of Partisans: Between The Idea Of Contemporary and Non-Contemporary

Public Square of Partisans, built to June 1961. years, is not only individualistic and nonconformistic architekstural concept in Serbian postwar architecture and planning, but the image that is in the index acting balancing mechanisms Yugoslav postwar architecture and culture to the political East and West. Spatial square unit, city, neither is a formally unified as valued in professional publications neither is a manage new commemorative space ideology. Adoption Square of Partisans in Uzice as a good sign, through its cultural and critical dimension, it becomes more necessary than ever before-it seems that he has every right to establish their own power and architectural ideality as well known but suppressed sign of the current internal migration of urbanity and exposing our inner characterology.

Socialist realism was more than just a trend in art. It was also, and perhaps predominantly, a method of educating the new post-revolutionary society in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In socialism, the state became the commissioner, consumer, and critic of art, treating it as a major propaganda tool. It is thus not surprising that the socialist realism patterns were imposed on artists working in those countries which found themselves in the Soviet sphere of influence after the end of the Second World War. In Poland, which was the Soviet Union’s closest neighbour and one of the larger countries in the post-war “Eastern Bloc”, socialist realism was the only permitted creative method in the years 1949–1956. The ideologists of the new art assigned a special role to sculpture, which, next to posters and murals, was considered the most socially accessible form of artistic expression due to the possibility of placing it in public space. Monuments as material carriers of ideology ...

“In my practice, I need to preserve – and first seize – a royal generality, and all-encompassing- cognoscibility; in it I need to encompass everything, that which I have experienced, and a great deal of what I only know (from books, stories), and, finally, even more of that which I don’t know, but which has to be inside of me, because I’m a son, a Pole, an intellectual, a frequent friend, a passer-by, a consoler. However, what I need here is to take well-considered action, subjected to discipline, which would guarantee me an adequate amount of nourishment. I know that by diminishing the influx of sensations, reducing contacts, I heighten my sensitivity” – wrote Andrzej Wróblewski at the beginning of 1948. This catalogue accompanied the individual exhibition of Wróblewski at the National Museum in Krakow.

graphic design: Joanna Jopkiewicz, Łukasz Paluch /AnoMalia art studio/
ISBN MNK: 978-83-7581-097-4 / ISBN FAW: 978-83-935822-0-4
English, Polish, format: 29×24 cm, soft cover, colour, 48 pages

Artykuł zawiera przedstawienie pierwszych projektów zespołu Buszki, Franty i Gottfrieda wykonywanych po skończeniu studiów i zatrudnieniu w katowickim Miastoprojekcie. Pośród tych projektów są: gimnazjum Huty Baildon, Związki Zawodowe w Katowicach, Dom Kultury "Zgoda" w Świętochłowicach, Domy Kultury w Ozimku i Rybniku. Na tym tle omówiony został stosunek architektów do socrealizmu i sposób w jaki próbowali się z nim zmierzyć, a także ich poglądy konstruowane z perspektywy 60 lat.

Anna Syska, To nie był żaden socrealizm, w: Socrealizmy i modernizacje, red. Aleksandra Sumorok, Tomasz Załuski, Łódź 2017

Градски центар и архитектонско наслеђе социјализма: случај Чачка (1944-1990)
Тимотијевић, Милош, 1969- = Timotijević, Miloš, 1969-
Врста грађе - чланак – саставни део
Година - 2019
Језик - српски
COBISS.SR-ID - 15226377
Архитектура, урбанизам и уметност : зборник радова = Architecture, Urbanism and Art : proceedings
Међународна научна конференција Наслеђе социјализма (2 ; 2013 ; Београд)
Врста грађе - зборник
Издавање и производња - Београд : Архив Србије ; [Љубљана] : Форум словенских култура, 2019
Језик - српски, енглески, руски
ISBN - 978-86-80786-38-4
COBISS.SR-ID - 274335244

After Second World War socialist realism, developed in Soviet
Union, became a dominant style in art in USRR and other
socialist countries of Soviet bloc, like Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
East Germany and Poland. Having – as its purpose - the
furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism, socialist realism and government cut down the artistic freedom of painters, filmmakers, directors, poets, dancers and composers. According to the music – this is a time of a mass songs, cantatas and other vocal and instrumental music pieces which refer to communism propaganda imposed by the government. Music became a medium of a doctrine and indoctrination, as well as a tool to educate working class.
How did it happen that music – an artistic phenomenon –
became an art at the service of a state, more political than just the one with an esthetic aim?

One of the benefits of music is the ability to present events, personalities, social conditions and emotions (Gabrielsson & Lindstrom, 2001). Considering the coherence of this statement with the ideas of the art of socialist realism, the question is how different generations emotionally response and value mass songs, as a paradigm of the art of socialist realism (Hofman, 2005). The goals of this research are to a) examine the emotional response to mass (Partisan) songs; b) determine aesthetic and value attitudes about mass songs, and to investigate differences between the two groups of participants, as to these two measures; c) determine the correlation between the context and level of listening of mass songs with the emotional response and aesthetic-values attitudes. The whole sample (N = 234) was divided into two subgroups of participants: “older” group (N = 83) consisted of those who were born in a period from 1946 (after Second World War) till 1980 (Tito’s death), and “younger” group (N = 151) those born between 1981 (after Tito’s death) and 2001 (full-aged citizens now). As research instruments, two questionnaires were used for two age groups (filled in online), with combined-type questions and three audio examples/segments of mass songs with various contents: Uz Maršala Tita (glorifies the leader), Oj Kozaro (glorifies collective) and Steg Partije (glorifies unity of/with a party). On the list of 12 emotions (Hunter and Schellenberg, 2010) participants were expressing their emotional reaction (1–5 scale) after listening to each song: anger, depression, boredom, peace, relaxation, joy, happy, fear, sorrow, excitement, disquiet,
and pleasure.

Обладание телом с определенными биологическими и физическими ха рактеристиками является основным экзистенциальным фактом и бытовым фундаментом межчеловеческого сообщества. Каждый человек принципи ально тождественно исполняет свои биологические функции, одинаково раз множается, успокаивает голод, терпит боль и.т.д. Культуры могут быть различными, отдельные группы могут иначе использовать телесный потенциал - но лишь «немного иначе». Например, роды могут происходить в горизонтальном или вертикальном положении, но только в одном направлении... Соматическое подобие являет также определенную основу тождества человека на протяжении веков. Телесно мы не намного отличаемся от первых представителей вида Homo sapiensб ну, может быть, статистически стали выше или здоровее. Наверняка также мы выглядим несколько иначе, чем когда-то, например, чаще бреемся или стрижем волосы. Именно характеристики наружности могут быть теми телесными элементами, которые обеспечивают между нами некоторые, главным образом, внешние различия: люди бывают красивыми или уродливыми, худыми или полными, с разным цветом волос или глаз. К сожалению, политический и общественный потенциал этих различий оказывается значительным: к красивым, как правило, относятся благосклоннее, а толстых, бывает, и презирают. В целом, часто происходит дискриминация именно по внешним биологическим характеристикам,-например, чуть ли не правилом является расовая дискриминация. Серьезные телесные, анатомические, биологические различия су ществуют между разными полами. И тоже бывают основой для дискриминации и/или политической выгоды.