Originally posted by Compań
[email protected] May 08, 2007 05:00 pm
How can architecture be "Stalinist"??
It's not. The correct definition is socialist realism, a new form of art, sculpture, and literature in tune with the interests of the working class correlating with the new socialist relations of production.
The anti-communist, petit-bourgeois architects usually are the ones who use the label "Stalinist" when it comes to this art form; though some "communists" like to use this label too...
Here's an interesting account of socialist realism from the poorly translated Babelfish English version of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia's article (original Russian page here (http://www.cultinfo.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/104/892.htm)):
Socialistandcheskiy realandzm, the artistic method of literature and skill, which is aesthetical expression of the socialist realized concept of peace and man, caused by the epoch of fight for establishment and creation of socialist society. The image of life in light of the ideals of socialism causes the content, and the basic artistic- structural principles of skill s. r. its appearance and development are connected with the propagation of socialist ideas in the different countries, with the development of the revolutionary working class movement.
the initial tendencies of literature and of new type skill relate to the middle even 2-1 to half 19 v.: in a revolutionary way- proletarian literature in Great Britain (poetry of chartist motion, creation 3. h. Jones), in Germany (poetry G. Herwegh, F. Freiligrath, G. Veyerta), in France (literature of the Commune of Paris, "international" 3. Potier). At the end 19 - the beginning of 20 substances intensively is developed proletarian literature in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria and other countries. As artistic method s. r. it is formed in the beginning 20 v. in Russia, first of all in the creation M. Gor'kiy, and also to one extent or another M. M. Kotsyubinskiy, 4. Raynisa, A. Akopyana, I. I. Of evdoshvili other this is caused by the world-wide historical value of revolutionary movement in Russia, where at first 20 v. moved the center of world revolutionary fight. Following Gor'kiy the realistic image of public reality and socialist attitude become the essential features of the creation of the writers of a number of the countries (A, Barbusse, M. Andersen- Nexe, Dzh. Reed). After October Revolution 1917 in different countries of Europe (Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, France, Czechoslovakia and other.) in 1920- X yr. socialist literary flows are formed, and method s. r. already comes out as the objective phenomenon of world literature. An increase in the anti-fascist movement in 1930- X yr. contributed to the expansion of the international front of revolutionary literature and skill. The Soviet literature, which by that time was joined it ideologically and created the salient artistic works, played the uniting role in this process. S. r. became the wide international direction of literature and skill. After 2-1 world war 1939 - 1945, in particular after the formation of world socialist system, the positions s. r. as the advance guard of artistic progress even more were affirmed. Significant role in expansion and enrichment of artistic experience s. r. they played together with the creation of Gor'kiy, in. V. Mayakovskiy, M. A. Sholokhov also theater k. S. Stanislavski1 and in. 3. Meyerkhol'da, the cinematographic discoveries Of s. m. Eisenstein, V. i. Pudovkin, A. p. Dovzhenko, music s. S. Prokofiev, D. d. Shostakovic, Painting B. V. Johansson, A. A. Deyneka, B. i. prorokova, P. D. Korina, R. Guttuso, The sculpture Of s. t. konenkov, V. i. mukhinoy, B. Brecht's Dramaturgy, In. V. Viwnyovskiy.
term itself "s. r." in the Soviet press for the first time it appeared into 1932 ("literary newspaper", on 23 May). It arose because of the need for contradicting against the rappovskomu (see RAPP) thesis, which mechanically transferred philosophical categories into the field of the literature ("dialectical materialist creative method"), the definition, which corresponds to a basic trend in artistic development of Soviet literature. Decisive in this case the acknowledgement of the role of classical traditions and understanding the new qualities of realism (socialist), caused by both the novelty of vital process, and by socialist ideology of Soviet writers, was. By this time by the writers (Gor'kiy, Mayakovskiy, a. n. Tolstoy, A. A. Fadeyev) and by criticisms (A. v. Lunacharskiy, A. K. voronskiy) was undertaken a number of the attempts to determine the artistic uniqueness of Soviet literature; discussion centered on the realism proletarian, tendentious, monumental, heroic, romantic, social, about the combination of realism with the the romantikoy. Concept s. r. immediately received wide acceptance and it was fixed by the 1st All-Union congress of Soviet writers (1934), at which Gor'kiy spoke about the new method as about the creative program, directed toward the realization of the revolutionary humanistic ideas: "socialist realism asserts existence as act, as the creation, whose purpose - the continuous development of the most valuable individual abilities of man for his victory above the forces of nature, for his health and longevity, for the great happiness to live on the earth" (first All-Union congress of Soviet writers. Stenographical report, 1934, s. 17). Continuing the humanistic traditions of the previous skill, connecting them with the new socialist content, s. r. is the new type of artistic consciousness. Its novelty is connected with that contribution, which introduced Marxism into the materialist philosophy, by the assertion of the role of the revolution based-remaking activity ("theses about Feuerbach" K. Marx), which served as the source of the idea of the image of reality in its revolutionary development. As the basis of method s. r. serves the concept of the in a revolutionary way- efficient, socialist humanism, in which finds their expression of the idea of the harmonious development of man, completeness of the real manifestation of his spiritual and moral possibilities, really human attitude of people toward each other, to nature and society. This humanistic directivity is inherent in all I see socialist artistic culture (to literature, painting, to architecture, to music, to theater , etc.), composes the most important and universal distinctive special feature of skill s. r. for understanding of the principles of socialist skill important significance it has a number of statements of the classicists of Marxism-Leninism. Speaking about the skill of future, F. Engels saw its special features in the "complete confluence of large ideological depth, realized historical content... with Shakespearean liveliness and wealth of action..." (Marx K. and Engels F., works, 2 publ., Vol. 29, s. 492). Engels thought about the realized historical method of artistic thinking underwent development in the party principle of literature and skill, formulated By v. i. Lenin. Lenin actually indicated the basic features of new literature. He noted its conditionality by the objective motion of vital process, the comprehension of its discrepancy, its development in the sharpest conflicts. Finally, he emphasized the commitment to the Party of the estimation of this fight, the fact that the artist conscious and opened becomes to the side of the foremost tendencies of historical development. Authentic creative freedom is not the arbitrariness of personality, but its realized action in accordance with the requirements of real historical development. Than deeper, the more many-sided and the more objective understanding peace, the wider and the more significant than the subjective possibilities of man, framework of his creative freedom. Specifically, this requires the Leninist commitment to the Party of skill - the connection of the depth of objective knowledge with the enthusiasm of the subjective activity, when the subjective tendencies of personality coincide with the objective motion of history, then personality finds prospect, confidence. As a result appears the basis for the revolutionary activity of man, for the comprehensive development of his gifts, and in particular for formation and bloom of diverse creative artistic individualities, which explains the extraordinary latitude of the aesthetical possibilities of socialist skill. S. r. expresses the historical perspective for the development of progressive skill, being based in its motion on entire preceded experience of world literature and skill. Artistic innovating s. r. affected already its early stages. With the works of Gor'kiy "mother", "enemies", by Andersen- Nexe novels "Pell- conqueror" and "ditte, child human", by proletarian poetry of end 19 v. into the literature entered the reflection of the fight of the old and new peace, making of a man - champion and a creator of new society. This determined the nature of new aesthetical ideal, historical optimism - disclosure of the collisions of the present over the long term for public- revolutionary development; Gor'kiy suggested to man confidence in his forces, in his future, it poetized labor and practice of revolutionary activity. From the first steps of Soviet literature its main theme became the "world fire" of revolution. The theme of pre-revolutionary peace, which, however, not was the simple continuation of the traditions of the critical realism, simultaneously occupied important place: the past was received in the new aesthetical illumination, the enthusiasm of image was determined by thought about the fact that to the past there is no recovery; was added the new quality of the historical method of literature s. r. in comparison with the historical method of critical realism ("the matter Of artamonovykh", the "life Of klima Of samgina" of M. of Gor'kiy), underwent development different genres of satire (Mayakovskiy, 4. Hasek), s. r. it did not copy classical genres, but enriched they, which was said, first of all, in the novel. Already in the first large works of Soviet prose appeared people- epic scale in the image revolutions ("Chapaev" D. furmanova, the "iron flow" of A. S. Serafimovich, Fadeyev's "Crushing defeat"). By other, than in the epics 19 v., appeared the picture of the "fate of people". In novels of 20 - the 30's were depicted people element in the revolution, and organization of element as the "iron will" of Bolsheviks, and the formation of the socialist association. The image of people mass was combined with the outline of the individual and integral natures, which represent this mass ("the quiet Don" Sholokhov, "walking on the flour" Of a. n. Tolstoy, novels Of f. Gladkov, L. Leonov, K. Fedin, A. malyshkin et al.). The epical style of novel s. r. appeared also in the creation of the writers of other countries (L. Aragon - France, A. zegers - GDR, M. puymanova - Czechoslovakia, Zh. Amado - Brazil).
literature and skill s. r. created the new means of positive hero - champion, builder, leader. Historical optimism s. r. more completely is revealed through it: hero asserts the faith in the victory of Communist ideas, in spite of separate defeats and losses. Term "optimistic tragedy" can be related to many works, which transmit the dramatic situations of the revolutionary fight: the "crushing defeat" of Fadeyev, play Of v. Viwnyovskiy, F. Wolf (GDR), "reporting with the loop on the neck" Of yu. Fucik (Czechoslovakia). The works, which depict the revolutionary heroics also of its carriers, which lead after themselves people masses, are characteristic for s. r.. The first classical means of proletarian leader was the hero of the novel of M. of Gor'kiy "mother" Pavel Vlasov; later - Levinson ("Fadeyev's crushing defeat"), Korchagin ("as hardened steel" N. A. Ostrovskiy), Davydov ("the raised virgin soil" Sholokhov). The means of Communist- leaders are personified in the books Of zh. Amado, M. puymanokoy, V. bredel (GDR), G. karaslavov (Bulgaria). Positive heroes s. r. - different in nature and scale of activity, on the temperament, to sincere storage. Variety of different types of heroes - inherent feature s. r. From the first years of October Revolution 1917 into the poetry of many peoples enters the means Of v. i. Lenin - realistic and appearing at the same time as symbol of revolution, which absorbs into itself entire romanticism of epoch. Formation s. r. was not separated from the patheticalness of the assertion of new life, elevation in the reproduction of the heroics of revolutionary fight in the years of Civil War, socialist reconstruction of the country, the World War II 1941 - 45. These features widely appeared in the poetry of antifascist resistance in France, Poland, Yugoslavia, etc., in the works, which depict the people fight ("marine eagle" J. Aldridge). To the creation of artists s. r. it is inherent "... the skill to look at present from the future "(Gor'kiy a. M., see Lenin v. i. Gor'kiy A. m. pis'ma. Recollections. Documents, 3 publ., 1969, s. 378), caused by the historical uniqueness of the development of socialist society, in which in the real phenomena of reality clearly appear the sprouts of the visible future.
s. r. is international, they are the historically united motion of skill in the epoch of the socialist reconstruction of peace. This generality is manifested in the variety of national ways, forms of the development of new method. On Amado's persuasion, divided by many artists, "so that our books - novels and poetry - could serve cause of the Revolution, they must be, first of all, Brazilian, in this consists their ability to be international" (second All-Union congress of Soviet writers. Stenographical report, 1956, s. 88). Fundamental value for the world artistic development has in this connection an experience of Soviet literature and skill. In THE USSR s. r. - the uniting beginning of Soviet literature as a whole with entire difference between the national literatures, their historical traditions and other specific features. The nature of development s. r. and its stages were diverse depending on the specific nation- historical conditions, under which it found support for its artistic uniqueness, acquiring all new forms and stylistic manifestations, as if being born each time anew, but preserving in this case fundamental generality. 3. Mezhelaytis and A. tvardovskiy, Ch. aytmatov and M. stel'makh, R. gamzatov and Yu. smuul - artists, different in the style, but close to each other for the general ideological direction of creation. The making s. r. included the moment of passage on his position of the number of the artists, whose creation stozhilos' in the course of other methods and directions. Thus, in the Soviet literature the 20's a number of writers, who were formed in the pre-revolutionary epoch, only gradually masters the new artistic tendencies, the socialist nature of new humanism, sometimes in the sharp contradictions (A. n. Tolstoy's way).
the eminent part in the formation of poetry s. r. in the West played artists, connected with Vol. n. by left avant-guardist flows 10 - the 20's. 20 v.: L. Aragon, P. Eluard, I. Becher, N. Hikmet, V. nezval, P. nerud, A. Jozsef.
influence s. r. they tested the representative of critical realism 20 v.: K. Czapek, R. rollan, R. Martin dyu Gar, G. Mann and other profound alterations occurred in the creation of the masters of the critical realism of those countries, where conquered people's democratic system (M. sadovyana, A. tsveyg).
the contribution to development of the theory of new skill made at the end 19 - the beginning of 20 substances prominent aesthetics- marxists (work Of g. Plekhanov. V. vorovskogo, M. ol'minskogo, F. mering, D. blagoyeva, Yu. markhlevskogo). In 20 - 30's. 20 v. large role played A. Lunacharskiy, whose work had wide international resonance. The prominent theorists of the socialist skill spoke abroad: R. foke, G. bakalov, T. Pavlov, I. Fick, B. vatslavek, K. Conrad, 3. urke, J. yovanovich. Is great the value of the aesthetical judgments of very creators of new skill - Gor'kiy, Becher, Brecht, I. Wolker, Fadeyev.
s. r. it is necessary to understand historically as the changing and at the same time internally united creative process. Aesthetics s. r. covers now entire multinational experience of the skill of the socialist countries, the revolutionary skill of the bourgeois West, cultures of the "third peace", which is developed in the complex opposition of different influences. S. r. constantly enlarges boundaries, finding the value of the leading artistic method of contemporary epoch. This expansion, in view of its causing principles, resists Vol. n. of the theory of "realism without it is coast" R. Garaudy, directed in the essence toward the destruction of the ideological bases of new skill, toward erosion of the boundaries, which separate realism from the modernism. At the same time it makes abortive attempts at the dogmatic determinations of the creative methods s. r. Marxist aesthetical theory, relying on the international experience of socialist skill, it arrived at the conclusions about its widest possibilities. S. r. is considered as the new type of artistic consciousness, not locked within the framework one or even several methods of image, but being the historically open system of the forms of the artistically truthful image of life, which absorbs into itself the foremost tendencies of world artistic process and finding new forms for their expression. Therefore concept s. r. is inseparably connected with the concept of the artistic progress, which reflects forward motion of society to ever more multidimensional and valuable forms of spiritual life.
lit.: Marx k. Engels f., about the skill. Coll. st., 3 publ., Vol. 1--2, M., 1967; Lenin v. i., about the literature and the skill. [ coll. st. ], M., 1969; M. Gor'kiy, about the literature, M., 1961; In the disputes about the method. Coll. st., l., 1934; Creation M. of Gor'kiy and questions of socialist realism. Coll. st., M., 1958; In the fight for the socialist realism. Coll. st., M., 1959; Problems of socialist realism. Coll. st., sb. 1--2, M., 1909 - 60; Socialist realism and classical heritage. Coll. st., M., 1960; Problems of socialist realism. Coll. st., M., 1961; Socialist realism in the foreign literatures, M., 1960; Motyleva Vol. l., foreign literature and the present, M., 1961; Socialist realism in the literatures of the peoples OF THE USSR, M., 1962; Pitannya sots.ial.istichnogo real.izmu, in. 1--5, k., 1961 - 74; Genesis of socialist realism in the literatures of the countries of the West, M., 1965; Socialist realism and the artistic development of humanity, M., 1966; The vital problems of socialist realism. Coll. st., M., 1969; Poetry of socialism. Artistic discoveries of poetry of socialist realism, M., 1969: Petrov s. M., appearance and the formation of socialist realism, M., 1970: Problems of the artistic form of socialist realism. Coll. st., Vol. 1--2, M., 1971; Nedoshivin G. A., the theoretical problems of contemporary depictive skill, M., 1972, chapter 7; Ovcharenko a. i., socialist literature and contemporary literary process, 2 publ., M., 1973; Lukin Of Yu. A., Lenin the theory of socialist skill, M., 1973; Markov d. f., the problems of the theory of socialist realism, M.. 1975; Problems of socialist realism. [ coll. st. ], M., 1975; Essays on socialist realism and the British cultural tradition, L, 1953; Zur Theorie Des Sozialistischen Realismus. Gesamtieitung, B, 1974; Timofejew L I, Lomidse G J, Literatureiner sozialistischen Gemeinschaft..., B, 1975, see also lit. with st. Realism in the literature and skill.
D. f. Markov, L. i. Timofeev.