Socialist Realism: Proletarian Aesthetics

In its most basic form, socialist realism represents a philosophical approach to art that glorifies the political objectives of the proletariat towards the achievement of socialism, depicts a realistic representation of everyday life, teleological in its format towards producing certain sentiments in the viewer, and is inextricably linked to the political aims of advancing socialism.

The most prominent examples of socialist realism come from the former Soviet Union. Other examples (though differing due to respective cultural trends, histories, and traditions/values) include Cuba, German Democratic Republic (East Germany), People's Republic of China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). The basic elements of this aesthetic philosophy were made famous by the Zhdanov Doctrine as it was enveloped into the official line of the state after the 1934 Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

The historical development of socialist realism took place in many different forms: literature, poetry, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theatre. One of the major overseers of the development of socialist realism was Andrei Zhdanov (1896-1948), one of Stalin's protégés and Politburo Members, who executed a strict adherence to socialist principles in Soviet culture. Soviet art was transformed from its more liberal attitudes during the early years after the Revolution until socialist realism became the official doctrinaire for all artists. Outside the political realm, the major justification for creating such guidelines for artists was that art, and the means for producing art, belonged to the community as a whole - not just the respective creator.

The basic elements of socialist realism laid out a guideline for all artists to adhere to, but which most prominently and effectively showed itself through paintings, prose, and poetry. The works of Maxim Gorky exemplified this aesthetic philosophy and represented the earliest transition from traditional Russian realism into the advanced form of socialist realism.

The initial Party Congress of 1934 had established four basic principles which would become the foundation for socialist realism. First and foremost, art should depict the proletarian and appeal to him. This created disdain for experimental or abstract art which was seen as "bourgeois," and outside the tastes of the common worker. To appeal to the general population, art should focus on the interests and conditions of the proletariat and glorify his class identity. Secondly, art was supposed to depict the typical scenarios facing everyday workers, again avoiding bourgeois abstractions or avant garde experiments in the arts. In terms of representation, art was to be depicted as "realistic." This meant that the focus of the work should look exactly as it existed in real life, not representative by symbolism or imagery - but rather more akin to a photograph. Finally, the work was supposed to be partisan in nature. That meant it had a political objective in line with that of the Soviet state, the Communist Party, and overall towards the achievement of socialism within the USSR.

Many of the most famous works that came out of this period of Soviet culture include typical scenes of the proletariat at work or depictions of the party leaders as a means for conveying certain productive images to the audience. This was a useful means of giving works of art an efficacy in political affairs for which Western culture tends to attach commercial value. The political objectives were never far from each work insofar as their objective was the construction of a politically motivated culture, rather than for the manufacture of culture itself. This was seen as a necessity in the achievement of socialism in that every single member of the community must see himself as an integral part of the struggle for socialism in a hostile and volatile imperialist world.

The borders of acceptable socialist realism were not limited to merely depicting life in the Soviet state, but also included adapting and adhering to broader principles of socialism. For instance, literature was encouraged to borrow and include the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism into its stories, like historical materialism or the inevitability of class-struggle.

The socialist realism school of art/aesthetics was closely linked to the work of Andrei Zhdanov. Zhdanov, a loyal and die-hard Marxist-Leninist, saw the production of art as a scientific matter. The Zhdanov Doctrine, or Zhdanovschina (ждановщина) was a broad outline for Soviet culture that incorporated the idea that the world was dominated by the antagonisms of the two international camps - imperialistic (headed by the United States) and democratic (headed by the Soviet Union). Thus, for the inevitable victory of the USSR over the imperialists, it became necessary for Soviet culture to adhere further to the guidelines and needs of the political objectives of the Communist Party of the USSR. Individualistic, highly critical, bourgeois, or abstract art that was seen as contrary to the ideological principles of the Communist Party was thus seen as antagonistic to the aims of socialism and the proletariat. The international hostility and threat of war with the imperialist powers made such policies a necessity in a atmosphere of paranoia, fear, and struggle to overcome the obstacles presented to the Soviet Union - which had recently emerged as one of two new super-powers in the post World War II era.

Outsiders (and some insiders) have often heavily criticized the political nature of socialist realism as a hindrance to the production of real art. However, this often invokes a sentimental attachment to art for art's sake - which is a concept that seems often-times bankrupt even in Western cultures (amongst those who claim to support such a notion more than anyone). Is there any significant difference between creating art with political objectives for the benefit of the community versus creating art for commercial objectives for the benefit of the individual? If such a difference exists, then the superior form and structure of artistic production lies heavily in favor of the former. Art itself is the expression not of the individual but the people as a whole; and in a socialist society the people as a whole are defined by their awareness to their class nature, their class identity, and their class-antagonisms. Thus, artistic expression most definitely should adopt political elements that are beneficial to the ends of socialist achievement.