This course explores a wide variety of artistic forms and experiments undertaken over the history of the Soviet Union from the October Revolution to 1991, including histories of the early avant-garde, socialist realism, and underground art. Looking at projects in diverse mediums, from easel painting to performance art to film and architecture, this course will think about the different questions posed by explicitly political art and the efforts to revolutionize life at every level, and across the vast and multi-ethnic space of the Soviet Republics. Throughout, the course will also explore the after-lives of Soviet art and visual culture in the post-Soviet space.

This course fulfills the following Major requirements: Geographical area (A), (B) or (E) and Chronological period (III), based on the topic of the final research paper or project.