The USSR Pavilion
1958
Leaflet, 11,5 x 22,6 cm (open: 44 x 57 cm).
Materials: Brochure
The main themes of the Soviet Pavilion were space exploration (with the Sputnik satellite as the core of the exposition), the celebration of heavy industry, and the fast economic development of the USSR under the communist regime. Among other themes, a significant part of their exhibition was dedicated to the emancipation of women and their successful employment in all professional spheres of the USSR, which was a rather progressive subject at that time. Slick propaganda leaflets in English provided general information about the country, boasting of increased industrial production in comparison with capitalistic countries, and focused on such subjects as the Soviet democratic system, the great social benefits for all citizens, and free education and childcare systems. The Soviet pavilion in Brussels was awarded the Grand Prix. If the popularity of the Soviet exhibition was predictable due to the high interest in space exploration, the number of awards received by Soviets for their Socialist Realist artworks might have come as a surprise. The success of Socialist Realism abroad was considered the main achievement by the author of the book titled Art at the International Exhibition in Brussels, 1958. Published in Russian two years later in the form of a guidebook, it represents a typical example of propaganda from the cultural and political 'Thaw' period in the USSR, which was characterised by the transformation of Soviet society by the liberalisation of many spheres of life and opening up to international dialogue. However, despite the softening of official Soviet censorship policies, modernist tendencies in the arts were still highly deplored by Soviet officials.
