Putin, a hero of socialist realism

Putin, a hero of socialist realism

main

norman lebrecht

September 26, 2014

The last time we saw art like this, Stalin was its centrepiece.

putin stalin

The resent work by Andrei Budaev shows the giant Putin being lionised by, among other heroes, the genocidal Hafez al-Assad of Syria and the Belarus kleptocrat Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko.

 

Comments

  • Reinhold Martin says:

    Embarrassing but rather enlighting. Heil Putin!

  • David Leibowitz says:

    This is one of a series of satirical works/portraits of Andrei Budaev about Putin (do a Google search – some of them are much harsher than this one). The artist is not, quite, lionizing his subject.

  • Anonymus says:

    It’s meant to be ironic by the painter, right?

    • Olaugh Turchev says:

      Indeed a reasonable assumption but since this post came out of the blue, without context, or link… At least, it’s not as ridiculous as Nobel Peace Prize and Obama or EU side by side!

  • Delbert Grady says:

    It’s satire. You can see a lot more of the artist’s Putin-based work here:

    http://freeyork.org/creative-2/putin-in-the-political-satire-series-of-andrei-budaev

    • Olaugh Turchev says:

      Thank you for the link! Priceless is the image staging EU leaders, NATO’s Rasmussen with the Ukrainians or Nuland’s euro-Maidan! Hence the title of this post is misleading; Budaev’s work is satirical, targets many and is not any socialist realism apology of Putin. Vlaaaam!

  • Milka says:

    Turchev this is not
    ridiculous, it is funny, it is a dazzling
    take off on russian muzhik culture.I
    was looking for the Russian Army chorus in this but suppose they are off
    entertaining the troops in the Ukraine .

    • Olaugh Turchev says:

      Did you read my second comment? Na… Oh well. What’s beyond ridiculous is trying to pass this brilliant work for “socialist realism” through claims such as “The last time we saw art like this, Stalin was its centrepiece” and providing no context… But I bet this doesn’t bother you.

  • Reinhold Martin says:

    Why does this blog need one of Putin’s internet soldiers contributing bullshit like that one of Mr. Turchev?

  • Lenotchka says:

    With all due respect – art criticism is not your forte, Mr. Lebrecht. Neither is politics. If you fail to sense wry humor (satire if you will) in this work, perhaps you would be better off talking about Ms.Wang dress length or Ms. Evancho vocal prowess – either one is so minuscule that it requires an expert to point it out.
    Or, what about giving us your educated opinion on children choruses across US and Canada engaging in a perpetual oda performance to glorious Noble Prize Winner. Perhaps bring the worthy tradition over to UK? It would make for spectacular Proms sing-along as British bombs rain on Mideast once again.
    “Ode of the Obama Youth!”: http://youtu.be/08BAfKCfu74

  • David Boxwell says:

    Surely, someone is currently composing “An Ode to Our Mighty President’s Steel Pectoral Muscles,” for tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra.

  • Milka says:

    It seems that the work being more than an
    embarrassment ,to save face Lenotchka and the 100% agreed
    travel agent have decided to call it satire …which would have landed the
    creator of this work in a KGB jail faster
    than you could say Putin had it been
    viewed as such. Whatever
    it is , it certainly is not art of any type
    but it seems to suit the Russian taste.

  • MOST READ TODAY: