“Socialist in content, national in form:” the making of Soviet national art and the case of Buryatia

Abstract

This article examines the fine art of the Soviet national republics and its discourse in the Soviet Union, which were considerably shaped under the influence of socialist realism and Soviet nationality policy. While examining the central categories of Soviet artistic discourse such as the “national form,” “national distinctness,” and “tradition,” as well as cultural and scientific institutions responsible for the image of art of non-Russian nationalities, the author reveals the existence of a number of colonial features and discursive and institutional practices that foster a cultural divide between Russian and non-Russian culture and contribute to the marginalization of art. Special attention is paid to the implications of this discursive shaping for the local artistic scene in Buryatia.

Keywords:

• Soviet “national” art
• nationality policy
• tradition
• Buriat art
• Buryatia
• Homi Bhabha
• postcolonial studies
• orientalism

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Department of Russian Culture and Society, University of St. Gallen.