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Past exhibitions

Mother Tongue 09 March — 11 May 2019

Apparition of the Last Soviet Artist in London 16 October — 17 October 2018

ShadowMemory x Art Night Open 07 July — 08 July 2018

ShadowMemory х Ural Biennial 14 September — 12 November 2017

Postponed Futures 26 April — 24 June 2017

Destined To Be Happy 02 December 2016 — 28 February 2017

Superwoman: ‘Work, Build and Don’t Whine' 18 June — 15 October 2016

Unexpected Eisenstein 17 February — 30 April 2016

Between The Lines 26 January — 08 February 2016

Peripheral Visions 02 October — 30 November 2015

Bonobo 17 July — 30 August 2015

DNA Swap 05 June — 11 June 2015

Documenting Ukraine 14 May — 17 May 2015

Borderlands 20 March — 16 May 2015

Bolt 06 December 2014 — 28 February 2015

A Game in Hell. The Great War in Russia 27 September — 26 November 2014

Work and Play Behind the Iron Curtain 20 June — 31 August 2014

The Shabolovka Tower Model 31 May — 12 June 2014

Taint 08 April — 03 May 2014

Kino/Film: Soviet Posters of the Silent Screen 17 January — 29 March 2014

Utopia LTD 21 September — 20 December 2013

See USSR 07 June — 31 August 2013

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See USSR

See USSR

07 June — 31 August 2013      FREE ENTRY

GRAD: Gallery for Russian Arts and Design opened in London on 7 June with its first exhibition ‘See USSR’, devoted to Soviet propaganda in the 1920s–1930s. ‘See USSR’ displays ‘external’ propaganda tools of the period, namely Intourist posters, magazines and ephemera, alongside ‘internal’ agitprop textiles.

SEE USSR

07 June — 31 August 2013

FREE ENTRY


Curated by Elena Sudakova and IRINA NIKIFOROVA

Exhibition design by Calum Storrie and Katya Sivers


Photographs by Henry Milner

‘See USSR’ is the first exhibition of its kind to display Soviet graphic design of the period from this particular perspective and on such a scale. Through a wide range of Intourist materials, the display presents a very different image of the socialist state than the one normally conceived both within and outside the former USSR – of a welcoming and hospitable country open to travellers from around the world.


Soviet Intourist, known to everyone outside the USSR as the state travel monopoly responsible for bringing foreign visitors, was established in 1929, and one of its primary goals was to promote the USSR to the outside world, both for commercial and for ideological reasons. With more than 30 offices opened abroad, Intourist worked hard on advertising Soviet spa resorts, cultural events and the pleasures of Soviet lifestyle - seductively attractive though entirely utopian. Intourist posters, brought together for the first time in the exhibition at GRAD, depict the USSR not as a country of workmen and peasants, but as a touristic paradise, in full accordance with Western marketing tools and modern advertising methods. Soviet graphic designers working for Intourist were closely studying European examples, trying to adopt a style and visual language familiar to Western audiences, and Art Deco gradually become one of their chief artistic influences.


All objects in ‘See USSR’ show are on loan from the archives
of Trekhgornaya Manufaсtura (Moscow) and Antikbar collection (London).

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Posters
Attributed to P. Merinov
The Transsiberian Express
103 × 69
c. 1930
Vneshtorgizdat (?)
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Valerian Zhitenev
Buriato-Mongolia
71 × 59.5
c. 1934
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
See USSR
102 × 69
c. 1931
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Max Litvak, Robert Fedor
See USSR
100.5 × 69
c. 1930
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Aleksandr Froloff
See USSR
101.5 × 69.5
c. 1930
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Vsevolod Pudovkin
See USSR
100 × 67
c. 1931
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
(signed HOB in the lower right corner)
Gesellschafts und Einzelreisen in die Sowjet Union
98 × 73
c. 1934
Printed in Germany
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov,
Sergey Sakharov
Country of 189 Peoples
101.5 × 68
1934
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov,
Viktor Klimashin
USSR
102.5 × 71.5
1935
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Joseph Šebek
The Leningrad Festival of Music
101 × 72
1934
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Leningrad Festival of Arts
99 × 68.5
1935
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Dance Festival
98 × 69
1936
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Fourth Moscow Theatre Festival
100 × 66
1936
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Moscou
93 × 64
1935
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Sergey Sakharov
Moscow
96.5 × 66
Late 1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Leningrad
103 × 76.5
1935
Vneshtorizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
Leningrad
104 × 74
1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Konstantin Bor-Ramensky
By Air to USSR
93 × 61
1934
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
Odessa–Istanbul
87.5 × 58.2
1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov, Sergey Sakharov
London–Leningrad
88 × 62.2
1934
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
Volga
97.5 × 64
1932
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Maria Nesterova
USSR Health Resorts
100 × 62
1930s
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Sergey Sakharov
The Crimea
99 × 67
1935
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
Crimea
72 × 50.5
1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikoley Zhukov, Sergey Sakharov
Crimee
71.5 × 49
1935
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikoley Zhukov
Caucasus
100 × 68.5
1936
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Aleksandr Zhitomirsky
Georgian Military Highway
109 × 73.5
1939
Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Sergey Igumnov
L'Armenie Sovietique
90 × 62
1935
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Maria Nesterova
Bakou
97.5 × 63.2
1938
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov, Avenir Chernomordik
Shepetovka–Baku
88 × 62
1937
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Maria Nesterova
Soviet Central Asia
94 × 62
1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Artist Unknown
Hunting in the USSR
103 × 75
1930s
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Die Natur der UdSSR
106 × 70
1935
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Georgiy Savitzky
Die Jagd in der UdSSR
101.5 × 68.5
1931
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Author Unknown
Sommersport in der UdSSR
102.2 × 62.5
1930s
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Nikolay Zhukov
Winter in der UdSSR
87 × 61.5
1935
Vneshtorgizdat
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Olga Eiges
Sport in der UdSSR
87 × 58.5
1930s
Printed in the USSR
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60
Viktor Klimashin
Tbilisi
101 × 68
1930s
Mezhdunarodnaya Kniga
Reproductions of all posters are available for purchase in our new online shop, coming soon. If you would like to place an order now, please call us on +44 (0)20 7637 7274 or place an order when you visit the gallery.
A3 £25, A1 £60

Alongside Intourist posters and travel magazines, ‘See USSR’ showcases Soviet agitprop textiles produced by Trekhgornaya Manufaсtura in Moscow in the 1930s. These printed fabrics meant for domestic consumption display typical socialist imagery featuring workers, party leaders, aircrafts and red flag patterns, and provide a striking contrast with the glamorous Intourist adverts exported abroad.

Wraps
Artist Unknown ‘The Soviet Aircraft Industry’ (Indusrialisation Is Lenin’s Way To Communism)
78 × 78
1927, Krasnopresnenskaya Trekhgornaya Manufactura
Print on cotton
Artist Unknown
The Second Congress of the Textile Workers
89 × 90
1930s, Krasnopresnenskaya Trekhgornaya Manufactura
Print on cotton
Artist Unknown
1905
120 × 73
1932, Krasnopresnenskaya Trekhgornaya Manufactura
Print on cotton
Artist Unknown
Portrait of Stalin
97.5 × 91.5
1937, Krasnopresnenskaya Trekhgornaya Manufactura
Print on cotton

Complementing these unique historical artefacts GRAD presents a contemporary reproduction of Nikolai Zhukov’s ‘See USSR’ poster from 1930. The lost artwork was reconstructed by British artist Henry Milner based on the archive image of the original poster, and printed at Curwen Press Studio in an edition of 75. These limited edition works are available to purchase in our Shop.




Nikolay Zhukov ‘See USSR’
1929—1930
Photograph

Nikolay Nikolaevich Zhukov
(1908—1973)
Zhukov was a prominent Soviet graphic designer and one of the chief artists working at the All-Union Chamber of Commerce in the 1930s, where he produced a series of posters entitled Visit the USSR. His many works for Intourist depicted the people of the Soviet Union, its capitals and provinces. In addition, he was a writer and essayist and published a significant number of novels, short stories and travel diaries, as well as articles on art and culture. During the Second World War he served as a soldier and war correspondent and in 1946 he was a witness at the Nuremberg Trials, leaving a unique and highly important historical account consisting of 250 drawings.


Henry Milner after Nikolay Zhukov

‘See USSR’

2013, printed by Curwen Press Studio, edition 75, 60 × 90

Image
‘SEE USSR. Intourist Posters and Marketing of the USSR’
‘SEE USSR. Intourist Posters and Marketing of the USSR’
Edited by Elena Sudakova

Published to accompany the exhibition ‘See USSR’
(07 June — 31 August 2013)
112 pages, fully illustrated


Contents:
‘Intourist — an Alternative Truth’ by Elena Sudakova
‘Our Posters as Weapons of World Revolution’ by Irina Nikiforova
‘Soviet Textiles: Between Communism and Commerce’ by Alexandra Chiriac
‘Style and Font Design of Soviet Intourist Posters of the 1930s and their Place in Art Deco’ by Aleksandr Shklyaruk
Biographies of Intourist Poster Designers

For more information, please visit our Shop.

SEE USSR EVENTS

FREE ENTRY


FUN TRAVELS, CHILDREN’S EVENTS

31 August 2013

GRAD invited little tourists for an afternoon of travel adventures, including the opportunity to create posters to advertise a dream holiday destination.

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‘THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF MR. WEST IN THE LAND OF THE BOLSHEVIKS’ (dir. Lev Kuleshov, 95’, 1924)

30 August 2013

This screening offered a chance to see one of the earliest examples of Soviet anti-American propaganda. The film chronicles the adventures of an American tourist, Mr. West, and his faithful friend cowboy Jeddie, as they visit the land of savage Bolsheviks.

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COMMUNIST CHIC: FASHION IN THE SOVIET UNION

29 August 2013

A late night opening dedicated to Soviet flappers and fashion in the USSR in the 1920s-1930s. Alex Chiriac assistant curator of GRAD, took us through the trials and tribulations of dress and textile design in the early years of the Soviet Union. She was joined by guest speaker Victoria Morris, who discussed the appearance of the NEPka, the Soviet Union’s equivalent of the flapper, in the mass culture of the 1920s.

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TRAVELLING WITH INTOURIST

01 August 2013

A summer evening of readings and reminiscences about travelling with Intourist in the 1960s and ‘70s. Speakers Nicholas Murray and Richard Barling brought a personal perspective to the topic, recalling their journeys to Moscow in 1968 and the Southern Soviet Republics in 1977 respectively.

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50 YEARS OF RUSSIAN HISTORY IN POSTERS, FROM TSARS TO DICTATORS

11 July 2013

50 YEARS OF RUSSIAN HISTORY IN POSTERS, FROM TSARS TO DICTATORS

The period 1890 to 1940 marks a profoundly turbulent phase of Russian history. Drama, trauma, war and political upheavals were very graphically reflected in the mass media of the period – namely posters. Collector Kirill Kalinin presented guests with a visual journey through these 50 years of history as narrated by poster art.

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‘SEE USSR’ INTRODUCTORY SEMINAR

06 June 2013

Chaired by Professor John Milner (Courtauld Institute of Art), this seminar brought together a cast of international academics to discuss the function of graphic arts in the USSR, the role of magazines, posters and textiles in promoting the Soviet policy both at home and abroad and the wider issue of East/ West relations. GRAD was delighted to welcome the contributors from Moscow, Irina Nikiforova (Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts) and Aleksandr Shklyaruk (Kontakt-Kultura Publishing House), as well as guests from closer to home such as Christina Lodder and Lutz Becker.

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