What does art in Russia associate with for me? Enlightenment? Beauty? Freedom? Unfortunately, no. It is a symbol of emptiness.
When art in Europe moved from museums and palaces to streets and squares, the prevailing censorship and dictatorship of the proletariat
gradually slowed down and soon completely stifled any expression of creativity. Only those who agreed to cooperate with the authorities
found a comfortable position. They executed very specific directives and orders, stepping beyond which meant a lifetime ticket to the camps.
Thus, we received propaganda that successfully learned to utilize artistic techniques. During the period of perestroika, attempts at freedom
became more realistic, but talented artists preferred to leave rather than exhibiting in little-visited galleries. Why would they continue
to struggle for survival when there is a more reasonable way out?
On the ruins of Soviet Union cultural policy, without proper state funding, it was difficult to build anything. We quickly lost our positions and,
over the last century, created virtually nothing new except for the constructivism of the 1920s and 1930s.
What remains is the rich national heritage inherited from the Russian Empire, and the huge gaps in the souls of ordinary people who were once
isolated from the world. Year after year, these voids were filled with patriotism, a sense of duty to the motherland, and overachievement of work plans.