The ''Girl with an Oar'' (russian: Девушка с веслом) is an archetypal example of

Socialist Realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is c ...

in outdoors architecture of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, "an idiom of the Soviet

kitsch Kitsch ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as naïve imitation, overly-eccentric, gratuitous, or of banal taste. The avant-garde opposed kitsch as melodramatic and superficial affiliation wi ...

". Numerous gypsum alabaster versions authored by

Ivan Shadr Ivan Shadr (russian: Иван Шадр), pseudonym of Ivan Dmitriyevich Ivanov (russian: Ива́н Дми́триевич Ивано́в; — 3 April 1941) was a Russian/Soviet sculptor and medalist who took his pseudonym after his hometow ...

and Romuald Iodko adorned Soviet parks of culture and recreation, and

young pioneer camp Young Pioneer camp (russian: Пионерский лагерь) was the name for the vacation or summer camp of Young Pioneers. In the 20th century these camps existed in many socialist countries, particularly in the Soviet Union. The You ...

s. Seen as a symbol of Soviet erotica and totalitarianism today, it was part of the

monumental propaganda Lenin's Plan of "Monumental Propaganda" – is a strategy proposed by Vladimir Lenin of employing visual monumental art (revolutionary slogans and monumental sculpture) as an important means for propagating revolutionary and communist ideas. "The p ...

of sports, a model of a healthy person, ubiquitous in Soviet arts of late 1920s–1930s. The first ''Girl with an Oar'' by Shadr was that of a naked girl. It was heavily criticized for being "too vulgar". It was destroyed and known only from a single photo. The second one was naked as well, "more chaste" but still naked."Чем новая «Девушка с веслом», которую поставили в ЦПКиО, отличается от старой"
/ref> Initially installed in Gorky Park, Moscow, it was criticized as well and eventually "disappeared", and Shadr made another copy to be installed in

Luhansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

."Девушка с веслом"
in "Encyclopedic Dictionary of Winged Words and Expressions, by Vadim Serov The popular stereotype of the ''Girl with an Oar'' is the one in a swimsuit, created by Romuald Iodko.

References

Buildings and structures in Luhansk Tourist attractions in Luhansk Oblast Outdoor sculptures in Ukraine Socialist realism Sculptures in the Soviet Union {{Russia-sculpture-stub

See also

References