Openness and Idealism: Soviet Posters 1985-1991

This publication examines a pivotal moment in Soviet visual culture through meticulous analysis of over 200 posters created during glasnost, the period of unprecedented artistic and political openness that marked the USSR's final chapter. Through careful consideration of works from the Martha H. and J. Speed Carroll Collection, alongside newly conducted interviews with their creators, the catalogue illuminates how these radical works articulated a sophisticated critique of state-sanctioned Socialist Realism while envisioning new possibilities for artistic expression in the late Soviet period. The scholarly contribution extends far beyond mere historical documentation: the publication positions these posters within broader theoretical frameworks concerning propaganda, dissent, and the transformation of Soviet visual culture.

Drawing upon extensive archival research and illustrated with stunning reproductions that capture both the works' commanding visual authority and their nuanced deployment of modernist formal strategies, this volume demonstrates how glasnost posters transcended their original propagandistic function to become crucial documents of artistic resistance and political imagination during a moment of profound historical transformation. The publication reveals how these works continue to resonate within our current moment of global instability, particularly in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while preserving the complex legacy of artistic innovation that emerged during the Soviet Union's final years.

Published by Skira editore S.p.A, Milan, 2022

Essays by Andy Willimott and Pepe Karmel

Translation and interviews by Bela Shayevich

Designed by Tim Laun and Natalie Wedeking

Hardcover, fully illustrated, 256 pages