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THE LIMITS of CULTURAL POLICIES:THE CASE of ART in UZBEKISTAN by Kaven Baker-Voakes a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduat

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THE LIMITS of CULTURAL POLICIES:THE CASE of ART in UZBEKISTAN by Kaven Baker-Voakes a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduat THE LIMITS OF CULTURAL POLICIES:THE CASE OF ART IN UZBEKISTAN by Kaven Baker-Voakes A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2011 Kaven Baker-Voakes Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83132-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83132-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduce, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. •+• Canada Abstract This thesis chronicles the evolution of USSR cultural policy on paintings in Uzbekistan primarily from 1930 tol960. The author asserts that a gradual transformation in Uzbek paintings took place between these dates with fluctuations of influence accelerating in the post-World War II period and beyond. It is the first major post-Soviet study to consider the impact of Soviet cultural policies upon Uzbek painting's direction and imagery during the height of socialist realism. The study draws upon theoretical works of Edward Said and Stuart Hall providing an in-depth analysis of painters' interactions both within Uzbekistan and throughout the Soviet Union. The goal of the thesis is therefore to contribute to greater understanding of the way in which policy was interpreted and presented in the Uzbek SSR, while raising issues for future research on the subject. Acknowledgements I believe now having worked on and completed this project that I finally understand when peers have said that the thesis or research paper is as much a test in patience and perseverance as it is a joy to research and write. We are forced to find a balance between writing and - perhaps most difficult - time to reflect on the research and findings. Writing a thesis is not easy and it is not meant to be. Along the journey we receive help from our advisor and others who selflessly give their time to help make our projects a success. I list only a few with the knowledge that there are countless more too numerous to name: to all I can only say thank-you. My own advisor - Professor Jeff Sahadeo -1 owe so much for not only serving as a great sage during this project, but also as one of the main reasons for my entrance into the program. Professor Sahadeo's continual support and recommendations especially in the initial stages of this thesis have been most invaluable. I also have a debt of gratitude to my Theory and Methods graduate class who helped flesh out ideas and provided feedback and criticism for the project as it was being conceptualized. The professors who led that class - Piotr Dutkiewicz and Andrea Chandler served as guides for all of us in that room and I consider it a privilege to have been within that classroom setting with those two noted scholars. Finally, I wish to thank the EURUS department as a whole for their willingness to raise an undergraduate student into a Masters candidate. I can only hope that this small contribution will satisfy the trust and faith shown to me throughout my studies. Table of Contents list of Plates i Forward ii Chapter One: Introduction 1 Brief History 4 Methodology 10 Literature Review 12 Formalism and Cosmopolitanism Vs Socialist Realism 17 Encoding and Decoding 19 Orientalism 21 Chapter Two: Outside Influence and Exchange Pre-Conquest Period 25 Nineteenth to Early Twentieth Century Influences 31 Developments in the Late Tsarist Period 34 Chapter Three: Early Russian Revolution Period 37 Three Artist Styles 38 Artist Associations 44 Depictions 46 Chapter Four: The Socialist Realism Revolution 1930-1935 50 Creating Socialist Realism 51 Impact of Congress in Uzbekistan 54 Chapter Five: Challenges of the Late 1930s 63 Artists Arrests and Promotion 63 Promoting Images of Industrialization 69 The Case of Two Exhibits 70 Chapter Six: From Moscow to Tashkent: Interactions During The Second World War 74 The Two Evacuation Experiences 75 Cross Cultural Influences 79 Leaving To Fight and Paint 83 Chapter Seven: Zhdanov and the Anti-Cosmopolitan Campaign 87 Creating A New Art In Uzbekistan 91 Greater Standardization of Works: 100 Chapter Eight: The Thaw 105 Changing Directions Before Stalin's Death: 106 Death Art After Stalin's Death: 109 Lasting Legacy: Ill Conclusions 115 Review: 116 Implications: 119 Bibliography 122 Plates 128 List of Plates Figure 1 Untitled, Panel, Guache, Late 19th century to 20th Figure 2 Tatevosyan Oragnes Karapetovich, Village, 1919 Figure 3 A Volkov, Cotton Girls, Oil on Canvas, 1939-1940 Figure 4 A Volkov. Artba (Uzbek Cart), Water colour on paper, 1919 Figure 5 Ural Tansikbayev Crimson Autumn Oil on Canvasl931 Figure 6 Shamsroi Khasanova, Portrait of Matraba, Poetess ofKashgar, Canvas Distemper, 1947 Figure 7 N. V Kashina, Lunch-time, Oil on Canvas, 1949 Figure 8 Abdulhak Abdullaev, A. Hidoyatov, in the Part of Othello, Oil on canvas, 1946 Figure 9 Ural Tansikbayev, Collective Farmscape Oil on Canvas, 1958 Figure 10 N.V. Kashina, Italy in the Khumsam (mountains in the Tashkent region), 1957 Figure 11 S.F Abduallaev, In the studio of Master Usman Zufarov, Oil on Canvas, 1958 Figure 12 N.V. Kashina, A Small Skull Cap, Oil on Canvas, Wax 1960 i Forward In Canada, as in much of the modern democratic Western world, it is difficult for us to fully understand or comprehend government control and censorship in art. Art, by its very nature, has pushed the boundaries of social understanding as a commentary of our society for the better part of the last hundred and fifty years. Art in modern Western democracies has been rarely restricted by government in the manner and degree it was in the USSR and other communist states. Therefore, from a Canadian perspective, any interference or limitations that may be restrictive to art is considered repressive in comparison to our own experiences. I would therefore encourage readers to look past the obviously restrictive wording of the policies of this regime that this paper discusses. Instead, I ask that the reader consider the broader implications of the implementation and expectations that the USSR governing elites had with respect to the obedience of subjects towards these policies. Only by reviewing the artworks from the perspective of artists operating under the Soviet perspective and control can the reader truly appreciate the questions and answers which this thesis proposes. Kaven Baker-Voakes ii Chapter One: Introduction It's probable that never was the range of subjects and people so limited as in the 1930s and 1950s. - Introduction from art exhibit catalogue "Agitation for Happiness."1 The above quotation is from a notable 1994 art exhibition held in St. Petersburg, Russia and Cassel, Germany that presented one of the first post-Soviet evaluations of Soviet art from the 1930s to 1950s. The exhibit, cited in numerous papers and books as one of the largest and most complete of its kind, allowed outsiders a first glimpse into artworks produced during the height of Stalin's power. The exhibition featured an array of works, many of which served to capture the time period and the use of art as a tool of propaganda. The display even included the rarity of a porcelain sculpture with human figurines from Central Asia discussing Stalin's 1936 constitution. The highly political nature of this and other pieces was not limited to the medium of sculpture — similar undertakings would appear in paintings from the region as well. This thesis examines the Central Asian region of the Soviet Union, concentrating on Uzbek paintings that displayed this art form in the 1930-1960. It reveals a fascinating story, demonstrating how policies and events within the Soviet Union produced unexpected outcomes in paintings. This period marked the height of socialist realism. Unlike traditional or realist based art, socialist realism carried with it several major assumptions, with the foremost being the reasoning behind the creation of art. The 'purpose' of socialist art for the regime was to create an art which was understood by a wider audience by drawing on ideas familiar to the audience such as everyday activities.
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