Monumental propaganda

It is important to note that the state commission for monumental sculpture was determinative in shaping the mainstream tendencies of evolution of Soviet sculpture: the prevalence of urban monuments, the criterion of social significance as a thematic guideline, patriotism, subdued expression of emotions, heroic content, idealization and artistic brevity, excessive pathos at times, grandiosity of scale.

The memoirs of Leonid Sherwood, the oldest of Russian sculptors at that time, render the rising optimism about "the plan" among sculptors: "… Not only was I delighted, but also amazed that despite the immense destitutions that we were experiencing at that time, the young Soviet State put forward a demand for sculpture, a demand which traditionally associated with wealthy individual clients or economically prosperous social organizations.

Today, of course, it is clear for us that Lenin's plan of "monumental propaganda" was intrinsically connected with the cause of the cultural revolution brought about by the Great days of the October and aimed to "rebuild" people's consciousness".

Striving to overcome these drawbacks Russian sculptors showed remarkable ingenuity: Nikolay Andreyev added marble granules to concrete mixture, creating a convincing illusion of a high-quality stone.

[6] The earliest monuments of "the plan" appeared on the streets and squares of Moscow and Petrograd (present-day Saint Petersburg) in time for the first anniversary of the October Revolution on 7 November 1918.