Viktor Popkov, “The Builders of Bratsk”, 1960, Oil on Canvas
Bratsk was Hydropower Station. Its construction symbolized the power of Soviet economics and development of industrialization. The builders were considered to be new heroes of the Communist epoch. This painting is a representative of the so-called “severe style” of socialist realism.
Viktor Popkov was one of the most celebrated Soviet artists during Krushschev’s Thaw. Perhaps it is for this reason – that he was recognized and not considered an underground artist – that he is less well known, and less appreciated outside Russia than many of his peers.
Popkov’s diverse, stylistic periods had a wide range, from 1950s Socialist Realism, through the “Severe” or “Austere Style” which he helped create in the 1960s, to his late “Philosophical-Romantic” phase. There is a fascinating progression from the dynamism of his early works to more contemplative figures.
The “Builders of the Bratsk” (1960) is an icon of the severe style. The workers stand or crouch against an uncompromising, dark background, a group of individuals with their own emotions, but a common goal.The Tretyakov Gallery bought the painting when Popkov was 28 years old.