Representation of the USSR at the XVI Venice biennale of 1928: toward a history of Soviet-Italian cultural ties

The article analyzes the participation of the Soviet delegation in the XVI International Art Exhibition in Venice in 1928. The successful presentation of Soviet art at the XIV Biennale in 1924 noticeably strengthened the USSR’s position in the development of cultural ties with Italy and contributed to the formation of an attractive image of the Soviet man among ordinary Italians. In 1926, the difficult economic situation did not allow the Soviet delegation to participate, but two years later, as part of the XVI Biennale in the Russian Pavilion in Venice, the public could once again see the work of Soviet masters. With the success of the 1928 Biennale, Soviet art’s position as a relay of the new state idea was consolidated and a massive response was generated. The official Italian press, despite many negative reviews, noted the timeliness and fullness of Soviet culture, and the system of state order made the strongest impression. The article is based on a large number of documents from the State Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian Archive of Literature and Art, periodicals and memoirs of the events’ participants.