Combining opposite image angles as a means of artistic expression in Lidia Sukhova’s monumental mosaic

The article is devoted to the mosaic portal of the scene of the 1960s in the interior of the Kalinin Recreation Centre in the city of Korolev. When creating the mosaic, the Soviet muralist L.N.Sukhova turned to the heritage of world culture - in particular to the art of Ancient Egypt. The study revealed, described and analysed the technique of combining opposite angles (projections) in two relief images on the pylons of the portal: in a ballet scene and a plot based on the Ural tales of P.P. Bazhov. This technique correlates with a similar technique in ancient monumental art (the ancient Egyptian painting «Hunting on the Nile» is cited as an example). In the socialist realist mosaic, the technique serves as a means of artistic expression, capable of carrying a different semantic load. The interpretation of the artistic image allows us to conclude about the timeless humanistic ideas reflected in the mosaic, and the ambiguity of its figurative and semantic content. The study uses formal-stylistic, comparative, iconographic and iconological methods. In the practical sphere, the publication may result in a mosaic application for state protection, which is relevant for the Moscow region, where only few works of Soviet monumental and decorative painting have the status of identified objects of cultural heritage. The study may also be important for the development of the excursion program of the Museum Association of the city of Korolev.