World History of Art and Decisions of the Central Committee of the CPSU(b) of the 1930s Discussions at the All-Russian Academy of Arts (Leningrad, 1936)

Abstract

The materials of discussions held at the All-Russian Academy of Arts in 1936 are presented in the article. The specifics of the development of Soviet art history and the principles of the formation of Soviet historiography of the 1930s are reflected in these discussions, which were based on a new concept of world historical development. Important organizational changes at the Russian Academy of Arts take place in the 1930s. Among them are the creation of a new department of art history, the foundation of an art history faculty, and the beginning of training of specialists in the field of art history. Several discussions took place at the Academy about the role and place of the history of foreign art in the system of the general concept of understanding world history. The materials of the meetings of the All-Russian Academy of Arts contain the presentation and discussion of reports on the tasks of art history in the light of the decisions of the Central Committee of the Party about history. These materials are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time in this article.