Culver City,
California
x
Maker: Alexandr Lozenko
Dedicated to the XVII Party Congress
Date Made: 1988
Country: Soviet Union
Method: Tempera paint on fiberboard
Measurements: 100.5 cm x 70.5 cm; 39 9/16 in x 27 3/4 in
This painting is referencing the Communist Party Congress held in 1934, also known as the “Congress of the Victorious.” Collectivization and industrialization processes were underway as the leaders of the Soviet State wanted them to be. Joseph Stalin, the Secretary General of the Party, was presented with a hunting rifle equipped with the optic range for precision shooting. On that day when the Congress was in session Stalin was on stage with the rest of presidium and when presented with this rifle he pointed it to the audience as a joking gesture. All those delegates liked it very much and applauded him Collectivization and industrialization were in full swing when Joseph Stalin was presented with a hunting rifle by the XVII Party Congress in 1934. Stalin pointed it into the audience as an apparent jest, but it turned out not to be a jest. Within a year, he had assumed an iron grip on the Party, and his key rival, Sergey Kirov, was assassinated under mysterious circumstances. Between 1937 and 1939, almost all the delegates at whom Stalin had jokingly pointed the hunting rifle were tried as enemies of the state, and shot. Despite the public adulation of Stalin at the 'Congress of Victors' in 1934 there was much opposition in the Party to his leadership. The overwhelming majority of delegates were arrested between 1937 and 1939 and most of them shot. A memorable photograph from this Congress shows Stalin being presented with a hunting rifle which he jokingly trained on the audience. Russian text on print states: "Posviashchaetsia XVII c"ezdu." Translated" "In memory of the 17th Congress"
Accession Number: 2009.053.210
Item Name: Painting
Credit Line: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris
Collection/Series: The Ferris Russian Collection, Donated by Tom and Jeri Ferris