The exhibition "Muscovite. Women of the Soviet Capital in the 1920s–1930s" became the main project of the Museum of Moscow in 2024. It took one and a half years to prepare. More than 30 private and museum collections were involved in creating the large-scale exhibition and over 2,000 exhibits were assembled. The exhibition was curated by art historians Nadezhda Plungyan and Ksenia Guseva.
Exhibition interior
What was the country like after the Revolution and what was the path of women's emancipation in the USSR? What ideals did the Soviet woman believe in, what career did she build, and how did she find fulfillment within the family? The 20th century changed women's social position: she gained independence, equal civil rights, access to education and new opportunities for professional development. At the same time, the woman's role remained dual: a citizen, a Komsomol member, a loyal friend and a production shock worker, while also being a feminine and tender wife, mother and sister, as evidenced by the art of the Soviet era.
The exhibition depicts a new era and way of life through female images, assembling the portrait of the Muscovite through the prism of art. The displays include paintings, monumental panels, propaganda and film posters, and sculptures. Here you can see the sculptural work of Konenkov and the first textile "patterns" by women artists of the 1920s–30s. Also among the works presented are pieces by such outstanding artists as Kazimir Malevich, Alexander Deineka, Aristarkh Lentulov, Ilya Mashkov, Ekaterina Zernova and many others.
Particular attention is paid to clothing and fabric designers and textile women — key figures in Moscow industry in the early 20th century. An important role in the development of the textile industry was played by Vladimir Mayakovsky's older sister, Lyudmila. She was a designer at the Trekhgornaya Manufactory and at Krasnaya Roza (Red Rose) and was the first woman to head a weaving manufactory department. It was she who introduced airbrush painting into fabric production and trained many generations of textile artists.
Exhibition interior
The exhibition was created with great attention to detail, immerses visitors in the atmosphere of the post-revolutionary era and sparks interest in Soviet art — the displays include names unknown even to the knowledgeable viewer. Each hall is devoted to a specific stage in the life of the Soviet woman and the country. The exhibition runs until August 25, 2024. Be sure to visit!
