People's Artist of the USSR
Encyclopedia
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title
granted to citizens of the Soviet Union
.
titles: Народный артист СССР (fem. Народная артистка СССР), awarded in performing arts
and Народный художник СССР, granted in some visual arts
.
Each Soviet Republic
, as well as the Autonomous Republics (ASSRs), had a similar award held previously by virtually every receiver of the higher title of People's Artist of the USSR.
As this title was granted by the government, honorees were afforded certain privileges and would often receive commissions from the Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union. Accordingly, artists and authors who expressed criticism of the Communist Party
were seldom granted such recognition, if not outright censored
.
The title bestowed for exceptional achievements in performing arts in the former USSR. Its recipients include many of the most-acclaimed composers, dancers, singers, film and theatre directors and actors of every republic. In all, there was 1010 recipients of the award.
The title was introduced in 1936, replacing an earlier title of "People's Artist of the Republic". The first recipients of the title (6 september 1936) were Constantin Stanislavski, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko
, Ivan Moskvin
, Antonina Nezhdanova
, Boris Shchukin
, Kulyash Baiseitova
and some other actors. The last persons to be honoured with the title were Sofia Pilyavskaya and Oleg Yankovsky
(21 december 1991).
Originally, the title was bestowed on theatre actors, ballet dancers, and opera singers only. Gradually, it came to be bestowed upon film actors (e.g., Lyubov Orlova
), composers (e.g., Arno Babajanian
, Dmitri Shostakovich
), violinist (e.g., Anahit Tsitsikian
, David Oistrakh
), pop singers (e.g., Leonid Utyosov
), comedians (e.g., Arkady Raikin
), and even clowns (e.g., Oleg Popov
).
Normally, a person was named the People's Artist of the USSR after 40 years of age. Exceptions were made for dancers, e.g., Nadezhda Pavlova, a ballet artist, received the title at the age of 28, and Malika Kalantarova, a famous Bukharian Jewish folk dancer from Tajikistan
, received the title at the age of 34. http://sadr-new.cssd.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/search?query=tions&pr=reesweb&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&cmd=context&id=435c0ba4a
The youngest female persons to receive this title were Kazakh opera singers Kulyash Baiseitova
(1936) and Halima Nasyrova (1937) (at the age of 24). The youngest man was Azerbaijani baritone operatic and pop singer Muslim Magomayev (1973) (at the age of 31). Among the actors, the youngest recipient was Sergey Bondarchuk (age 32). The youngest actress to receive the title was Yuri Andropov
's daughter-in-law, Lyudmila Chursina, at age 40.
Sofia Rotaru
, for example, was named Merited Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1973, People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1976, People's Artist of the Moldavian SSR in 1983, an attained cumulation of People's Artist titles, and finally People's Artist of the USSR in 1988, the first female pop-singer to be honored with this award and the only one with three People's Artists.
As of 2009, the earliest living recipient is Turkmen opera singer Maya Kuliyeva (1955).
: painting
, sculpture
, drawing
, and photography
. The lesser title of Заслуженный художник СССР (Meritorious Painter of the USSR) was also awarded for achievement in these fields.
:Category:People's Artists of the USSR (visual arts) - list of recipients
Title of honor
An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
granted to citizens of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Nomenclature and significance
The term is confusingly used to translate two Russian languageRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
titles: Народный артист СССР (fem. Народная артистка СССР), awarded in performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
and Народный художник СССР, granted in some visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
.
Each Soviet Republic
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
, as well as the Autonomous Republics (ASSRs), had a similar award held previously by virtually every receiver of the higher title of People's Artist of the USSR.
| Republic | performing arts | visual arts |
|---|---|---|
| Russian SFSR | народный артист РСФСР | народный художник РСФСР |
| Ukrainian SSR Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991... |
народний артист Української РСР | народний художник Української РСР |
| Byelorussian SSR Byelorussian SSR The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic... |
народны артыст Беларускай ССР | народны мастак Беларускай ССР |
| Uzbek SSR Uzbek SSR The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924... |
Ўзбекистон ССР халқ рассоми | |
| Kazakh SSR Kazakh SSR The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union.At in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata . Today it is the independent state of... |
Қазақ КСР-ң халық әртісі | |
| Georgian SSR | საქართველოს სსრ სახალხო არტისტი | |
| Azerbaijan SSR Azerbaijan SSR The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Azerbaijan SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union.... |
Азәрбајҹан ССР халг артисти | |
| Lithuanian SSR Lithuanian SSR The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union... |
Lietuvos TSR liaudies artistas | Lietuvos TSR liaudies dailininkas |
| Moldavian SSR Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic , commonly abbreviated to Moldavian SSR or MSSR, was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union... |
артист ал попорулуй дин РСС Молдовеняскэ | |
| Latvian SSR Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by... |
Latvijas PSR tautas mākslinieks | |
| Kyrgyz SSR | Кыргыз ССР эл артисти | |
| Tajik SSR Tajik SSR The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Tajik SSR for short, was one of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union. Located in Central Asia, the Tajik SSR was created on 5 December 1929 as a national entity for the Tajik people within the Soviet Union... |
||
| Armenian SSR Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet... |
Հայաստանի ՍՍՀ ժողովրդական արտիստ | |
| Turkmen SSR Turkmen SSR The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Turkmen SSR for short, was one of republics of the Soviet Union in Central Asia. It was initially established on 7 August 1921 as the Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR. On 13 May 1925 it was transformed into Turkmen SSR and became a... |
||
| Estonian SSR | Eesti NSV rahvakunstnik |
As this title was granted by the government, honorees were afforded certain privileges and would often receive commissions from the Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union. Accordingly, artists and authors who expressed criticism of the Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
were seldom granted such recognition, if not outright censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
.
Performing arts
The title was introduced in 1936, replacing an earlier title of "People's Artist of the Republic". The first recipients of the title (6 september 1936) were Constantin Stanislavski, Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko
Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko was a Georgian-born Russian theatre director, writer, pedagogue, playwright, producer and theatre organizer, who founded the Moscow Art Theatre with his colleague, Konstantin Stanislavsky, in 1898.-Biography:Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko was born...
, Ivan Moskvin
Ivan Moskvin
Ivan Mikhailovich Moskvin , 1874, Moscow – February 16, 1946, Moscow) was a Russian actor and People's Artist of the USSR. He became director of the Moscow Art Theatre in 1943. He was a student in the Moscow Philharmonic Society from 1893 to 1896. He also performed in the Yaroslavl company...
, Antonina Nezhdanova
Antonina Nezhdanova
Antonina Vasilievna Nezhdanova was a Russian lyric-coloratura soprano. An outstanding opera singer, she represented the Russian vocal school at its best....
, Boris Shchukin
Boris Shchukin
Boris Vasilyevich Shchukin was a Soviet actor and People's Artist of the USSR . in 1941, he was awarded the Stalin Prize.-External links:...
, Kulyash Baiseitova
Kulyash Baiseitova
Kulyash Baiseitova was a Soviet Kazakh opera singer.She was one of the 13 original recipients of the award of People's Artist of the USSR in 1936....
and some other actors. The last persons to be honoured with the title were Sofia Pilyavskaya and Oleg Yankovsky
Oleg Yankovsky
Oleg Ivanovich Yankovsky was a Soviet/Russian actor who has excelled in psychologically sophisticated roles of modern intellectuals...
(21 december 1991).
Originally, the title was bestowed on theatre actors, ballet dancers, and opera singers only. Gradually, it came to be bestowed upon film actors (e.g., Lyubov Orlova
Lyubov Orlova
Lyubov Petrovna Orlova, was the first recognized star of Soviet cinema, famous theatre actress and a gifted singer.She was born to a middle class family in Zvenigorod near Moscow and grew up in Yaroslavl...
), composers (e.g., Arno Babajanian
Arno Babajanian
Arno Harutyuni Babajanian was a Soviet Armenian composer and pianist, People's Artist of the Armenian SSR and Soviet Union . He was a laureate of two Stalin State Prizes of the USSR and two Armenian SSR State Prizes ....
, Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
), violinist (e.g., Anahit Tsitsikian
Anahit Tsitsikian
Anahit Tsitsikian was the first renowned Armenian woman-violinist who during the Soviet times toured around the world in more than 100 cities; a professor who taught at the State Conservatory in Yerevan for approximately 40 years; a journalist who wrote more than 300 articles, scenarios for...
, David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh
David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , , David Fiodorović Ojstrakh, ; – October 24, 1974, was a Soviet violinist....
), pop singers (e.g., Leonid Utyosov
Leonid Utyosov
Leonid Osipovich Utyosov or Utesov ; real name Lazar Vaysbeyn or Weissbein , was a famous Soviet jazz singer and comic actor of jewish origin, who became the first pop singer to be awarded the prestigious title of People's Artist of the USSR .-Biography:Leonid Utyosov was brought up in Odessa...
), comedians (e.g., Arkady Raikin
Arkady Raikin
Arkady Isaakovich Raikin was a Soviet stand-up comedian. He led the school of Soviet and Russian humorists for about half a century.Raikin was born into a Jewish family in Riga , then part of the Russian Empire. He graduated from the Leningrad Theatrical Technicum in 1935 and worked in both state...
), and even clowns (e.g., Oleg Popov
Oleg Popov
Oleg Konstantinovich Popov is a famous Soviet and Russian clown and circus artist. Popov is also called the "Sunshine clown".He was born on 31 July 1930 in Moscow, the son of a clock-maker. He studied elements of acrobatics, juggling, and other circus skills in his youth...
).
Normally, a person was named the People's Artist of the USSR after 40 years of age. Exceptions were made for dancers, e.g., Nadezhda Pavlova, a ballet artist, received the title at the age of 28, and Malika Kalantarova, a famous Bukharian Jewish folk dancer from Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, received the title at the age of 34. http://sadr-new.cssd.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/search?query=tions&pr=reesweb&prox=page&rorder=500&rprox=500&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&cmd=context&id=435c0ba4a
The youngest female persons to receive this title were Kazakh opera singers Kulyash Baiseitova
Kulyash Baiseitova
Kulyash Baiseitova was a Soviet Kazakh opera singer.She was one of the 13 original recipients of the award of People's Artist of the USSR in 1936....
(1936) and Halima Nasyrova (1937) (at the age of 24). The youngest man was Azerbaijani baritone operatic and pop singer Muslim Magomayev (1973) (at the age of 31). Among the actors, the youngest recipient was Sergey Bondarchuk (age 32). The youngest actress to receive the title was Yuri Andropov
Yuri Andropov
Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet politician and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 12 November 1982 until his death fifteen months later.-Early life:...
's daughter-in-law, Lyudmila Chursina, at age 40.
Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Rotaru
Sofia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru known as Sofia Rotaru is a Soviet and Ukrainian pop singer of Romanian/Moldavian heritage....
, for example, was named Merited Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1973, People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR in 1976, People's Artist of the Moldavian SSR in 1983, an attained cumulation of People's Artist titles, and finally People's Artist of the USSR in 1988, the first female pop-singer to be honored with this award and the only one with three People's Artists.
As of 2009, the earliest living recipient is Turkmen opera singer Maya Kuliyeva (1955).
Visual arts
The title Народный художник СССР (People's Painter of the USSR) was awarded for exceptional achievements in certain visual artsVisual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
: painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
. The lesser title of Заслуженный художник СССР (Meritorious Painter of the USSR) was also awarded for achievement in these fields.
Other honored professions
- ArchitectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
: Народный архитектор СССР (People's Architect of the USSRPeople's Architect of the USSRPeople's Architect of the USSR , also sometimes translated as National Architect of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union; it was established on August 12, 1967 by Leonid Brezhnev....
) - LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
: Народный писатель СССР (People's WriterWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of the USSR); Народный поэт СССР (People's PoetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
of the USSR, roughly equivalent to Poet LaureatePoet LaureateA poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
) - EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
: Народный учитель СССР (People's Teacher of the USSRPeople's Teacher of the USSRPeople's Teacher of the USSR was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union; it was established in 30 December 1977.Following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union the title was modified in National Teacher of the Russian Federation....
) - MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
: Народный врач СССР (People's Doctor of the USSRPeople's Doctor of the USSRPeople's Doctor of the USSR was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union; it was established in 25 October 1977 by Leonid Brezhnev and its creation was officialised on the n°44/1977 issue of Suprem Soviet's official journal....
)
See also
:Category:People's Artists of the USSR - list of recipients:Category:People's Artists of the USSR (visual arts) - list of recipients
- Hero of Socialist Labour - the highest civilian decoration in the USSR
- Meritorious ArtistMeritorious ArtistMeritorious Artist , also translated as Merited Artist, Deserved Artist or Distinguished Artist or Honorary Artist or Honorable Actor) is an honorary title in the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Union republics, and Autonomous republics, also in some other Eastern bloc states, as well as in a...
- People's ArtistPeople's ArtistPeople's Artist is a honorary title in the Soviet Union, Union republics, in some other Eastern bloc states , as well as in a number of post-Soviet states, modeled after the title of the People's Artist of the USSR....
- People's Artist of RussiaPeople's Artist of RussiaPeople's Artist of Russia, also sometimes translated as National Artist of Russia, is an honorary title granted to citizens of Russia.It succeeded both the all-Soviet union award People's Artist of the USSR , and more directly the local republic award, People's Artist of the RSFSR , after the...