Art and Politics in the Turbulent Interwar Period: the World Exhibitions of the Late 1930s and Soviet Cultural Strategie

The article examines the relationship between art and politics in the context of the World Exhibitions of the late 1930s, with particular attention to Soviet cultural strategies and the impact of the Spanish Civil War. An analysis of the relationship between art and politics in the interwar period shows that in the context of political instability, international exhibitions became an important platform for demonstrating influence and power, as well as promoting ideological attitudes. Using the examples of the Paris (1937) and New York (1939) World Exhibitions, it is shown how the Soviet government used architectural and artistic solutions to shape the image of the success of the socialist path of development and create a powerful counterweight to the aggressive image of Nazi Germany. Having considered the methods of organizing the expositions of the pavilions of the World Exhibitions as tools of cultural diplomacy, it is possible to especially note the significance of the chosen architectural solutions demonstrating the synthesis of aesthetic attitudes with ideological messages. It was through exhibition strategies and visual representations that the USSR positioned itself in the interwar period as a progressive state of the future, opposing itself to both the capitalist system and the fascist threat. The Spanish Republic tried to form a similar image, where the tragedy of the civil war determined the content of cultural policy and artistic representation. However, unlike the USSR, the government of the Spanish Republic failed to fully implement the tasks set. The time of instability and the premonition of an impending catastrophe forced visitors to seek support and hope in the image of a bright future formed by the Soviet pavilion, trying to avoid the fate of Spain.