Exploring performative language of the propaganda in Soviet films about the Solovetsky prison camp

Visegrad Lecture Series

Exploring performative language of the propaganda in Soviet films about the Solovetsky prison camp

by Oleksandr Stoianov, Visual Artist

The presentation will focus on the study of the performative language of propaganda. Soviet propaganda often distorted reality, playing with it. It sought to make imaginary and idealistic worlds visible, compelling viewers to believe in their existence. The visual work will be based on a propaganda film made in the Solovki prison camp in 1928. One of the purposes of this project is to highlight the gap between the reality of fictional images, which pretend to resemble a documentary, and the reality of everyday life in the camp.