Artistic Societies in Early-Soviet Russia, 1918-1930

Abstract The paper analyzes possible functional strategies of private artistic, literary and philosophical organizations during the post-revolutionary times and first part of Soviet era regime in Moscow and St Petersburg. Private art organizations did not imply an absolute acceptance of Soviet domination. Thus, in this work, the activity of private societies is understood as a form of new public communication. Conducting the research, I try to find out what the relationship between the art society and the Soviet power was, based on the example of the Volfila (Free Philosophical Association) activities in St. Petersburg and the All-Russian Union of Writers. It is particularly interesting that the Philosophical Association “Wolfil” executed as unwelcome group for the government, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and, therefore, had to adapt to the existing ideology of “new art”. This work outlines what alternative methods of interaction with the new government private art groups and organizations resorted to.