Photos de G. Petroussov et A. Sterenberg. Autres photos de A. Rodtchenko et M. Rosenbaum.

Revue mensuelle illustree. Parait en quatre langues, en Russe, en Allemand, en Francaois et en Anglais.

http://www.luminous-lint.com/app/image/709470906704165364457992258/

https://englishrussia.com/2009/07/01/the-greatest-propaganda-journal-of-the-ussr/

Alexander Rodchenko. Magazine cover for "SSSR na Strojke" (USSR in Construction) Issue #12, 1935 [Parachute Issue]

Late 1929. The young Soviet Empire was just getting to its giant feet. Bitterness and tears of the WWI and the Civil War were already behind. The civilized and developed countries were looking at the newly emerged country in a very intent and examining way, trying to predict what this dark horse could come up with on the political map of the half-ruined world. In Germany National Socialist Workers' Party headed by Hitler was growing in leaps and bounds, The Triple Entente's former allies were keeping their eyes wide open as well. That was the right time to convince the world that the new country, former on the basis the basis of torn and suffering Russia, had new heroes and new achievments.

The journal was founded as a suppliment to the main journal, but it outgrew its father very quickly and became an independent priodical. Now it's issues are considered as a real treasure of modern art, a counter-current of the time and a vivid example of socialist realism.

Ambitious goals of USSR in Construction, the main propaganda jouranl of the country, demanded for a high-quality artistic approach. The photos and montages were made from images by the Soviet Union's most prominent photo-journalists.

Mindcatching articles were composed by recognised wordmen. On the early stages of the jouranl's life foreigners were also involved into its creation, incuding the father of the photomontage John Heartfield. For 11 years ( 1930-1941) the journal was published in five languages- Russian, French, English, German and Spanish- with the aim to cover the most part of the reading world and shoe the greatness of the USSR. Of course common people couldnt access the issues, as the left-wing intellectuals and business people. Bernard Shaw, H.G Wells, John Galsworthy, and Romen Rolland wer among its subscribers. The journal kept reaedrs abroad informed of all the large-scale constructions taking pace within the USSR.

Gradually the party elite became the main readers of the jouranl and turned to be a kind of an annual progress report, though a very reach one.

The size of the jouranl was really huge for that time. Oversized pages ( almost A-3 format) and multi-page-fold-outs on a high quality printing paper were totally new for the readers of the USSR and other countries. For special occasions the creators of one of the journal used to present really exclusive issues. For example one of them, devoted to the 17th Congress of the Communist Party, was wrapped into piecesof cloth of balloon " USSR" which reached a record 60695 feet. A gramphone record with stories about the experiments went with the issue. Please note that it was 75 years ago, in 1934. The issues devoted to the Maxim Gorky aircraft (the Tupolev ANT-20) were in the aluminium (!!!). With this, the text was just to support the pictures, used to be short and went mainly in the propaganda style.

For that period USSR in Construction was the most avant-garde in terms of time and style and obviously ahead of its epoch. In many ways it could have been a real competitor of more recent publiscations, though, it didnt manage to cope with the changes in the domestic policy. The Great Patriotic War marked the end of the journal's life, and all attempts to revive it in 1949 weren't fruitful. Anna Rudenko