Depiction of Lenin and Stalin in Estonian Art as an Indicator of Shifts in the Soviet Authoritative Discourse

Abstract

The paper provides an analysis of changes in depiction of Soviet leaders by Estonian artistsduring the period of Soviet occupation of Estonia. More specifically, changes in theiconography of Lenin and Stalin are viewed in light of Alexei Yurchak’s concept ofperformative shift of the Soviet authoritative discourse. During the over 40-year period of Soviet occupation conventions of depicting Leninand Stalin underwent several notable changes that more or less reflected shifts in the Sovietpolitics as well as the developments in Estonian arts. The paper argues that changes in thedepiction of the leaders amounted to the fundamental meaning and message of these works ofart. Especially from the end of the 1960s, an increasingly playful and ironic undertoneprevailed. In using the depictions of the Soviet leaders in Estonian art to test the aforementionedtheoretical constructions, the paper however concludes that changes in the official discoursein Estonian arts did not wholly conform to the performative shift as described by Yurchak.