Socialist Realism, 1949 - Statue Of A Polish Worker - Coal

An imposing statue carved from coal, on its wooden base. 76 by 49 cm. It depicts a Polish worker, bare-chested, brandishing a hammer. The inscription reads: "To the World Federation of Trade Unions on the occasion of the 2nd/8th Congress of Polish Trade Unions, June 1-5, 1949, in Warsaw. Federation of Miners, Central Committee." This very imposing work is representative of Soviet-influenced art, honoring the idealized and heroic revolutionary worker. Socialist Realism was promoted by the Soviet Union in the cultural battle and in propaganda. This movement is still visible in many territories of the former USSR (Kyiv, Berlin, Warsaw, Riga, etc.). Founded in France in 1945, the World Federation of Trade Unions became a very powerful international organization due to its large number of members. French was widely spoken there (the language of diplomacy at the time). At that time, the World Federation of Trade Unions played a major role in diplomatic relations. In 1945, it participated in the agreement between France and Poland to facilitate the return of the many Polish miners who had settled in northern France. This statue is probably a diplomatic gift from the Central Committee to the World Federation of Trade Unions. From 1945 onward, Western unions left the World Federation one by one, a result of the divisions of the Cold War.