Publication ofa book Soviet Naïve Art had become the first stage ofthe new project. Itoffered the reading audience acomprehensive glimpse ofa unique phenomenon inthe USSR culture of1960-1990-ies ofthe last century, the Soviet Primitive.

Doctor ofArt History and author ofthe Soveit Naïve Art book Ksenia Boguemskaya points out that itembodied the dreams and fantasies ofSoviet people, their daily life and humdrum, and, what ismore important, the original perception bythe amateur artists ofthe world, where slogans are wed toproverbs, absurd torealism, folk art topolitical propaganda.

The album contains over 300artworks byamateur artists, who have not had academic education. Their art reflected artistic reality, which coexisted with the official sotsart.

More than 130artists are represented inthe album, including the unknown authors from collections ofthe State History, Architecture, Arts and Landscape Museum Reserve Tsaritsino; State Museum and Exhibition Center ROSIZO, Folk Art House, Kostroma Art Museum. The bulk ofthe book contains artworks from private collections that are made public for the first time.

The 380-pages album has 67topical parts: from family, vitamins and polyclinics tosocialist hostel and perestroika. The compliers used the same principle, which isbeing used for all books ofthe Interros Publishing Program within the framework ofthe series Russia.XXth century: artwork isaccompanied bydocuments ofthe Soviet era,i.e. standards, official instructions and educational recommendations. Such ajuxtaposition provides aspecific sociological ectype ofthe era. The book Soviet Naïve Art opens just another, new viewpoint onthe Soviet reality and gives anopportunity for amultilateral discussion ofartistic value ofSoviet primitivism.

In 2008the Soviet Naïve Art project will becomplemented byspecial events and exhibition program inMoscow and inthe regions.

Soviet Nave Art, Moscow, Interros Publishing Program, 2007. 384pages, illustrated.