The 1920s were a difficult time for the new Soviet state. Its enterprises had to face pressing issues and provide fuel, raw materials, and food. During that time, the Dyatkovo Crystal Factory experienced a decline in production, a shortage of skilled personnel, and a lack of raw materials. There were no professional artists trained to work in the glass industry, and the craftsmen had to come up with the design of their items on their own. They often used such symbols as five-pointed stars, bundles of wheat, and the hammer and sickle.
Large decorative vases painted by local artists, the Golubkov brothers, are prominent examples of such work. A pair of unique vases was made in a single copy for the tenth anniversary of the Soviet Union. One of the vases features a painting in the style of propaganda posters with the images of two characters: a Red Army soldier riding a horse against a black background, and a worker standing beside large machinery against a red background. The contrast of black and red serves to emphasize the complexity and the social conflicts of the first decade of the Soviet Union. All the events until 1917 are depicted using black paint, while the buildings, industrial facilities, and the symbols of the new era are painted red. These poster-like qualities were not typical of glass art, but this vase endears the viewer with the artists’ sincere enthusiasm regarding the new Soviet reality.
This massive vase was made using the free blowing technique. Such large items are usually created by blowers using the traditional technique that has stayed the same for many centuries. The glass is processed at a temperature of around 1000 ºС. To create such a large item, the blower gathers glass from the furnace several times, each time letting the previous gather cool down. The next stage after blowing is annealing which serves to relieve any residual internal stresses. The glass resembles porcelain. It was painted using fluorine or phosphorus compounds. The painting and the contouring with liquid gold solutions were applied after the cooling of the glass.
Large decorative vases painted by local artists, the Golubkov brothers, are prominent examples of such work. A pair of unique vases was made in a single copy for the tenth anniversary of the Soviet Union. One of the vases features a painting in the style of propaganda posters with the images of two characters: a Red Army soldier riding a horse against a black background, and a worker standing beside large machinery against a red background. The contrast of black and red serves to emphasize the complexity and the social conflicts of the first decade of the Soviet Union. All the events until 1917 are depicted using black paint, while the buildings, industrial facilities, and the symbols of the new era are painted red. These poster-like qualities were not typical of glass art, but this vase endears the viewer with the artists’ sincere enthusiasm regarding the new Soviet reality.
This massive vase was made using the free blowing technique. Such large items are usually created by blowers using the traditional technique that has stayed the same for many centuries. The glass is processed at a temperature of around 1000 ºС. To create such a large item, the blower gathers glass from the furnace several times, each time letting the previous gather cool down. The next stage after blowing is annealing which serves to relieve any residual internal stresses. The glass resembles porcelain. It was painted using fluorine or phosphorus compounds. The painting and the contouring with liquid gold solutions were applied after the cooling of the glass.
