A Ural painter Viktor Zinov created the ‘Youth’ in 1949, just four years after the end of the Great Patriotic War. In those post-war years, such kind-spirited and cheerful paintings were in great demand.

One of the main subjects of the 1940s Soviet paintings was the joyful moments of everyday life. After seeing all the horrors and destruction that the war had brought, painters strove to remind their contemporaries of the optimistic side of life and the preciousness of peace. The paintings depicted nonviolent scenes filled with jovial and festive mood.

The painting ‘Youth’ fully reflects those tendencies. Viktor Zinov depicted boys and girls chatting and enjoying the bright sunny day. The background shows a view of Sverdlovsk: on the right, there is the green façade of the Opera and Ballet Theater, and on the left one can see the streets stretching off into the distance. The majestic building resembles a stage set creating a theater-like atmosphere which is also emphasized by the balustrade on the terrace where the characters are placed.

Viktor Zinov lived from 1908 to 1992. He graduated from the Yekaterinburg Art and Technical School for sculptors and later worked at the ‘Russian Gems’ factory. There he proved himself as a talented sculptor with a deep knowledge of Ural gemstones as well as a painter and a drawer. Between 1932 and 1936, he was an illustrator for the ‘Ural Worker’ newspaper and created posters and portraits of local workers.

A painter Nikolay Sazonov reminisced about Zinov with great warmth,