Exterior Design Project of the Ternopil Cotton Plant 1974

Valerii Lamakh's "Exterior Design Project of the Ternopil Cotton Plant," completed in 1974, is a striking example of Soviet-era monumental art. The mosaic mural adorns the exterior of a building, featuring a series of figures engaged in activities related to cotton production. The figures, rendered in a stylized, almost iconic manner, represent the workers and their labor, emphasizing the importance of industry in Soviet society. Lamakh's work, characterized by its bold colors and simplified forms, reflects the prevailing aesthetics of Socialist Realism, a style that aimed to depict idealized representations of the working class and its achievements. This mural, like many other public art pieces of this era, served as a powerful symbol of Soviet ideology and its emphasis on social progress and industrial development.