[SOVIET UNION] PIATAKOV, G[eorgy] (editor-in-chief); LISSITZKY, El and Max Alpert (design)

USSR in Construction. 1932, No.10 (October)

Moscow: State Publishing House of Graphic Arts, 1932. First Edition. Folio (41.5cm); original pictorial wrappers, stapled; [40]pp, plus fold-out centerfold plates; illus. Text is entirely in English. Modest wear and handling, some oxidation to staples, a 2" closed tear and mild dust-soil to rear panel, with one panel of the fold-out centerfold neatly and archivally mended along the fold; contents clean, complete; Very Good.

A significant issue of this landmark Soviet art magazine, issued from 1930 to 1941 to celebrate the achievements of the first two Five Year Plans and (through various foreign-language editions) to propagandize the stark contrast between the vibrant Soviet economy during this period and the stagnation of Western economies under capitalism. "All the visual strategies of the propaganda photobooks, designed by Lissitsky, Rodchenko and others...were developed in USSR in Construction, one of the most beautifully produced magazines of the twentieth century" (Parr-Badger, The Photobook, I:148).

The present issue is entirely devoted to Dnieprostroi, the massive hydro-electric power station located in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. Planned and built by the Communists to stimulate Soviet industrialization, the dam was central to Lenin's slogan "Communism is Soviet power plus the electrification of the whole country." A key issue, marking the first design project El Lissitzky would carry out for the magazine. The highlight of the issue is the large 8-panel fold-out centerfold, featuring photomontages, panoramic views of the dam, and portraits of various engineers, designers, and workers.

Price: $650.00

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