TableTop Agitprop

In Soviet Russia in the 1920s, even products not generally associated with social causes were politicized. If you bought “Our Industry” candies with labels designed by the famous Constructivist artist Aleksandr Rodchenko, you could ponder feats of Soviet engineering while enjoying something sweet.

In 1924, Mikhail Mikhailovich Adamovich decorated a porcelain plate similarly designed to inspire the masses with revolutionary fervor. “He Who Does Not Work Does Not Eat” represents an eclectic mix of styles. The letters of the slogan are playfully abstract, recalling the floating geometric forms of the Suprematist movement. Yet, at the same time, the plate retains distinctive elements of traditional Russian folk style, no doubt meant to make it more appealing to peasants and workers alike. The abbreviation for the Russian Federation—R.S.F.S.R.—is rendered by means of curlicues and floral patterns often seen in peasant handicrafts, though they are presented here in the red, white, and black colors so closely associated with the Revolution. And although the rousing slogan speaks perfectly to socialist ideals, it actually originates from the Bible, in Saint Paul’s teaching in Thessalonians 2, 3:10. These words were sure to resonate with a still-devout populace.

During the heady post-Revolutionary years, no forum was too small to serve as a way to engage the masses both politically and socially. The bold theoretical experiments of the early Constructivists found new expression in Utilitarian Constructivism as art was put into the service of the state. Even such everyday products as cocoa were put to political use by Rodchenko and the great poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, in their collaborative poster advertising it as a source of strength. Being strong was, of course, the duty of every loyal Soviet citizen as he or she strove to improve society.

Thus did the prosaic objects of daily life become invested with deeper meaning. Plates, in particular, were handy agitational tools for urging the consumer (in both senses of the word) to action. Of these, Adamovich’s plate design became the most iconic, with its striking depiction of Lenin; a Red Army star featuring hammer and sickle; the cheerful RSFSR folk design; an allusion to literacy in the heading “Red Gazette”; and two different examples of workers’ ration cards.

Just a few years ago, in St. Petersburg’s Russian Museum, I bought a reproduction of Adamovich’s plate. Its iconography had been modified only slightly. The original design reflects the artist’s training at Moscow’s Stroganov School of Art and Industrial Design. After the revolution, Adamovich worked in the arts department of the State Porcelain Factory—the former Imperial Porcelain Factory that was nationalized after the Revolution. There, Adamovich found a large stock of blank plates awaiting decoration. Along with other ceramic artists, he began painting a series of revolutionary designs in many different styles. The plates were then glazed and put on the market, their designs of cogwheels celebrating industrialization, and construction sites celebrating social reconstruction, intended to imbue Soviet citizens with enthusiasm for the new socialist path. Ironically, however, the hand-painted porcelain plates were so expensive to produce that they remained out of reach for the very masses they were meant to inspire.

Mushroom-Stuffed Eggs

These savory mushroom-stuffed eggs won’t hide the wonderful design of this plate. You can even arrange them strategically to allow Lenin’s face to peek through.

4 hard-boiled eggs

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, minced

½ pound mushrooms, trimmed and minced

2 tablespoons parsley

2 teaspoons minced fresh dill (or ½ teaspoon dried)

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

A few drops of hot pepper sauce

Garnish

4 teaspoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sour cream

Pinch of salt

Pimiento (optional)

Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the butter until golden. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 8 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and chop them finely. Add the yolks to the mushroom mixture along with the parsley, dill, salt, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and pinch of salt.

Fill the eggs with the mushroom mixture, mounding it high to form tall peaks. Drizzle the mayonnaise mixture over the top so that it runs slightly down the sides. Garnish with a little pimiento, if desired.

Serves 4.

Adapted from A Taste of Russia