S otheby’s is delighted to present one of the most important private collections of Post-War and Contemporary Russian Art ever to appear at auction. The sale includes works by the key representatives of the various non-official art movements that existed in the Soviet Union, often referred to as the Soviet non-conformists or the second Russian avant-garde. Many of the works are from the artists’ most collectible periods and have not appeared on the market for over a decade. They will be exhibited together for the very first time in the run-up to the auction, providing a rare opportunity to view a museum-quality collection of non-conformist art in London.

A Cold Thaw: Soviet Art Post Stalin

The end of the Second World War, followed by the death of Joseph Stalin and the cultural thaw under the dictator’s successor and chief denouncer Nikita Khrushchev, unleashed a revival of Russian artists’ creative ambitions and practices that is referred to as the second avant-garde.

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