Free State Arts Studios: A History of the Svomas Initiative

The Free State Arts Studios (Svomas) was an initiative for arts and design education in Russia during the years after the revolutions of 1917. The revolutionary government closed long standing schools, temporarily, then renewed them with Svomas—a program with free tuition, open admissions, and a philosophy of freedom. Svomas only lasted for two years but was a vast effort, with one branch in Petrograd, two in Moscow, one in Vitebsk, and elsewhere in regional cities. The program was among the first to teach new modern art movements on a large scale, and to integrate them withdesign and architecture. While painting courses were the most numerous, architecture was taught, and many artists had important architectural ideas that would influence developments in international architecture of the 20th century. The dissertation covers the historical progression of Svomas. It gives an idea of how the school system was created, what it was, then what happened after it ended. Five main sections show something of what the avant-garde was doing during Svomas, they highlight: two faculty led studios, a research group, and two student groups. These sections conclude with teaching philosophies derived from analyzing written statements and the work. There are appended documents to show the thinking of the school, as well as appended imagery to show what they were doing and making.