Soviet Union following the Great Patriotic War. It is a highly optimistic work, bathed in a warm glow, and is characteristic of the conflictlessness, which became a motif of Laktionov’s later works and Socialist Realism in general.

Laktionov became most famous for his genre paintings such as Into a New Flat (1952) and Old Age Provided For (1958-60). These painstakingly realistic works paint an overwhelmingly positive picture of Soviet society, which must have contrasted sharply with the everyday realities of life for many people. Nonetheless, these paintings proved highly popular among the general public, despite their mixed critical reception. This criticism was levelled mainly at Laktionov’s trademark attention to detail that, they claimed, eschews artistic expression in favour of naturalism.

In spite of this, Laktionov found many supporters in the state cultural bureaucracy, who approved of his nationalistic and optimistic subject matter. This ensured that Laktionov was able to lead a highly successful career and mix in the highest echelons of Soviet society. Throughout his later years he was commissioned to paint numerous portraits of leading Soviet actors, surgeons, soldiers, politicians and cosmonauts, including a particularly famous portrait of Comrade Stalin himself.