Non-Toy Stories

Until recently, toys were considered a child's pastime that should not be taken seriously. However, the book by Evgeny Smirnov, dedicated to Soviet toys from the 1930s to the 1950s, offers a different perspective on this phenomenon. In it, the toy appears as a full-fledged historical object, placed in contexts that are far from playful, and at times quite dramatic, of the first half of the 20th century. Combining an art historical and socio-anthropological approach, the author reveals the subject of his research from a new angle - not merely as a material remnant of the time, but as a monument of the era, filled with artistic, ideological, and historical meanings.

Evgeny Smirnov is an independent researcher and curator, collector, historian of Soviet (1920-1950) and Western European toys (19th - first half of the 20th centuries), professional translator, teacher, and top manager. He is the author of about 50 publications in Russian and international specialized publications.