How a Soviet artist dreamed of space (PICS)

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Many creative people in the second half of the 20th century were keen on the theme of space and sci-fi. In this article, we take a closer look at the paintings of Andrei Sokolov, one of the leading Soviet space artists.

Andrei Sokolov (1931-2007) was an architect by occupation, but he had been fond of science fiction since childhood and, inspired by Ray Bradbury's novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’, he created his first space paintings.

The launch of the first artificial satellite had such a huge impact on the young artist that he took up space painting in earnest.

"I was shocked by this news. What hundreds of generations of people had dreamed of had finally come true. The vast majority of my peers realized the uniqueness of the ongoing assault on the Universe only after the flight of Yuri Gagarin. But, I was already captivated by the starry sky in October 1957. It was at the end of the 1950s that my first serious artistic works and exhibitions of paintings on space themes date back to," Sokolov once recalled.

At the same time, the space industry was incredibly classified and everything was purely a figment of the artist's imagination. What a cosmodrome, a rocket, an orbital station would look like – Sokolov fantasized about and imagined all of this.

"Sometimes, it got to the point of absurdity: once, I drew a rocket in flight. And, suddenly, this picture was banned from publication. No one explained the reasons for the ban: it was forbidden and that was it! And, only a few years later, I found out what was going on: it turns out I had guessed the shape of the rocket! And they were classified," the artist said.

Later, Sokolov met cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who also painted space pictures as a hobby. They were friends and collaborated for many years, creating a pictorial chronicle of cosmonautics.

With an Explosion into Orbit, 1974-1984  

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Towards Mars, 1972 

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Space Station of the Future, 1980

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Lunar Geologist, 1972 

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Aboard the Europa, 1980

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Heating of Poles, 1974-1984 

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Under a Solar Sail Through Jupiter's Ring, 1974-1984

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Start from Pluto, 1983

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Builders of the Lunar City, 1974-1984

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Over the Crater, 1972 

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Walking Wheel on Titan, 1980 

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

Electric Rocket Near the Moon, 1974-1984

Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics
Andrei Sokolov/Courtesy of the Museum of Cosmonautics

‘Gateway to Russia’ is grateful to the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow for their help in preparing this material.

On July 3, 2025, the ‘Promoting Space. The Dream Project’ exhibition, dedicated to the fantasies of Soviet people about space, opens in the museum.

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