1920s-1930s Constructivist-Influenced Soviet Chess Pieces

The state-sanctioned program of Political Chess begun by Alexander Ilyin-Genevsky and elaborated by Nikolai Krylenko was but one of several parallel projects aimed to promote socialism in the fledgling Soviet Union. Another such effort was Soviet Constructivism...

According to art historian Laura Hillegas, “The Constructivists sought to influence architecture, design, fashion, and all mass-produced objects. In place of painterly concerns with composition, Constructivists were interested in construction. Rather than emerging from an expressive impulse or an academic tradition, art was to be built.” Constructivist design employed pure geometric forms, linearity, symmetry, repetition, simple, sans-serif fonts, the dominance of red and black, and photomontage. Many elements of Soviet Constructivism can be seen in this famous 1919 poster, Reds into Whites by El Lissitzky:

It should come as no surprise that Constructivism design concepts would influence chess design. Perhaps the most famous example is the chess table designed in by Alexandre Rodchenko:

While I am unaware of any set that can be considered purely Constructivist, the influence of Constructivism is evident in this set:

Read more about this fascinating set and the Constructivist influences helping to shape it here.

Interesting post @CGrau! Thanks!

very nice, exactly what i was looking for.