Sketches of a Soviet City

1929

Overview

A "city symphony" about Kharkiv, the capital of the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s, is interesting not only because of its avant-garde form, dynamic editing, and successful cinematography, but also because of its unique shots of the urban space and everyday life of the time. "Sketches of a Soviet City" is an important document of early Soviet urbanism, featuring the famous Gosprom building, the Palace of Labor, the Berezil theater, shops and factories, and cinemas. The documentary was filmed in the spring and summer of 1929. The film was shot by the graduates of the Odesa State Film College and was announced as a "great cultural film that will comprehensively show the life of Kharkiv."