Udarnitzi (Record Breaking Workers) at the Factory Krasnaya Zaria 1931

Pavel Filonov created "Udarnitzi (Record Breaking Workers) at the Factory Krasnaya Zaria," with oil on canvas. The gears and machinery in the image dominate the composition. In early symbolic use, the wheel may have represented cosmic unity and the cyclical nature of existence. However, by the early 20th century, mechanization had come to represent modern progress and the power of human industry. The wheels in Filonov's painting, depicted in the hands of determined workers, embody the Soviet Union’s push for industrial advancement and a new social order. This symbol, of course, has an older life, and its cultural memory is deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. Think of the cyclical nature of the seasons, the wheel of fortune, or the Buddhist concept of the wheel of dharma. Each of these archetypes reveals the psychological human need to find rhythm in life and the universe. Though the wheel has been reimagined in Filonov's painting, it continues to tap into these primal urges for order and advancement. These motifs, though, are not confined to the past. They reappear, evolving and adapting, as we continue to grapple with our cultural memory.