ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Socialist realism in Poland

Imagine you and your friends are going to draw a picture. But instead of drawing whatever you want, you have to draw what a grown-up tells you to draw. This grown-up is in charge and wants you to draw things that show how great your school is or how hardworking your family is.

In Poland a long time ago, the grown-ups in charge were the government. They wanted everyone to make art that showed how good and happy life was under their rule. This type of art was called "socialist realism."

The government wanted socialist realism art to show that everyone in Poland was happy and working for the good of the country. Artists were not allowed to create any art that went against the government's ideas or opinions.

The problem was, some artists didn't like being told what to do. They wanted to create art that showed different ideas or ways of life. But if they did, they could get in big trouble.

Many artists were forced to create socialist realism art or they could lose their jobs or go to jail. But some artists found ways to secretly create their own art that showed what they wanted to say.

Eventually, the government changed and people didn't have to create socialist realism art anymore. But the legacy of this time in art history can still be seen in the architecture and public artwork in Poland.