ABSTRACT
The evolution of ergonomics in Russia started in the 1920s. The main areas of work in this period were industrial design, physiology, biomechanics, and “psycho-technology,” and the main contribution to the industrial design was made by Russian avant-garde artists who proposed the idea of “industrial art” (Vlasov, 1995). They were inspired by the idea of building a new society where humans deal with modernity under comfortable work conditions. They asserted that artists must be involved in the design of industrial machines, workplaces, and interiors. “Constructivism” and “proletarian art” advanced in fi ne art and architecture during the early 1920s were the prime art styles infl uencing the industrial design. Early in the 1920s, the famous artist-constructivist V. Tatlin established the research and design institute for “material culture” in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). This institute designed handy and highly artistic everyday goods such as chairs, beds, and cooking utensils. Another principal fi gure in Russian constructivism was A. Rodchenko who made contributions to graphical design and the design of multifunctional objects.
