How can we explain the fact that, given certain historical conditions, international communism, as a ruling ideology, and while aspiring to power, has proven so culturally fecund? In other words, how did it prove capable of inspiring works of art which should still be considered part of European civilization and which have at least not been consigned to the rubbish bin, and how did it manage to attract a considerable cross-section of the cultural élite, among them individuals of outstanding ability?