Aleksander Vladimirovich Ishin’s "Cafe Otdykh" (1960s) emerges from a pivotal moment in Soviet graphic arts, when artists began moving beyond Socialist Realism toward more experimental forms. This preparatory sketch for a linocut depicts two Central Asian workers sharing cigarettes outside a cafe named "Otdykh" (rest/holiday). The work's timing coincides with significant changes in Soviet cultural policy during the Thaw period, when artists gained more freedom to explore everyday scenes of Soviet life. The concept of rest and leisure had become firmly established in Soviet society by this time, with state-sanctioned breaks and recreational spaces seen as essential to worker productivity and wellbeing.

The composition centres on the interaction between two figures set against a geometric urban backdrop. Ishin employs sharp angles and block-like shapes to construct the cafe facade, while the figures are rendered with bold, expressive features that capture a moment of casual interaction. The architectural elements create a framework that draws attention to the human interaction at the centre, emphasising the cafe's role as a space for worker solidarity and relaxation. This focus on informal moments and personal connections marks a departure from earlier Soviet art that primarily depicted heroic labour scenes or industrial achievements.

The work's stark black-and-white contrast demonstrates Ishin's mastery of the linocut. His use of simplified forms and strong linear elements shows the influence of both Constructivist and Cubist principles, while maintaining connection to the "severe style" that emerged in the 1960s Soviet Union. The Cyrillic lettering of "Otdykh" prominently displayed across the top of the composition integrates text and image in a manner characteristic of Soviet graphic design, while the geometric treatment of windows and architectural details reflects the period's modernist tendencies.

Aleksander Vladimirovich Ishin (b. 1941) graduated from the Surikov State Art Institute in 1966, following a creative trip to Norilsk in 1965 that significantly influenced his artistic development. He held his first solo exhibitions in 1965 at the Palace of Culture in Norilsk and at the editorial office of "Youth" magazine in Moscow. His work was exhibited at the Central House of Workers in the Arts (1976), "Mars" Gallery (1991), and the Central House of Artists (1991). In 1992, he held a solo exhibition in Landkern, Germany. He was named an Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation in 2000 and People's Artist of the Russian Federation in 2011. His works are held in the State Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Modern Art in Tsaritsyno, and the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk.