David King’s eye‑opening volume Russian Revolutionary Posters takes us on a whirlwind tour of Soviet revolutionary posters spanning the Russian Revolution, the interwar years, World War II, and the dazzling Space Race. Even if you’ve only heard the Cold War clichés, these vivid graphics prove that art, ideology, and everyday life were tightly intertwined in the USSR.
Exploring Revolutionary Posters of the Soviet Union
15 Capitalists of the World, Unite!
Painted in 1920 by Victor Deni, this bold piece arrived just two years after the First World War’s chaotic finale. The Treaty of Versailles—crafted without input from Germany or the fledgling Soviet government—spawned the League of Nations, which Deni slams in vivid reds. The poster’s rallying cry urges the world’s capitalists to unite against the very institutions that excluded them.
14 Capital
Victor Deni strikes again in 1919 with a stark anti‑capitalist message. The red banner at the bottom warns that anyone who dares to tear down or conceal the poster commits a “counter‑revolutionary act,” turning a simple wall art into a legal threat.
13 Every Woman Should Know How to Raise a Child Properly
Alexei Komarov’s 1925 tableau contrasts two child‑rearing paths. On the left, a youngster grows up in squalor; on the right, modern medicine and Soviet schooling produce a thriving, “revolutionary” baby. Though serfdom was abolished in 1861, the 1920s still saw a largely peasant population, prompting the government to push health and education campaigns.
12 Tatar Women! Join the Ranks…
In the 1920s, an anonymous artist urged Tatar women—who lived at the crossroads of Russian and Islamic cultures—to cast off traditional shackles and embrace Soviet industry. By featuring both Tatar script and Russian, the poster reflects the USSR’s drive to assimilate peripheral ethnic groups while promoting gender equality, even if women remained under‑represented in high‑level politics.
11 Get a Tractor!
Circa 1930, an anonymous hand‑drawn image shouts, “The Machine‑tractor Station is the Linchpin of Collectivisation. Get a Tractor! Let’s Double and Triple the MTS.” The poster promotes Stalin’s collectivisation drive, vilifying wealthier peasants (the so‑called “kulaks”) while celebrating the new literacy among farm workers.
10 Long Live Our Happy Socialist Land!
Gustav Klusis’s 1935 composition bursts with optimism: “Long Live Our Beloved Leader, The Great Stalin!” Yet just five years later, as war loomed, Stalin’s brutal purges and forced policies would cast a darker shadow over such utopian visions.
9 We Will Eradicate the Agents of Fascism
Sergei Igumnov’s 1937 poster, produced for the NKVD during the infamous Moscow Show Trials, declares, “We Will Eradicate the Spies and Saboteurs, the Trotskyist‑Bukharinist Agents of Fascism.” It was a visual rallying cry for the Great Purge, masking a systematic crackdown on anyone deemed a threat to Stalin’s power.
8 Them… Us
Viktor Koretsky’s 1941 split‑screen juxtaposes the collapsing fascist regimes of Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands with a robust, thriving Soviet Union under Stalin. The poster taps into Western sympathy for the Spanish Republic and paints the USSR as the beacon of stability.
7 For the Motherland!
When Germany broke its non‑aggression pact and invaded in 1941, the Soviet narrative turned the conflict into the “Great Patriotic War.” A. Polyansky’s 1941 poster rallies citizens to defend the Motherland against the invading fascist forces.
6 My Son! You See My Plight…
Fyodor Antonov’s 1942 image captures an elderly woman standing amid the charred ruins of her home, pleading with her son—now a Red Army soldier—to save the country. The personal tragedy underscores the high stakes for every Soviet family on the front lines.
5 Soldier, Liberate Your Belorussia!
Viktor Koretsky’s 1943 composition urges Soviet troops to free occupied Belarus from Nazi control. The stark, emotive imagery would have resonated deeply with soldiers whose homeland was under siege.
4 All Hope Lies With You, Red Soldier
Viktor Ivanov and Olga Burova’s 1943 poster reminds each soldier that the fight isn’t just ideological—it’s about protecting loved ones. The visual threat isn’t hypothetical; it shows the very devastation already endured.
3 Red Army Warriors, Save Us!
In 1943, Koretsky’s simple yet powerful design found its way into soldiers’ pockets, folded next to the heart like a cherished icon. The poster’s direct appeal—“Red Army Warriors, Save Us!”—was enough to motivate troops without the need for intricate propaganda.
2 Thunderbolt
Hand‑painted by the Kukriniksy collective, this wartime poster was often pasted over windows. Though the USSR initially flirted with the Axis powers, Hitler’s surprise invasion forced a swift alliance with the United States and Britain.
1 Glory!
Boris Berezovsky’s 1962 masterpiece celebrates the Communist Party (KPSS) and the Soviet space triumphs. On the left, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to orbit Earth; beside him, Gherman Titov spends a full day in space. These feats stunned the United States and spurred President Kennedy’s moon‑landing pledge.