Mobilizing the people: Soviet propaganda posters at Inter-Antiquariaat Mefferdt & de Jonge

Propaganda posters have been used throughout history to convey the political messages of those in charge or those longing for power. Soviet propaganda posters were amongst the most significant tools for influencing public opinion in the Soviet Union. Not only have these posters proven to be of political importance, the fact that they were designed by skilled artists makes them art historically interesting as well.

That aspect is exactly what Inter-Antiquariaat Mefferdt & de Jonge appreciates. Inter-Antiquariaat has been buying and selling antique works on paper, including maps and charts, drawings, watercolours and prints, for over 35 years.

These two posters from 1945 were made by V. Ladyagin and Andrei Ivanovich Plotnov, both Soviet Russian artists working for TASS. TASS was the official Soviet telegraphic agency and played a major part in producing Soviet propaganda posters during the war. Their posters were always brightly coloured, hand-painted, extremely big (over 1,5 meters tall) and created in runs of up to 1000 copies at a time. 

_{A. Plotnov, Soviet propaganda poster: To the heroes of the sky!, 1945}

They illustrate the themes and the tone of the Soviet propaganda effort, appealing to patriotism and maintaining the war effort. Propaganda posters were produced using stencils and responded immediately to actual developments and current events.

Most of them were completed and reproduced within 24 hours, making them very effective in reaching and mobilizing the public- similar to the use of modern newscasts. The majority of the Russian people was illiterate during the war, visual messages displayed on propaganda posters were therefore used to stimulate and encourage the public to make sacrifices for their country.

Poster art was also a widely accessible medium; the imagery understandable for everyone, and the simple slogans easily remembered. Combining graphic power with clear and explicit texts, the messages sent out to the public read slogans such as ‘Our just cause! We have conquered’ on a poster of a medal showing Stalin, and ‘To the heroes of the sky!’ on a poster of officers watching parachute landings.

_{V. Ladyagin, Soviet propaganda poster: Our just cause! We have conquered, 1945, 177 x 86 cm.} 

Looking at the Soviet propaganda posters from a modern-day perspective, you become immersed within the history and politics of that time; the partition between the free West and the communist East, emphasized through the severe indoctrination of people.

It’s remarkable that these posters have been preserved so well in order to allow us to gain a better understanding of and feeling for the psychology behind the Soviet war effort.

See for more poster art at Gallerease