The art of the Soviet propaganda poster

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviet Union was flooded with striking posters spreading communist propaganda.

Masterfully created by prominent Russian artists who originated constructivism as an art movement, the avant-garde posters promoted a government-backed agenda, with messages that included: calling all workers to join the Militia Army, glorifying Karl Marx, forbidding religion, fighting fascism, praising the newfound Cuban-Soviet friendship, celebrating the Soviet arts, and, by 1980, promoting peace, work, and Labor Day.

The Soviet Posters book offers a collection of 22 large-format removable posters printed on thick sturdy paper. The back of each poster gives us its title, date, and brief description of the poster's intention and meaning. Because of the original posters' perishable nature – battered by weather and carelessly tossed when new messages replaced them (approximately 1-million posters were printed a year) – you'll notice imperfections on some of the prints, which only adds to the beauty and historical significance of these now collectible works of art.

See sample pages from this book at Wink.