Unidentified artist, led by Stalin – forward!, 1942 In 1942, as the USSR struggled against the German invasion during the Great Patriotic war, Goskinoizdat (Госкиноиздат: Государственное издательство кинематографической литературы – The State Publishing House of Cinematographic Literature) published a poster by an unidentified artist in an edition of 10,000 on cheap, flimsy paper. Perhaps this poster was part of the general mobilisation of the arts community behind the war effort. In this poster, the bust of Stalin occupies a motionless centre ground around which war preparations take place. Defenders of the USSR sprout from Stalin’s chest, and include nurses and partisans, as well as personnel of the armed forces. They stand on guard, with weapons raised and at the ready. In the background is evidence of Soviet industrialisation, and row upon row of tanks. To the left a tank is ready to fire, while to the right banners fly. The only touch of colour in the black-and-white photomontage poster are the two banners at the top, displaying the red star and the hammer and sickle, and the text box at the base. The text reads ‘Led by Stalin – forward!’ and the implication is that the forces of the USSR are united in an impenetrable front, the foundation of which is Stalin himself.
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Dr Anita PischAnita’s new, fully illustrated book, The personality cult of Stalin in Soviet posters, 1929 -1953, published by ANU Press, is available for free download here, and can also be purchased in hard copy from ANU Press. Archives
April 2019
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SPotW56 Litvinov 1949
SPotW57 Serov 1942 SPotW58 Pinchuk 1943 SPotW59 Petrov 1952 SPotW60 Podobedov 1939 |
SPotW61 Babitskii 1944
SPotW62 Pen Varlen 1942 SPotW63 Bayuskin 1942 SPotW64 Belopol'skii 1950 SPotW65 Belopol'skii 1952 SPotW 81 Koretskii 1950
SPotW 82 Pravdin 1950 SPotW83 Vatolina 1938 SPotW 84 Deni 1938 SPotW85 Koretskii 1945 |
SPotW66 Dlugach 1933
SPotW67 Zhitomirskii 1942 SPotW68 Toidze 1949 SPotW69 Mikhailov 1937 SPotW70 Cheprakov 1939 |
SPotW76 Toidze 1943
SPotW77 Futerfas 1936 SPotW78 Mukhin 1945 SPotW79 Golub' 1948 SPotW80 Karpovskii 1948 SPotW 96
SPotW 97 SPotW 98 SPotW 99 SPotW 100 |