Soviet Russia
Leningrad, Russia, ca. 1985
Four Soviet State-Sponsored "No War" Propaganda Posters, Cold War 1985
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A group of four anti-American posters from the Cold War period of hostilities between the United States and the USSR. All measuring 13" x 17", published in Leningrad by Artists of the RSFSR, 1985. The posters are from the "Fighting Pencil" group (a.k.a, "Combat Pencil") as part of a portfolio titled "No War." Features art by Efimovsky, Baev, Travin, and Mazrukho. The prints have light toning and minor varying degrees of edgewear. Bright colors. Overall very fine. Please refer to the photographs for more details on condition.

1. An illustration of an American soldier leaning against a home labeled "Western Europe" and grinning menacingly while two residents look fearfully out their windows. Captioned: "Your Home Is My Fortress" and "Apparently, the Pentagon doesn?t care: If they chase him through the door, he breaks through the window."
2. A sleazy looking Uncle Sam holds a globe-shaped cage with a dove inside it. Captioned: ?It is clear to everyone and visible to everyone what Uncle Sam is striving for!?
3. An illustration of a KKK rally with members surrounded by burning crosses. Captioned: "The country boasts of its freedom... In which freedom is given to racists!"
4. An illustration of a spider wearing a cowboy hat labeled, "US", whose legs look ominously like rockets. Captioned: "The spider of the SDI [Strategic Defense Initiative] family weaves its web. There is no peace for the planet while this is going on."

Looking to de-Stalinize and reform the nation, the USSR turned to a Leningrad-based group of poets and cartoonists known as the "Fighting Pencil". What started as a group of artists drawing sketches to boost morale during the Siege of Leningrad quickly became one of the most effective propaganda arms of the Russian government. From the 1950s until the fall of the Berlin Wall, these artists produced hundreds of government-sponsored, colorful, funny, and sometimes scathing images paired with satirical poems that railed against the abuses taking place under the Soviet state. The posters specifically targeted bureaucratic abuses and inefficiencies in offices, farms, construction sites, and other state-run enterprises. Numerous times throughout the history of the organization, the "Fighting Pencil" was disbanded due to its commentary against the Communist Party.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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13" x 17"