Za gramotny zavod, za politechnicheskyu shkolu [For a Factory of Literate Workers, and a School That Gives Students Technical Knowledge! (literally, For a Literate Factory and a Politechnic School!”) ], a poster by an anonymous artist. GIZ, Moscow, 1930, 72.5 x 104.5 cm.

Soviet leaders were keenly aware that the Industrialization Drive would not succeed without a qualified labor pool. Not surprisingly, Soviet propagandists of the first Five-Year Plan period were drawn to the themes of re-training factory workers, liquidating illiteracy, and reforming the education system to better prepare students for the new factory environment. This poster successfully combines two of these themes; several other posters being offered in this sale address similar topics.

Due to the success of the illiteracy liquidation campaign, the curious slogan “Za gramotny zavod!” [literally, “For a Literate Factory!”] soon disappeared from the Soviet propaganda lexicon. As far as calls for “polytechnic schools” and “bringing school closer to life” go, they proved more durable, with State periodically tweaking the school system for practically the whole duration of the Soviet Union.