Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Title:	Russian and Soviet Propaganda Posters
Inclusive Dates:	1904-1987
Bulk Dates:	1904-1920
Quantity:	17 items
Abstract:	Nationalist and patriotic Russian and Soviet posters from Russo-Japanese War, World War I and II, Cold War, etc.
Language:	Russian
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Tsar Ivan III (1440-1505) was the first to take the title "Grand Duke of all the Russias," effectively uniting the former loose confederation of Slavic states into a single political entity. Russia became an empire in 1721 and grew to become the third-largest in history. The Russo-Japanese war (1904-1905) involved competing claims over Manchuria and Korea. Russia participated in World War I, fighting with France, Belgium, the United States and other Allied powers against Germany, Austro-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and others. A period of internal turmoil from 1917-1922 eventually resulted in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the Russian Soviet Republic. During World War II, the Soviet Union again sided with the Allied powers against Germany, Japan, and Italy. Following World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States engaged in an ideological competition known as the Cold War; nominally centered on their competing economic systems of communism and capitalism, the rivalry seeped into almost every aspect of life, from military attitudes to mass popular culture.

Patriotic and propagandistic posters have been a feature of most nations' history since the early 1900s, being particularly prevalent during periods of conflict or national threat. Intended both to indoctrinate and to inspire, Russian and Soviet propaganda posters emphasize the intellectual and physical superiority of her citizens and soldiers. Early Russian posters are illustrative, colorful, and detailed, featuring individuals such as the Cossack Petrukh, while Soviet-era posters tend towards simple, bold, graphic designs and focus on generic individuals such as "the worker" and "the soldier." Cold War-era posters often highlight Soviet science and industry as superior to that of Western countries.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Russian and Soviet Propaganda Posters collection consists of 17 posters, some from pre-revolutionary Russia and some from the Soviet Union. Most deal with external threats or conflicts, including the Russo-Japanese War, World War I and II, and the Cold War. One, from 1982, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Soviet Union and two commemorate the centenary of Lenin's birth.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Items are in roughly chronological order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Russian and Soviet Propaganda Posters,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Rick Dobbis, 2020 and Carol and Ron Killian, 2024.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 2 Feb 2021
Revision history: 23 Sep 2024 - 6 items added (MRC)

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Inventory

	Printed material
Oversize 1		Posters 1904, 1914, 1920, 1945, 1982, 1987 (11 items)
			Gift of Rick Dobbis, 2020.
			Item 1: Russo-Japanese War, 1904 Item 2: Russo-Japanese War, Cossack Petrukh, 1904 Item 3: Early World War I, six-panel cartoon entitled “The Cunning German is outwitted by the Cossack,” 1914 Item 4: World War I, “Battle Between Russians and Austrians,” 1914 Item 5: World War I, bearded man tied to fence, soldiers with guns, 1914 Item 6: Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, “Proletarian People from all the Countries Unite” Odessa, 1920 Item 7: World War II, 1945 Item 8: 60th anniversary USSR, 1982 Item 9-11: Triptych depicting Soviet supremacy in Space, sports and industry, 1987
Map-Case , Folder 1		Posters 1970 (4 items)
			Gift of Carol and Ron Killian, 2024.
			Item 1: Soviet Union legislative election campaign, “We vote for the party, for communism," Moscow, 1970 - Artist: Vladimir V. Sachkov (1929-2005) Item 2: “Be glorious, our free Fatherland,” Leningrad, 1970. Artist: Vladimir G. Konyukhov (1926-1988) item 3: Soviet Union legislative election campaign, “We will elect the worthy!” Leningrad,1970 - Artist: Vladimir G. Konyukhov (1926-1988)
Tube 1		Posters 1970 (2 items)
			Gift of Carol and Ron Killian, 2024.
			These posters, designed by Alexander L. Korolev (1922-1988), were printed to commemorate 100 years since Lenin’s birth. They were each printed in 2 pieces due to the large format, and the pieces then assembled into a single large image. The design is after monumental stained glass windows in the Museum of Political History in St. Petersburg, whch were also created by Korolev.
			Item 1: Vladimir Lenin, Leningrad, 1970. Adhesive has failed, this item is in 2 pieces. Item 2 “Peace to the people,” Leningrad, 1970.

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