Comrade Kyiv | Art & Adventure from the USSR

Latest from Comrade Kyiv

Art against Authority: The Glass Harmonica

Protecting our Planet: Vintage Environmental Posters

In the 1890s, Russia created the first nature sanctuaries in the world. Beside public policy, striking propaganda posters were commissioned to remind people that ‘April is the month of cleanliness’.

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At the Circus: Vintage Soviet Cyrk Posters

The circus was the peoples’ entertainment. Unlike the ballet, it was accessible. Tickets were just a few dollars. Posters advertising performances were characterised by bold colours and striking typography.

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Women's Role in the USSR: Vintage Propaganda Posters

The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to give women the same marital rights as their husbands. They were celebrated as equals in Soviet art, working alongside men in the fields and factories.

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Vintage Soviet Propaganda Sketches & Paintings

The Soviet state turned art into a production line in the service of a promised Socialist utopia. Most preliminary sketches and stencils were thrown out after designs were created. The ones that survive today are rare, and highly sought after.

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Diptychs & Triptychs: Vintage Soviet Propaganda Posters

Sometimes one poster wasn’t enough to communicate a message. Soviet artists regularly created diptychs and triptychs more than two metres in length to be hung on the walls of factories and government buildings.

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Young Pioneers: Vintage Soviet Youth Propaganda Posters

Young Pioneers were the Soviet’s answer to the Boy Scouts of America. But, they were much more political. Millions of posters with bright colours and simple slogans were created to remind children to be good Socialists.

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Theatre Time: Vintage Theatre Posters

Theatre was controlled by the Soviet state. It wasn’t just entertainment, it taught the audience to think, and to read between the lines. Theatre posters are characterised by bright colours and an aesthetic playfulness.

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Tierpark: Vintage Zoo & Animal Posters

Tierpark was created by the East German state as a rival to the famous West Berlin Zoological Gardens. East German artists created advertising posters of the more than 120 species at the newly opened park.

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Promoting Peace: Vintage Propaganda Posters

The USSR and the USA both considered the other to be the aggressor.Artists were employed to create posters that advocated for the peaceful exploration of outer space or peace to the children of the world.

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The Race to Space: Vintage Space Propaganda Posters

Space was the dramatic arena for an ideological struggle between Communism and Capitalism. The USSR understood the power of image. Sputnik, space and cosmonauts were central motifs in propaganda posters.

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Propagandising the Healthy: Vintage Propaganda Posters

In the USSR, healthcare was especially important. The population needed to be strong and healthy so that the Socialist utopia could be realised. Propaganda posters encouraged people to stay healthy.

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Polish School of Posters: Vintage Film & Propaganda Posters

The artists behind the Polish School of Posters were commissioned by the state to create film & propaganda posters. Given a broadly ‘anti-western’ brief, the resulting artworks were intensely aesthetic.

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