Russian Propaganda Posters

Throughout history, many nations have proposed ideas that would change the world. One of the most widely used ways is through the use of Propaganda. Propaganda is anything that uses selected information to spread certain ideas, practrices, or beliefs. It can be spread through any type of Media, such as posters, newspapers, radio, or television. Studying and understanding Propaganda helps us learn the way each government or organization thinks and operates. We can see what they wanted the people to believe, and what they wanted to happen. For example, A poster of the Tsar being glorified shows us that Tsar is almost a hero and a "perfect" being. The poster aimed to get the obedience and love of the poeple for the Tsar, so they wanted the Tsar to remain a powerful figure. Propaganda has influenced the way people think and changed the outcomes of many nations.

This poster is trying to give the message that Lenin is great and that communism is the best government. The poster says, "The intellect, honour, and conscience of our era! Lenin." It is obviously trying to tell people that Lenin is smart and all knowing. He knows what the people want, and that he will conserve the Russian honour. It shows that Lenin is great because of Communism. The poster is red, and Lenin is red. Communism is apparently what they want to convey, as well as to present Lenin as a willing leader. This poster is red, and catches attention, and the white stands out. The white is the text and the picture of Lenin, so that is what we see above everything else.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/big/1212.jpg

This poster, saying" Only the Soviet system was able to bring real equality of nationalities.", is a poster assuring the people that the Soviet
system was the right choice, because it brought equality. The poster is also trying to imply that other governments wouldn not have been able to bring the equality that everyone wants. It also shows Lenin holding a flower, which symbolizes that he supports peace. It shows red in the background, presenting communism. Lenin is shown with a determined look, which makes this poster effective and believable. Overall, the poster makes one more confident about Lenin and Communism, and assures them that they can trust him.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/russ4.htm

The message this poster is trying to convey is that the work that the workers do will not go to waste, and that it will help the country become stronger. It says, "Our work will ripen to become our country's strength." It is trying to get the people to be confident about doing there work. They are trying to keep the people unquestionably obedient. It conveys this message by showing that the people hold the hammer and sickle, which is the symbol of the U.S.S.R. This means that the people have control, and they are shown in gold, glorifying the people, making them almost, invaluable. This poster is effective due to the use of the colors gold and red, which form a more different and impressive view of the Communist government's purposes.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/big/0547.jpg

This poster of Stalin, which reads, "We are for peace. Stalin", is apparently a poster which says that Stalin is the perfect leader. Its message is clear; the government wants the people to be obedient to Stalin not out of fear, but out of loalty and support. It is trying to get the people to think that Stalin rules with the people's best interests, and that he wants peace for the U.S.S.R. This poster shows Stalin almost as a god, with the Communist's red flag behind him, showing that the Communist way is his motivation. The people of Russia are behind him, supporting him in all his endeavors. Stalin, is also shown holding paper, which tells us that he has plans, and will do what is best for Russia throughout the future. This poster is effective because it uses the effects of shading and tinting to glorify Stalin, and it shows all the main parts of the Russian way. The leader, Communism, and the poeple are all shown, giving this poster a feeling of completion.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/big/1278.jpg

This poster, like many Soviet posters, use red as the main color, to present the idea of Communism. The poster says "There is nothing more superior than the term working man." The message of this poster is that it is good to be a worker, and if you are a good and hard worker, you are special. It praises workers, so it is trying to get the people to be proud and content with their occupation. They don't want the workers to want new jobs, or they might not work as efficiently. The mesage is shown through the color, red, which means that the workers are the pride and strength of the U.S.S.R. The worker in the poster is smiling, so that means he is hapy with his job, working to serve his country. This poster uses the color red to grab attention by showing only the worker and the Soviet symbol, whereas other monotone posters can be dull, which is why this poster is effective.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/big/1293.jpg

This poster is a poster which seems to be saying that Lenin is the all powerful, all knowing leader, that will live forever. He has become a symbol of Socialism and Russia itself. The poster's text says "The symbol of peace - symbol of socialism. Lenin, the Spasskij tower of the Kremlin, and the Parliament building." They are trying to make the people obedient to the state, by saying that if they don't work, they are throwing away all the accomplishments that Lenin, a symbol of their government, worked so hard to achieve. It shows this clearly, by having only these three symbols in the background of red. Lenin is the most eye ctaching of the symbols, because he shines out. Also, Lenin, in gold, is shown as a revolutionary symbol, just as Communism is shown in red. He is in gold, as important as Communism.These elements make the poster effective in giving the message.

poster from: http://posters.nce.buttobi.net/big/0209.jpg

Overall, all the posters tell us similar things about Russia and its people. Russia seems to be ruled by tyrants and dictators, who would keep their power by telling the people what to think and believe. The people had stabilty in their country, but with a price. They lost their freedom of thought, and became puppets to their leaders. Propaganda was used to control people, and influence thier lives. These are no just posters, but they are what the people of Russia had to believe. Communism failed, because power hungry leaders, whowould not heed anyone's advice, failed to see the error of their ways, which made the Communist government less and less powerful. The people, who had always been told by the government what to think, did not have the courage to rise up and make a change, when they knew that their leaders did not rule with the best interests of the people. Propaganda, ultimately, is just something that we look at for ideas, but can still be rejected by us. That, and that alone, would take all the power and influence out of propaganda.