Collection of posters of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. contains hundreds of works. Yellowed by time, carefully preserved in private collections, restored by museum masters, they carry traces of a bygone era, particles of the emotional mood of people, the political and social spirit of the time.

During the war years, political posters took a leading place among other types of fine art. State Publishing House "Art" (Moscow and Leningrad), "TASS Windows", "Combat Pencil" (Leningrad), studio named after M.B. Grekov, publishing houses in the republics of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, cities of Siberia and the Far East, in Kuibyshev, Ivanovo, Rostov-on-Don, visiting editorial offices of central newspapers and teams of artists created at creative unions, art institutes - the entire gigantic propaganda industry of socialist realism worked like a well-oiled machine.

Perhaps nowhere in the world during the war years did such a wide range of the greatest masters of their time work in the genre of political posters: D. Moor, V. Denis, A. Deineka, Kukryniksy, D. Shmarinov, G. Vereisky, S. Gerasimov, B Ioganson and others. Summer. 1941 22nd of June. Sunday. On the radio - a TASS message about Germany's treacherous attack on our country.

And already on June 24, a poster “We will ruthlessly defeat and destroy the enemy!” appeared on the streets of Moscow and became an integral part of the austere appearance of the capital!

Within a few days the whole country recognized him, and a week later - the whole world. This poster was followed by others. Posters, cartoons in newspapers, "TASS Windows", book illustrations, anti-fascist leaflets for German soldiers, even packaging for food concentrates sent to the front - all these diverse forms were used by artists Mikhail Kupriyanov, Porfiry Krylov and Nikolai Sokolov (Kukryniksy), forcing them to serve their purpose. Summer. 1941 End of June. Military echelons leave for the front from the Belorussky railway station. They are accompanied on their journey by a poster “The Motherland is Calling!”

The gray-haired woman looks sternly and demandingly into your eyes. One of her hands is thrown up, the other is holding a piece of paper with the text of the oath... This is how Muscovites saw the poster of Irakli Toidze, the artist who wrote the propaganda posters “I swear to defeat the enemy!”, “We will make German criminals answer for all their atrocities!”, “ Salute to the Motherland!", "Stalin leads us to victory!" The experience of each new year of war was worth the experience of a lifetime. 1942 “Let noble rage boil like a wave...” The theme of revenge against the invaders becomes the leading one in the work of poster artists. Perhaps many people remember the famous works from this cycle by Dementy Shmarinov and Viktor Koretsky.

At the same time, posters dedicated to the army and home front, the ideological and practical role of the country's leadership in organizing resistance to the enemy, were published in large quantities. “Poster artists are very often pressed closely to the events,” wrote the famous artist Viktor Ivanov. With each new year of the war, the tonality of the artistic paintings also changed. In 1943, the topic suggested itself. ... A soldier uses the butt of a machine gun to knock down the sign board installed by the Nazis "Drang nach osten". From now on, the wave of the campaign rushes to the west, and it seems that no force can stop this impulse. "To the west!" - theme and title of the most popular posters of this period. 1944, 1945. The war entered a new phase. The roads of war, slow, keeping traces of retreat, where death awaited at every step, were left behind. Dolgorukov 1944

The rapid roads of advance, the joyful roads of return and meetings become the theme of the posters: “Let's get to Berlin!”, “Motherland, meet the heroes!” (Leonid Golovanov), "Let's free Europe from the chains of fascist slavery!" (I. Toidze), "Hello, Motherland!" (Nina Vatolina), “Glory to the winner!” (Valentin Litvinenko), "May Day greetings to the heroes of the front and rear!" (Alexey Kokorekin). The memory collection, like the museum collection, firmly preserves what is no longer there, what was and has passed. Time... He has something to remain silent about, and something to remember. And all this remained in the posters: “Stalin is the greatness of our era” (A. Zhitomirsky), “For the Motherland! For Stalin!” (A. Efimov), “Stalin’s order is the order of the Motherland” (A. Serov), “Chatterbox is a godsend for a spy” (L. Elkovich), “Comrade! Be alert, do not blurt out secrets to the enemy” (B. Zhukov). M. Nesterov 1945. The main monuments of the Stalin era were blown up and destroyed. Once famous works are in inaccessible museum storage rooms.

And only recently has this cultural layer begun to gradually emerge from oblivion, showing its unchanged face to the world. And perhaps the only thing in our power is to try not to distort the truth behind the discordant memories. This selection presents both famous works by masters of political posters of the Soviet era, as well as works that are not so well known today, which for various reasons were not included in albums and catalogs published in recent decades. Without them, the poster chronicle of the Great Patriotic War would not be accurate.

The Great Patriotic War poster is one of the most memorable and striking artistic cultural events of the twentieth century. Its persuasiveness and high patriotic pathos are largely explained by the professionalism of Soviet poster artists, their extensive life experience and ability to speak clearly using poster graphics. Today, decades after its creation, the poster of 1941–1945 remains an ageless art, sharp, combative and conscript.

V. Koretsky (1909-1998). Our strength is incalculable. M., L., 1941.
V. Koretskii (1909-1998). Our forces are numberless. Moscow, Leningrad 1941.

2. I. Toidze (1902-1985). The Motherland is here! M., L., 1941.


Toidze (1902-1985). Your Motherland needs you! Moscow, Leningrad 1941.

3. V. Koretsky (1909-1998). Be a hero! M., L., 1941.


V. Koretskii (1909-1998). Be a Hero! Moscow/Leningrad 1941.

4. V. Pravdin (1911-1979), Z. Pravdin (1911-#980s). Youth, go to battle for the Motherland! M., L., 1941.


V. Pravdin (1911-1979), Z. Pravdina (1911-1980s). Young people, to the battle for the Motherland! Moscow, Leningrad 1941.

5. V. Serov (1910-1968). Our cause is just - victory will be ours. L., M., 1941.


V. Serov (1910-1968). Our cause is just. We'll win the victory. Leningrad, Moscow 1941.

6. N. Zhukov (1908-1973), V. Klimashin (1912-1960). Let's defend Moscow! M., L., 1941.


N. Zhukov (1908-1973), V. Klimashin (1912-1960). We'll defend Moscow! Moscow, Leningrad 1941.

7. V. Koretsky (1909-1998). Red Army warrior, save me! M., L., 1942.


V. Koretskii (1909-1998). Red Army warrior, help! Moscow, Leningrad 1942.

8. N. Zhukov (1908-1973). Something to drink to! M., L., 1942.


N. Zhukov (1908-1973). There is something to toast to! Moscow, Leningrad 1942.

9. V. Koretsky (1909-1998). Samed goes to his death so that Semyon does not die... M., L., 1943.


V. Koretskii (1909-1998). Sahmed would sacrifice his life to save Semyon/ As Sahmed’s life is what Semyon had fought for. / Their password’s “Motherland” and “Victory”’s their motto! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

10. V. Ivanov (1909-1968). We drink the water of our native Dnieper... M., L., 1943.


V. Ivanov (1909-1968). We drink the water of Old Father Dnieper. We’ll drink from the Prut, the Neman and the Bug! Let’s wash the fascist filth off the Soviet land! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

11. V. Ivanov (1909-1968). To the west! M.,L., 1943.


V. Ivanov (1909-1968). Go West! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

12. V. Koretsky (1909-1998). Hit like this: no matter the cartridge, it’s the enemy! M., 1943.


V. Koretskii (1909-1998). Shoot like that! Every bullet means the murdered enemy! Moscow 1943.

13. N. Zhukov (1908-1973). Strike to death! M., L., 1942.


N. Zhukov (1908-1973). Shoot to kill! Moscow, Leningrad 1942.

14. N. Zhukov (1908-1973). A German tank won't get through here!


M., Leningrad, 1943. N. Zhukov (1908-1973). No way for German tanks! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

15. A. Kokorekin (1906-1959). When an armor piercer stands in the way... M., L., 1943.


A. Kokorekin (1906-1959). When our armor-piercing trooper is on the way/The fascist tanks will never pass! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

16. V. Denis (1893-1946), N. Dolgorukov (1902-1980). Stalingrad. M., L., 1942.


V. Deni (1893-1946), N. Dolgorukov (1902-1980). Stalingrad. Moscow, Leningrad 1942.

17. V. Ivanov (1909-1968). You gave us life back! M., L., 1943.


V. Ivanov (1909-1968). You saved our lives! Moscow, Leningrad 1943.

18. L. Golovanov (1904-1980). Let's get to Berlin! M., L., 1944.


L. Golovanov (1904-1980). Well reach Berlin! Moscow, Leningrad 1944.

19. V. Ivanov (1909-1968). You will live happily! M., L., 1944.


V. Ivanov (1909-1968). You will live a happy life! Moscow, Leningrad 1944.

20. A. Kokorekin (1906-1959). To the victorious warrior - nationwide love! M., L., 1944.


A. Kokorekin (1906-1959). Nation-wide love to Warrior the Winner! Moscow, Leningrad 1944.

21. N. Kochergin (1897-1974). Soviet land has been finally cleared of Nazi invaders! L., 1944.

V. Klimashin (1912-1960). Long live the warrior who won victory! Moscow, Leningrad 1945.

24. L. Golovanov (1904-1980). Glory to the Red Army! M., L., 1946.


L. Golovanov (1904-1980). Long live the Red Army! Moscow, Leningrad 1946.

In Soviet times, posters were one of the most common means of mass propaganda. With the help of posters, talented artists expressed the will of the people, called for certain actions, pointed out the good and bad aspects of life, and instilled in people self-esteem, a sense of patriotism and love for their country, their people. Posters from the times of the USSR touched on a variety of aspects of life and affected almost everything that happened in society. Over the entire period, a gigantic number of posters have been created that condemn drunkenness, talk about the benefits of work and sports, show life in Russia in a good light and point out the shortcomings of the West. However, the brightest, most important, deep, touching and even tragic posters are from the times of the Great Patriotic War.

Soviet posters of the times Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 calling on all people of the vast country to oppose fascism. In the most vivid and graphic images they show all the horror of war and all the inhumanity of fascism, which decided to conquer the world. During the war, posters were one of the mass motivating means of propaganda, acting on a par with newspapers and radio. Many of these posters became so famous that they are still used today and are considered true masterpieces of poster art. These posters can touch the heart and awaken special feelings even now, when many decades have passed since that terrible war that claimed the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians.

The creation of propaganda posters was carried out by talented artists, whose names remained in the history of fine art of the Soviet period. The most famous artists of this genre were Dmitry Moor, Victor Denis, Mikhail Cheremnykh, Toidze Irakliy Moiseevich, Kokorekin Alexey Alekseevich, Ivanov Viktor Semenovich, Koretsky Viktor Borisovich, the group of artists "", the group of artists "TASS Windows" and others. In their art, they created majestic, memorable and inspiring images, an intense plot that appealed to sincere feelings, and also accompanied their works with vivid phrases that were remembered and etched in the memory. Without a doubt, the art of propaganda posters contributed to the formation of a sense of patriotism in the people of that time, because it was not without reason that propaganda and agitation were then called the third front of the Great Patriotic War.

Do you want to make your home, country house, cottage more beautiful, stylish, modern and reliable? Custom-made artistic forging in Moscow is exactly what you need. Forged furniture, interior items, fences, gates, wickets and much more.

The Great Patriotic War lasted 1418 days. On each of these days, thousands of events took place in thousands of places. It is almost impossible to cover and describe all these events - they all had different meanings. I decided to collect military propaganda posters of those times into a selection

Poster by Vatolin N.N. “You fought bravely with the enemy - enter, master, into your new home!” 1945

Poster by V. Denis "The Red Army's broom swept away the evil spirits to the ground!" 1945

Poster by Koretsky V.B. “We have one target - Berlin!” 1945

Poster by Zhukov N.N. "We're waiting for you, darling." 1945

Poster by Golovanov L.F. "Let's get to Berlin!" 1944

Poster by Ivanov V.S. and Burova O.K. "All hope is in you, red warrior!" 1943

Poster by Gordon M.A. “Let’s destroy the hated “new order in Europe” and punish its builders!” 1943

Poster by Koretsky V.B. "Warrior of the Red Army, save us!" 1942

Poster by V.B. Koretsky "Our forces are innumerable!" 1941

Poster by Zhukov N.N. and Klimashina V.S. "Let's defend Moscow!" 1941

Poster by V. Ivanov “For the Motherland, for honor, for freedom!” 1941

Poster by I. Toidze "Motherland - Mother Calls". 1941

Wait for me and I will come back.
Just wait a lot
Wait when they make you sad
Yellow rains.
Wait for the snow to blow
Wait for it to be hot
Wait when others are not waiting,
Changed yesterday.
Wait when from distant places
No letters will arrive.
Wait until you get bored
To everyone who is waiting together.
Wait for me and I will come back,
Don't be sorry for the good
To everyone who knows by heart,
It's time to forget.
Let the son and mother believe
In the fact that I am not there
Let friends get tired of waiting
They'll sit by the fire
Drink bitter wine
In honor of the soul...
Wait. And at the same time with them
Don't rush to drink.
Wait for me and I will come back
All deaths are out of spite.
Whoever didn't wait for me, let him
He will say: lucky.
Those who didn’t wait don’t understand,
Like in the middle of fire
By your expectation
You saved me.
We'll know how I survived
Just you and me -
It's just that you knew how to wait,
Like no one else.
Konstantin Simonov, Western Front, June 1941

Where the grass is damp with dew and blood,
where the pupils of machine guns look fiercely,
in full height above the front line trench
the victorious soldier rose.
The heart beat against the ribs intermittently, often.
Silence - Silence - Not in a dream, in reality.
And the infantryman said: “We’ve given up!” That's it!
And I noticed a violet in the ditch.
And in the soul, longing for light and affection,
the singing stream of the former joy came to life.
And the soldier bent down, and to the bullet-ridden helmet
Carefully adjusted the flower.
Came to life again in memory were alive
Moscow region under snow, Stalingrad on fire.
For the first time in four unimaginable years,
The soldier cried like a child.
So the infantryman stood, laughing and sobbing,
trampling the thorny fence with his boot.
A young dawn burned behind my shoulders,
foreshadowing a sunny day.

It is not for nothing that propaganda and agitation were called the third front of the Great Patriotic War. It was here that the battle for the spirit of the people unfolded, which ultimately decided the outcome of the war: Hitler’s propaganda was also not asleep, but it was far from the sacred wrath of Soviet artists, poets, writers, journalists, composers...

The Great Victory gave the country a reason for legitimate pride, which we, the descendants of the heroes who defended their hometowns and liberated Europe from a strong, cruel and treacherous enemy, feel.
The image of this enemy, as well as the image of the people who rallied to defend the Motherland, is most clearly represented on wartime posters, which raised the art of propaganda to unprecedented heights, unsurpassed to this day.

Wartime posters can be called soldiers: they hit the target, shaping public opinion, creating a clear negative image of the enemy, rallying the ranks of Soviet citizens, giving rise to the emotions necessary for war: anger, rage, hatred - and at the same time, love for family threatened by the enemy, to one’s home, to the Motherland.

Propaganda materials were an important part of the Great Patriotic War. From the first days of the offensive of Hitler’s army, propaganda posters appeared on the streets of Soviet cities, designed to raise the morale of the army and labor productivity in the rear, such as the propaganda poster “Everything for the front, everything for victory”!

This slogan was first proclaimed by Stalin during an address to the people in July 1941, when the situation was difficult along the entire front, and German troops were rapidly advancing towards Moscow.

At the same time, the famous poster “The Motherland Calls” by Irakli Toidze appeared on the streets of Soviet cities. The collective image of a Russian mother calling on her sons to fight the enemy has become one of the most recognizable examples of Soviet propaganda.

Reproduction of the poster “The Motherland is Calling!”, 1941. Author Irakli Moiseevich Toidze

The posters varied in quality and content. German soldiers were portrayed as caricatures, pitiful and helpless, while the Red Army soldiers demonstrated fighting spirit and unbroken faith in victory.

In the post-war period, propaganda posters were often criticized for excessive cruelty, but according to the recollections of war participants, hatred of the enemy was the help without which Soviet soldiers would hardly have been able to withstand the onslaught of the enemy army.

In 1941-1942, when the enemy was rolling in like an avalanche from the west, capturing more and more cities, crushing defenses, destroying millions of Soviet soldiers, it was important for propagandists to instill confidence in victory, that the fascists were not invincible. The plots of the first posters were full of attacks and martial arts, they emphasized the nationwide nature of the struggle, the connection of the people with the party, with the army, they called for the destruction of the enemy.

One of the popular motives is an appeal to the past, an appeal to the glory of past generations, reliance on the authority of legendary commanders - Alexander Nevsky, Suvorov, Kutuzov, heroes of the civil war.

Artists Viktor Ivanov “Our truth. Fight to death!”, 1942.

Artists Dmitry Moor “How did you help the front?”, 1941.

"Victory will be ours", 1941

Poster by V.B. Koretsky, 1941.

To support the Red Army - a mighty people's militia!

Poster by V. Pravdin, 1941.

Poster by artists Bochkov and Laptev, 1941.

In an atmosphere of general retreat and constant defeats, it was necessary not to succumb to decadent moods and panic. There was not a word about losses in the newspapers at that time; there were reports of individual personal victories of soldiers and crews, and this was justified.

The enemy on the posters of the first stage of the war appeared either depersonalized, in the form of “black matter” bristling with metal, or as a fanatic and marauder, committing inhumane acts that caused horror and disgust. The German, as the embodiment of absolute evil, turned into a creature that the Soviet people had no right to tolerate on their soil.

The thousand-headed fascist hydra must be destroyed and thrown out, the battle is literally between Good and Evil - such is the pathos of those posters. Published in millions of copies, they still radiate strength and confidence in the inevitability of the defeat of the enemy.

Artist Victor Denis (Denisov) “The “Face” of Hitlerism”, 1941.

Artists Landres “Napoleon was cold in Russia, but Hitler will be hot!”, 1941.

Artists Kukryniksy “We beat the enemy with a spear...”, 1941.

Artist Victor Denis (Denisov) “Why does a pig need culture and science?”, 1941.

Since 1942, when the enemy approached the Volga, besieged Leningrad, reached the Caucasus, and captured vast territories with civilians.

Posters began to reflect the suffering of Soviet people, women, children, old people on the occupied land and the irresistible desire of the Soviet Army to defeat Germany and help those who are unable to fend for themselves.

Artist Viktor Ivanov “The hour of reckoning with the Germans for all their atrocities is near!”, 1944.

Artist P. Sokolov-Skala “Fighter, take revenge!”, 1941.

Artist S.M. Mochalov “We ​​will take revenge”, 1944.

The slogan “Kill the German!” spontaneously appeared among the people in 1942, its origins, among others, in Ilya Erengburg’s article “Kill!” Many posters that appeared after her (“Dad, kill the German!”, “Baltic! Save your beloved girl from shame, kill the German!”, “Less Germans - victory is closer,” etc.) combined the image of a fascist and a German into one object of hatred.

“We must constantly see before us the image of a Hitlerite: this is the target at which we must shoot without missing, this is the personification of what we hate. Our duty is to incite hatred of evil and strengthen the thirst for the beautiful, the good, the just.”

Ilya Erenburg, Soviet writer and public figure.

According to him, at the beginning of the war, many Red Army soldiers did not hate their enemies, respected the Germans for their “high culture” of life, and expressed confidence that German workers and peasants had been sent to arms, just waiting for the opportunity to turn their weapons against their commanders.

« It's time to dispel illusions. We understood: the Germans are not people. From now on, the word “German” is the most terrible curse for us. …If you haven’t killed at least one German in a day, your day is wasted. If you think that your neighbor will kill a German for you, you have not understood the threat. If you don't kill the German, the German will kill you. ...Don't count the days. Don't count the miles. Count one thing: the Germans you killed. Kill the German! - this is what the old mother asks. Kill the German! - this is the child’s prayer to you. Kill the German! - this is the cry of the native land. Don't miss. Do not miss. Kill!”

Artists Alexey Kokorekin “Beat the fascist reptile”, 1941.

The word “fascist” has become synonymous with an inhuman killing machine, a soulless monster, a rapist, a cold-blooded killer, a pervert. The sad news from the occupied territories only reinforced this image. The fascists are depicted as huge, scary and ugly, towering over the corpses of innocent victims, pointing weapons at mother and child.

It is not surprising that the heroes of war posters do not kill, but destroy such an enemy, sometimes destroying them with their bare hands - heavily armed professional killers.

The defeat of the Nazi armies near Moscow marked the beginning of a turn in military fortunes in favor of the Soviet Union.

The war turned out to be protracted, not lightning fast. The grandiose Battle of Stalingrad, which has no analogues in world history, finally secured strategic superiority for us, and conditions were created for the Red Army to launch a general offensive. The mass expulsion of the enemy from Soviet territory, which the posters of the first days of the war repeated, became a reality.

Artists Nikolai Zhukov and Viktor Klimashin “Let’s Defend Moscow,” 1941.

Artists Nikolai Zhukov and Viktor Klimashin “Let’s Defend Moscow,” 1941.

After the counter-offensive at Moscow and Stalingrad, the soldiers realized their strength, unity and the sacred nature of their mission. Many posters are dedicated to these great battles, as well as the Battle of Kursk, where the enemy is caricatured and his aggressive pressure, which ended in destruction, is ridiculed.

Artist Vladimir Serov, 1941.

Artist Irakli Toidze “Let’s Defend the Caucasus”, 1942.

Artist Victor Denis (Denisov) “Stalingrad”, 1942.

Artist Anatoly Kazantsev “Do not give up a single inch of our land to the enemy (I. Stalin)”, 1943.

Artist Victor Denis (Denisov) “The Red Army has a broom, it will sweep away the evil spirits to the ground!”, 1943.

The miracles of heroism shown by citizens in the rear were also reflected in poster subjects: one of the most common heroines is a woman who replaced men at the machine or driving a tractor. The posters reminded us that a common victory is also achieved through heroic work in the rear.

Artist unknown, 194x.

In those days, posters were also needed by those who lived in the occupied territories, where the content of posters was passed on by word of mouth. According to the recollections of veterans, in the occupied areas, patriots pasted panels of “TASS Windows” on fences, barns, and houses where the Germans stood. The population, deprived of Soviet radio and newspapers, learned the truth about the war from these leaflets that appeared from nowhere...

“TASS Windows” are political propaganda posters produced by the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. This is a unique type of mass propaganda art. Sharp, intelligible satirical posters with short, easy-to-remember poetic texts exposed the enemies of the Fatherland.

“TASS Windows,” produced since July 27, 1941, were a formidable ideological weapon; it was not without reason that Propaganda Minister Goebbels sentenced in absentia to death all those involved in their release:
“As soon as Moscow is taken, everyone who worked at TASS Windows will hang from lampposts.”

More than 130 artists and 80 poets worked at TASS Windows. The main artists were Kukryniksy, Mikhail Cheremnykh, Pyotr Shukhmin, Nikolai Radlov, Alexander Daineka and others. Poets: Demyan Bedny, Alexander Zharov, Vasily Lebedev-Kumach, Samuil Marshak, poems by the late Mayakovsky were used.

In a single patriotic impulse, people of various professions worked in the workshop: sculptors, painters, painters, theater artists, graphic artists, art critics. The group of artists at TASS Windows worked in three shifts. During the entire war, the lights in the workshop never went out.

The Political Directorate of the Red Army made small format leaflets of the most popular “TASS Windows” with texts in German. These leaflets were dropped into the territories occupied by the Nazis and distributed by partisans. The texts, typed in German, indicated that the leaflet could serve as a surrender pass for German soldiers and officers.

The image of the enemy ceases to inspire horror; posters call to reach his lair and crush him there, to liberate not only your home, but also Europe. The heroic people's struggle is the main theme of the military poster of this stage of the war; already in 1942, Soviet artists grasped the still distant theme of victory, creating canvases with the slogan “Forward! To the west!".

It becomes obvious that Soviet propaganda is much more effective than fascist propaganda, for example, during the Battle of Stalingrad, the Red Army used original methods of psychological pressure on the enemy - the monotonous beat of a metronome transmitted through loudspeakers, which was interrupted every seven beats by a commentary in German: “Every seven seconds one German soldier dies at the front." This had a demoralizing effect on the German soldiers.

Warrior-defender, warrior-liberator - this is the hero of the poster of 1944-1945.

The enemy appears small and vile, this is a predatory reptile that can still bite, but is no longer capable of causing serious harm. The main thing is to completely destroy it, so that you can finally return home, to your family, to a peaceful life, to the restoration of destroyed cities. But before that, it is necessary to liberate Europe and repel imperialist Japan, to which the Soviet Union, without waiting for an attack, itself declared war in 1945.

Artist Pyotr Magnushevsky “Formidable bayonets are getting closer and closer...”, 1944.

Reproduction of the poster “The Red Army is facing a threatening step! The enemy will be destroyed in its lair!”, artist Viktor Nikolaevich Denis, 1945

Reproduction of the poster "Forward! Victory is near!" 1944 Artist Nina Vatolina.

“Let's get to Berlin!”, “Glory to the Red Army!” - the posters rejoice. The defeat of the enemy is already close, time demands life-affirming works from artists, bringing closer the meeting of the liberators with the liberated cities and villages, with the family.

The prototype of the hero of the “Let's get to Berlin” poster was a real soldier - sniper Vasily Golosov. Golosov himself did not return from the war, but his open, joyful, kind face lives on the poster to this day.

Posters become an expression of people's love, pride for the country, for the people who gave birth to and raised such heroes. The soldiers' faces are beautiful, happy and very tired.

Artist Leonid Golovanov “Motherland, meet the heroes!”, 1945.

Artist Leonid Golovanov “Glory to the Red Army!”, 1945.

Artist Maria Nesterova-Berzina “We waited,” 1945.

Artist Viktor Ivanov “You gave us back life!”, 1943.

Artist Nina Vatolina “Happy Victory!”, 1945.

Artist Viktor Klimashin “Glory to the victorious warrior!”, 1945.

The war with Germany did not officially end in 1945. Having accepted the surrender of the German command, the Soviet Union did not sign peace with Germany; only on January 25, 1955, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree “On ending the state of war between the Soviet Union and Germany,” thereby legally formalizing the end of hostilities.

Compilation of material - Fox