Soviet Visual Propaganda

This course introduces students to a broad range of Soviet visual propaganda. We will survey the development of Soviet propaganda art at distinct moments in Soviet history – from the October Revolution to “the Great Break” that initiated Stalinism to the Great Patriotic War and then the ensuing Cold War.

We consider a range of distinctive types of Soviet propaganda: the political poster, monumental sculptures, agitational trains and boats, exhibition displays, street kiosks, illustrated magazines, photobooks, public murals, and wartime aerial leaflet propaganda. We also investigate a number of distinctive forms of visual propaganda: political caricature, photomontage, and visual statistics. By examining related primary source documents, we will consider how the visual was mobilised to promote the policies and ideologies of the Soviet state.