Posters were a common method of distributing propaganda in the Soviet Union from the country's inception. Artistic styles and approaches to subject matter shifted and evolved alongside political and social changes within the country. Subject matter varied widely, with some topics including the promotion of communism and socialism, agriculture, education, health, international relations, literacy, patriotism, war, and work ethics.[1]
Posters were used in part because they could motivate and communicate ideas to a population with large percentages of illiterate and semiliterate individuals.[2][3][4] They were often posted on the street, on and in vehicles,[4] and in communal buildings such as factories and schools.[5] Visual art in public spaces was also not a new concept, as Russia had a "strong visual tradition" already in the form of religious icons and lubok woodcuts.[4][6]