[Russian Propaganda Posters]

A pair of anti-American propaganda posters issued by the Fighting Pencils.

This is an interesting pair of small propaganda posters issued during the Cold War by the group known as the Fighting Pencils. The first poster shows an oil pipeline crushing a ridiculously clad knight and provides commentary on how America uses oil as a weapon to strangle Russia. This would have been effective at promoting investment in infrastructure and energy self-sufficiency. The second poster shows Uncle Sam ready to drop a bag of money and catapult a Jewish soldier into (presumably) the Middle East. The accompanying anti-Semitic text reads “Blood, Violence and War. For the invaders, familiar. The United States loves them infinitely because oil is needed!

The Fighting Pencils was a group of Soviet artists and designers who created a trove of propaganda material for the Communist government until the fall of the U.S.S.R in 1989. What started as a group of artists drawing sketches to boost morale during the Siege of Leningrad quickly became one of the most effective propaganda arms of the Russian government. Numerous times throughout the history of the organization, it was disbanded because the satirical wit was turned against the Communist Party. Their logo, a pencil overlaid across a palette, is a not-so-subtle reference to a gun – a weapon to be used in times of war and a powerful tool in times of peace.

The price listed is for both posters.