The amazing space program propaganda of Soviet Russia
In today's world, Russia and America are allies and cooperate in space — in fact, two Russian astronauts performed a space walk Thursday to install a debris shield on the ISS — but the two countries used to be on opposite sides of the space race.
Competition was fierce. Russia got a man up into orbit first; America made it to the moon before the Soviet Union. Here's one area where Soviet Russia may've had Cold War America definitively beat, though: amazing space propaganda art.
The posters were gathered up by RussiaTrek (which, as of this post, appears to be experiencing some connection woes), and the included translations under each image are from there.
A lot of the posters boast about the glory of Russia (as to be expected from a propaganda poster from any nation), but some of them also carry some surprising messages, such as "in the name of peace and progress," which is a reoccurring theme throughout. That enduring message could be carried by any of today's space programs around the world.
Check 'em out in our gallery below.
RussiaTrek, via Retronaut, via Boing Boing
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"Conquer space!"
"Fatherland! You lighted the star of progress and peace. Glory to the science, glory to the labor! Glory to the Soviet regime!"
"From studentâs models to spaceships!"
"Gagarin, Titov, Nikolaev, Popovich — the mighty knights of our days"
"Glory to the conquerors of the universe!"
"Glory to the Fatherland of Heroes!"
"Glory to the KPSS!" (An acronym derived from the Cyrillic spelling for the "Communist Party of the Soviet Union.")
"Glory to the Soviet people — the pioneer of space!"
"Glory to the workers of Soviet science and technology!"
"Happy New Year, kids!"
"October opened the road to space!" (A reference to the October Revolution of 1917.)
"Our triumph in space is the hymn to Soviet country!"
"Socialism is our launching pad"
"Soviet means excellent!"
"The road in the space is Soviet!"
"The way for man is open!"
"Through the worlds and ages"
"Sons of October — Pioneers of the Universe!"
"Soviet man — be proud, you opened the road to stars from Earth!"
"To the glory of communism!"
"To the Sun! To the stars!"
"We will open the distant worlds!"
"With Leninâs name!"
"Happy New Year, peace and friendship!"
"Happy New Year! For peace, for new progress!"
"Homeland, your mission is accomplished!"
"Let there be peace!"
"Navigation in space is open!"
"I am happy — this is my work joining the work of my republic"
"In 20th century the rockets race to the stars, the trains are going to the lands of achievements!"
"In the name of peace and progress!"
"In the name of peace"
"Into the space!"
