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PP 105

Poster Plakat

Poster of the Week

"May 1st, the All-Russian Subbotnik".

This iconic Soviet poster by the artist Dmitrii Moor calls on subbotnik (Saturday volunteer) workers to help with public improvement jobs. Subbotnik workers were citizens and/or soldiers who labored without pay on the weekend. This poster was printed for the Moscow subbotnik of 1920 where Vladimir Lenin personally attended. Initially, subbotniks were sporadic local efforts (the first one was in 1919) to boost moral and increase work in the early days of the revolution. But as time progressed, subbotnik work became obligatory and the jobs tended to be mundane and even politically-motivated. Work in the name of “the motherland” generally benefited higher-echelons (party members, plant managers, etc.) who gained the benefits from the free subbotnik laborers.

More About This Poster

About The Collection

Poster Plakat is a private collection of Soviet and Eastern Bloc political ephemera spanning 1916 to 1991. The collection contains over 1,000 original posters and poster maquettes. Sizes range from windowpane posters up to large, multi-panel broadsides. Numerous artists are represented such as Gustav Klutsis, Victor Deni, Nikolai Dolgorukov, Vladimir Stenberg, the Kukryniksy, Viktor Koretsky, and hundreds more. All posters are linen backed and ready for display.

If you are interested in using images from the Collection or exhibiting posters from it, please visit the Contact Us page for more information. You can also email info@posterplakat.com and include the name of your organization, the name of the contact person and provide your phone number. In addition, please provide a general description of the exhibit you are considering or the poster you would like to use.