Highlight of the week: Soviet-era posters on the dangers of alcohol, in Creative Review

Posted bySimon RileyPosted inAll Over The World, Media, SemioticsTags:, , , , ,

I’ve been a sucker for Soviet-era Russian posters ever since seeing a Stenberg Brothers exhibition of Russian film posters in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 1998. Imagine my delight then this week when Creative Review tweeted (@CreativeReview) a series of public information posters mainly from the 30s, 40s and 50s on the perils of booze for the heroic Soviet worker and his heroic Soviet family:

Creative Review: Soviet posters on the dangers of drink

I could have picked many but I enjoyed this one the most:

"The poison of moonshine kills the health of the workers"

There’s just so much going on in there, from the stern finger-pointing matriarch to the fist-clenching neglected child, to some Cossack dancing gone badly wrong.

Then there’s this one. This is how you motivate people to change their behaviour in a command-and-control economy, I guess. I wonder if it worked?

"How we eradicate drunkenness – Through school, club and village cultural houses to the victory above drunkenness. – Pioneers! Teach your parents not to drink! Teachers! Explain the damages of alcohol to children! Youth! Do sport, and you will not want to drink! Women! Stand up against drunkenness and drunkards! Visit cinema and theater – this is a reasonable pastime. Pass your free time in the club and village cultural house. Play chess – it’s a useful pastime."

It certainly managed to produce a few chess champions but I suspect even Deep Blue has the occasional tipple.

Can’t argue with the message though.

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Published by Simon Riley

Qualitative researcher in the UK. I listen to people from all walks of life and think about what it all means. I work for leading brands, media companies and government.

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