1960's Sino-Soviet Propoganda Poster
By: Anonymous
Date: 1960s (circa)
Dimensions: 20 x 30 inches (76 x 51 cm)
This propaganda poster is an example of Sino-Soviet political art, likely from the late 1960s during the height of the Sino-Soviet split. The poster features two large, muscular figures in red, with black outlines, forcefully clenching their fists. Their arms are bound together, symbolizing unity, and they wear armbands with Chinese and Russian text. Their fists are crushing the heads of three figures at the bottom, which are drawn in a much smaller scale and in a grotesque, caricatured style, indicating them as political enemies.
The text on the poster is in both Chinese and Russian. The Russian text along the right side reads: "Разбить собачью голову советских ревизионистов!" which translates to "Smash the dog's head of the Soviet revisionists!" The Chinese text on the left conveys a similar message, reinforcing the anti-revisionist sentiment.
At the bottom, the heads being crushed represent key Soviet leaders. Among them is a depiction of Leonid Brezhnev, who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union at the time. The other figures likely represent Soviet officials considered revisionists by the Chinese government.
This poster reflects the intense ideological conflict between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union that emerged after the death of Stalin. Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party accused the Soviets, particularly under Nikita Khrushchev and later Brezhnev, of straying from true Marxist-Leninist principles, referring to them as "revisionists." The rift escalated into border conflicts and a deep political divide between the two communist powers.
The aggressive imagery, bold red and black color scheme, and stark contrasts emphasize the revolutionary fervor of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, during which such posters were widely used to mobilize the masses against perceived enemies. This artwork embodies the extreme rhetoric of the time, urging physical and ideological destruction of those seen as betrayers of communist ideology.
Condition: Poster is in B+ condition, offering bright and bold colors on tan paper. Two subtle horizontal folds run the width of the sheet and faint damp-staining in the bottom margin is apparent.
Inventory #92269
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