Russian propaganda poster Fly above all, further than all and faster than all – D Pyatkin – 1954

Russian propaganda poster Fly above all, further than all and faster than all – D Pyatkin – 1954 ЛЕТАТЬ ВЫШЕ ВСЕХ. ДАЛЬШЕ ВСЕХ. БЫСТРЕЕ ВСЕХ. Fly above all, further than all and faster than all Russian propaganda poster This dramatic Fly above all, further than all, and faster than all propaganda poster was designed by the Russian artist Dmitri Pyatkin. In the image, Pyatkin has incorporated an image of a world war two ‘flying ace’ in a vintage piston-engined propeller plane. It is set against a squadron of new fighter jets soaring into the sky. The use of the famous WWII pilot was nothing short of genius. The Soviet flying aces of world war two such as Mikhail Vodopyanov, Mikhail Gromov, Andrei Yumashev, Vladimir Kokkinaki, Marina Raskova, and Sergei Gritsevets were national heroes. In Russia pilots and spacemen were like today’s football stars or film stars. They were well-known household names and famous throughout Russia. The use of their images on posters gave added creedence to the poster’s message. At the end of World War II, it was clear that the huge fleets of piston-engine propeller planes used to win the conflict were rapidly being superseded by much faster turbo-jet aircraft. Nazi Germany and the United Kingdom were already using jets in combat, and the US and Japan weren’t far behind. At the time the Soviets had no domestic turbojet engine to work with. Russia received $10 billion in reparations. Mostly, this would be paid for by giving up machinery, factories, research equipment, intellectual copyrights, and weapons systems. In addition, scientists would be forced to work for the Soviet Union as would thousands of German civilians and prisoners of war who were deported to Russia to be used as forced labour. The ‘Fly above all’ Russian propaganda poster – sending a powerful message to the world Stalin was determined not to be left behind again and invested heavily in the research and development of new weapons. By 1946, the Soviets had developed Mig-9 and Yak-15 turbo-jets. By 1950 had developed the jets to produce the MiG-15. A remarkable plane for its time. Capable of 678 miles per hour whilst offering an excellent climbing speed and manoeuvrability. The Soviets went on to produce 18,000 of the new jets. This Fly higher, further and faster propaganda poster would announce to the world, the Soviet’s successful development of fighter jets whilst letting the world know that Russia had become a formidable opponent as well as providing a huge degree of comfort for the entire population of the Soviet Union. The propaganda poster as a weapon. In our modern, mass media-savvy world, it is hard to imagine the impact that simple posters once had. Yet in the early days of mass media, posters were one of the most effective ways to reach a large audience with a message. Posters could be produced relatively cheaply and plastered in public places for all to see. Over time, posters became an important tool for political campaigns, artistic promotion, and product and travel advertising. They were especially effective for delivering wartime propaganda messages.  They were a simple, effective way for Governments to provide information to their citizens. Nobody did this better than Soviet Russia.