Soviet propaganda posters
Propaganda posters of the Soviet Union.
This 54-card pack reproduces some of the familiar poster images that appeared throughout the existence of the Soviet Union. Some images portray the social and personal benefits of Communism – health, fitness, reading, education; others were produced during the Great Patriotic War against fascism; some promote the Soviet values of labour; and some glorify the scientific and technical advances brought about through Communist rule, including space flight. There is no indication of either the publisher or date of production. The side of box reads “Soviet propaganda posters inside”. On the front: "The Motherland calls, holding the soldier's military oath of allegiance"; on the back of the box: "Be vigilant!"►
Above: Soviet propaganda poster playing cards, unknown publisher or date of production. 52 cards + 2 jokers in box.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
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