Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Lies Machine

Lies Machine Gun (TASS Window #625)
Kukryniksy, Lebedev-Kumach, 1942

In a man to man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.
Erwin Rommel

No matter the actions,
Killer Hitler can’t hide his failures,
At Rzhev and Stalingrad.
To deceive people
He invented the “Lies Machine Gun”.
Which volleys lies nonstop.
The Machine talks nonsense at full speed,
But still cannot suppress the truth
As it is the truth that bellows at river Don,
And it can be heard on Volga too.
In Africa the truth is rumbling.
The “Lies Machine Gun” fires in vain.


This is a perfect example of the WW2 propaganda poster created by Kukryniksy. The poster shows Hitler, who fires a “Lies Machine”, resembling a machine gun. The device is actually a cartoon of Joseph Goebbels – the Nazi minister of Propaganda. The poster’s verses oppose the newspapers fired by this Lies Machine Gun against the cannonade of artillery at the last battles won by the Soviets. Battles of Rzhev (January 8, 1942—March 22, 1943) were a series of offensives aimed at eliminating the threat to Moscow. They were also named "Rzhev meat grinder" for the huge losses. The Stalingrad Battle (August 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943) was the turning point of World War II in the European Theater. Stalingrad was situated on the river Volga, and the river Don was one of fighting points during its siege. Africa is mentioned as despite the commander’s talent of Erwin Rommel Germans suffered significant losses at Gazala and Tobruk there.

Still although in 1942 the situation at battlefronts improved, the war was yet to win, both in Africa and Europe.

Buy the WW2 posters at allposters!


46 comments:

deckhand said...

This impresses me as contrasts among the "graphic", the "historical", and then the actual persistent threats of the Great Patriotic War...much of it fought in Russia. I see so much effort needed to defeat a horrid leader.

I think we Americans do our best to forget our own disastrous "civil war." But there are historical societies keeping the facts available...a little different, maybe.

Anonymous said...

eh, the better translation would be:
"a bullshitting machine gun"

pls continue your incredible blog!!!

Gabriel said...

First time I have had the pleasure of visiting your unique blog. At 'Unrepentant Communist' I shall be linking your blog, if thats ok with you..nothing like a good ole soviet poster to get you going (either one way or the other)

april said...

Please keep posting these posters--i miss reading the other perspective on Russian/Soviet history, and i love the art!

april said...

Actually, i should have said "another perspective" on Russian history, as i'm sure there's more than two. As a history teacher and an American, i've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

I love the blog and I hope it's still going. very interesting.

Anonymous said...

I miss the daily update of the blog. No update since december 14th... what happened ?

Anonymous said...

Really enjoy the blog. when are you starting back up?

Unknown said...

Are you there? What happened to the daily updates? Really great blog!

Uma por Dia said...

What a great blog. Did you stopped?

Anonymous said...

Add my voice to those hoping you'll be posting again soon. These posters, and your history lessons with them, have been wonderful.

P4ND3R said...

When are you posting again?
You have a great blog!

Ted said...

Thanks for sharing these posters. They are really enjoyable.


www.pafundi.com
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Woozie said...

We the oppressed proletariat thirst for new posters degrading the bourgeoisie malefactors!

pineconeboy said...

What irony, a blog about communist art with links and thumbnails encouraging to me to buy stuff all over it. I sure would have enjoyed reading this blog without all those things. :(

Anonymous said...

I love the posters you put up. They're inspiration for my own design work. I hope you start posting again!

Anonymous said...

Are you still posting these Soviet posters once a day? Please let me know because I collect old Soviet posters and have many that would be available for you to post. Please reply here with a way to contact you either with email or through a website. Many Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Keep it going if you can. I always enjoy your essays as much as the great art.

Lilliam Slasher said...

i love russian classic posters & this is such a great, great, great blog!!! i simply adore it ;)
keep it up! this site is really amazing.

Anonymous said...

please, keep posting these posters!!!

Aleckii said...

I agree, you blog is extremely enlightening. I'm a Malaysian, and have been living in Russia for 6 years. Embracing it's culture, though, is extremely difficult, but people like you and blog like yours sometimes help that.

Keep up the good work.

The Ink Pen said...

Hey, What happened, I loved the posts on your blog and also fed them to my iGoogle.
Keep posting please....

Anonymous said...

Where do you get the images of the posters? I'd love that resource.

Thanks!

James Dean said...

amazing blog.
very interesting to see everything from different perspectives than what we're taught from in textbooks.
i have to say i shall be coming back to this site

Ultimate Soviets said...

Wonderful blog! We have done a post about it in our soviet blog (http://ultimate-soviets.blogspot.com/).

And, of coursem, we have sindicated your blog bu RSS to see your posters every day. :)

Shasta said...

Congratulations for your blog!

Anonymous said...

Брехомет - это круто. Сейчас таких агитационных материалов уже не делают. Cool.Good post.I like this blog.

Anonymous said...

Amazing posters - Thanks for sharing them!

Cheers,
Rob

Anonymous said...

do you know any other information about this subject in other languages?

Sin Gamulán said...

Just saying hi from the third world. I hope you're fine, and just getting a rest from this site. Long life my friend.

Anonymous said...

It's a shame that this blog seems to be discontinued - it was really very good. Come back Mr Poster!

javier said...

Master, you must return!! Your blog have to carry on, please!!

Alex said...

You should continue your blog!

I only just find it and am particularly interested in the WWII posters.

Looking forward to seeing more posts soon

Alex
-----------------------------------
www.historyofwarfare.blogspot.com

sarah manville gann said...

Is this blog over? I would hate for it to be permanently discontinued. Come back, come back.

P said...

Me encantó este post. Es una lástima que no lo haya leído.

Sander Van der Maelen said...

What about the blog? :(

Anonymous said...

I read this almost every day for quite a while, when it malfunctioned I assumed it was simply a problem with my aggregator and I pushed it off until I completed the move to my new computer. Has the blog been moved? If so please post where! This has been one of the best Russian history blogs I have seen anywhere.

Unknown said...

Your blog is the best blog I've ever come across :)

Anonymous said...

I wish this blog was in other languages as well, like in German.

Anonymous said...

This poster depicting Hitler is really remarkable. Thanks for posting!

αστυάνακτας said...

it's a pearfect blog...We can see the posters that represent the social of "kommunism"

Anonymous said...

Great blog! Bringing back the history behind WW2. Keep it up!

Ralph DeLuca said...

Soviet posters are always visually attractive and stimulating. I collect movie posters, and the Russian Avante-Garde movie posters from the 1920's are really breathtaking. Artists like the Stenberg Brothers, Rodchenko, etc. Check em out.

Ralph DeLuca
Madison, NJ

Owen said...

I hope that you can continue to update I do love this blog.

Anonymous said...

please keep updating this blog!!!

movie posters said...

Very great blog, just what I was looking for. Keep posting the posters and I will stick around..lol