From Propaganda to Home Décor

My husband spent 2 years in Ukraine in his early 20's.  It was then he developed an affinity for Slovic advertising posters.  These 2 posters are for printing trade shows.  While I don't speak or read Russian I find the translation and back story my husband shares as well as the visuals very interesting.

The left poster was created before the formation of the Soviet Union while the right poster was created after.  Someone who knows the language would notice that there are characters on the left that are no longer used.  With the formation of the Soviet Union came a standardization of the written language.

The post revolution poster specifically promotes the Union.  Sharing a message that skills showcased at the trades show is for the betterment and strength of everyone.

I found the realistic art on the left sent a message of hard work and dedication.  The depiction of the man looking at the page allows me to believe that he is taking pride in his work before it goes out to the public.  While the blocky poster on the right gives an ominous feeling.  It almost looks like the man is wielding a weapon and not a printing tool.  The weapon like visual causes me to feel like something bad will happen if I get out of line or print something that I shouldn't.