---
title: Speaking of Pictures... Russian War Posters Are Colorful and Forceful
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/speaking-of-pictures-russian-war-posters-life-us-1942/
description: 'A Life magazine page reproduces Soviet war posters with English captions: Nazi figures drawn as cows and pigs, and Hitler.'
section: Collection
---

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3. Speaking of Pictures... Russian War Posters Are Colorful and Forceful

[![Speaking of Pictures... Russian War Posters Are Colorful and Forceful, 1942 US print: A Life magazine page reproduces Soviet](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/speaking-of-pictures-russian-war-posters-life-us-1942.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/speaking-of-pictures-russian-war-posters-life-us-1942.jpg)

# Speaking of Pictures... Russian War Posters Are Colorful and Forceful

A Life magazine page reproduces Soviet war posters with English captions: Nazi figures drawn as cows and pigs, and Hitler, Goering and Goebbels labelled 'blond', 'well built' and 'handsome' in a reversal. The tell in the reproduced posters is animal caricature of named enemies (name-calling); the magazine's own text describes this as Russian cartoon humour and explains the captions.

## Propaganda techniques used in this print

[Name-calling](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/name-calling/)

## Text on the object

Original (English / Russian) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
SPEAKING OF PICTURES ...
... RUSSIAN WAR POSTERS
ARE COLORFUL AND FORCEFUL

[Russian captions on the reproduced posters:] БЕЛОКУР / КАК ГИТЛЕР. / СТРОЕН / КАК ГЕРИНГ. / КРАСИВ / КАК ГЕББЕЛЬС. / БЕРЛИН / НА ВОСТОК
[Translation of the Russian: Blond / like Hitler. Well built / like Goering. Handsome / like Goebbels. Berlin. To the East.]

Cows are used by the Russians to symbolize the Nazis. They use "cow" as a term of opprobrium much as Americans use "louse." [caption continues]

The perfect Aryan type, according to the biting cartoon humor of the Russians, is blond like Hitler, has a perfect figure like Göring and is handsome like Goebbels.

Two-way traffic in Germany is the subject of this two-part poster. [caption continues]

[handwritten:] Life - Aug 24, 1942
44-PF-877A
```

[← Воин Красной Армии, спаси! \[Red Army warrior, save!\]](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/soviet-warrior-of-the-red-army-save-koretsky-1942/) ['The Spearhead reaches SOUTH - ALWAYS SOUTH!' (Curtin leaflet) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/spearhead-reaches-south-curtin-leaflet-1942/)

## More propaganda examples that use the same techniques

- [Behistun (Bisotun) rock relief and trilingual inscription of Darius I: the king, two attendants and the bound rebel leaders beneath the winged figure of Ahuramazda](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/behistun-relief-darius-and-rebels-521bce/) (Achaemenid Empire · 0000 · Card stacking, Name-calling, Testimonial). Content note: Shows bound captives before the king, and the inscription records the mutilation and public execution of rebel leaders, as the king's own account.
- [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (Electoral Saxony · 1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking)
- [Anacoana fut pendue sans raison (engraving in Le miroir de la cruelle et horrible tyrannie espagnole)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/anacoana-hanged-miroir-tyrannie-espagnole-1620/) (Dutch Republic · 1620 · Fear appeal, Name-calling). Content note: Engraving of a hanged, bare-breasted Taino woman, burning huts and people being killed by Spanish soldiers.
- [Ondersoeckt de Geesten, ofse van den Duyvel syn, of niet (the De Witt brothers as devils)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ondersoeckt-de-geesten-de-witt-devils-1672/) (Dutch Republic · 1672 · Scapegoating, Name-calling)
- [The Highlanders Medley, or The Duke Triumphant (A Loyal Song)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/highlanders-medley-duke-triumphant-1746/) (Great Britain · 1746 · Name-calling, Transfer)
- [The North Briton, No. XLV, 23 April 1763 (John Wilkes), opening page](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/north-briton-no-45-wilkes-1763/) (Kingdom of Great Britain · Apr 23, 1763 · Name-calling)
- [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Province of Massachusetts Bay · Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Hand-coloured engraving of bloodied dead and wounded colonists after soldiers fired on a crowd.
- [Marche du Dom Quichotte moderne pour la deffence du Moulin des Abus (March of the Modern Don Quixote in Defence of the Mill of Abuses)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/dom-quichotte-moulin-des-abus-1791/) (France · 1791 · Name-calling, Transfer)