Untitled 

This untitled drawing by the collective Kukryniksy uses ink on paper to depict the defeat of Nazi Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad. The image reduces the vast scale of that brutal siege to a single, graphic metaphor. We see German soldiers, tanks, and planes being swept off a cliff like refuse. At the cliff's summit, a red flag proclaims "Stalingrad" in Cyrillic script. This cartoon was produced in the USSR during the Second World War. It’s an example of wartime propaganda, designed to boost Soviet morale and demonize the enemy. The artist’s collective known as the Kukryniksy produced work for newspapers, journals and posters. They played a key role in shaping public opinion during the war. As art historians, we must consider the institutional context in which such images were created and disseminated. Accessing the archives of Soviet-era publications allows us to understand the role of art in constructing national identity and mobilizing support for the war effort.