World history: Exhibition of posters of the First World War “Nicholas against Wilhelm” in Yaroslavl

In the Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve until June 1, 2014 runs the exhibition "Nicholas against Wilhelm". The exhibition features Russian posters, published in the years of the First World War.  

The exhibition of posters of the First World War "Nicholas against William" is part of a larger museum project "Voices and Faces of the First World in the family memory". This project in 2013 was the winner of "Changing Museum in a Changing World", held by Vladimir Potanin Charity Fund. As part of this project it has been an exhibition "The Great War in miniature", which was attended by Russian and German postcards issued during the period of 1914-1918.

By the beginning of the First World War the military poster, in the usual sense of the word, was not existed in our country - style posters infancy. But there was a centuries-old culture splint - simple and funny pictures with laconic, often rhymed, signatures. With the outbreak of the First World War folk art means were used to create military propaganda posters. To work on posters were invited many famous artists and graphics. Among them - Kazimir Malevich, the author of "Black Square", and Dmitry Moor, famed for creating famous poster of the Great Patriotic War "Are you volunteered?". With posters of these artists you can meet at the exhibition. They embody the patriotic sentiments of the first period of the war. On similar posters are depicted enemy pathetic and ridiculous, worthy only of ridicule mockery.

However, when the success of the military campaign in 1914 gave way to failure, the belief in a close victory was shattered. Changing attitudes on the battlefield is also reflected in the posters. In place of patriotic bravado increasingly came subjects connected with the themes of the prisoners, the wounded, refugees, aid to families of soldiers and soldiers of the army. This group also includes posters calling to participate in the "war loan". Such a mass agitation began dating in 1916. Then in 1917 it was adopted by the Provisional Government, calling to defend "its young freedom". These loan posters can be seen at the exhibition.