Art is Your Weapon

The exhibition presents over 140 items from the Museum’s collection: posters, sketches, cards and leaflets created during the Great Patriotic War by the Leningrad union of artists and poets Boevoi karandash (Combatant Pencil). The emblem of the union was born out of a quote by Vladimir Mayakovsky which reads, in translation: “I want the pen to be equal to the bayonet”.
First work by Boevoi karandash was created in December of 1940 during the Winter War. Copies of the poster were sent to the front and were extremely popular among soldiers. About 10 posters were issued before the Combatant Pencil ceased its activity and resumed only in June 1941, with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. The first poster issued after the reunion on 28 June, 1941 was named ‘Fascism is the enemy of mankind! Death to fascism!’ (Rus.: Фашизм – враг человека! Смерть фашизму!).
Works by the Combatant Pencil covered all the events of wartime, telling about the battles, small victories of the Soviet Army and Fleet, and heroism of the citizens of besieged Leningrad. Political satire was one of the main topics.
Last work of the union ‘The forthcoming’ (Rus.: С наступающим) became a specific greeting card announcing the forthcoming victorious year 1945.