Posters and slogans of the Great Patriotic War in the funds of the State Archives of the Saratov region

Abstract

The article deals with the study of the propaganda posters created during the Great Patriotic War and kept in the State Archives of the Saratov Region. The paper considers the importance of those visual sources for studying the formation of historical memory and socio-political consciousness in Soviet society. The authors note that the posters of that time, in addition to performing propaganda functions, played an important role in updating cultural memory and strengthening national identity, using the images and symbols of the Russian historical heritage. Besides, the authors emphasize the need for a thorough study of the archival collections that contain a variety of materials, including posters, slogans and other visual sources. The article incorporates a brief analysis of the methodology for studying the issues that historians face in identifying and classifying the Soviet propaganda posters, taking into account the interdisciplinary approach to their study. The paper reveals the importance of the propaganda art as a tool for shaping public consciousness, and emphasizes the need to use it not only as illustrative material, but also as an individual research object. The authors conclude that the poster art was an important element in preserving the historical memory and cultural identity of the people and contributed to the cohesion of Soviet society during the war. The examples of the provided posters illustrate their artistic value and their impact on the morale of the citizens during the conflict, and demonstrate the connection between historical and cultural memory.