Celebrating Soviet Achievements in the 1980s

Soviet authorities valued posters as a most accessible form of propaganda with origins in the early days of the Communist Revolution as a way of reaching out to an illiterate audience. Throughout Soviet history, posters remained a visible indication of the Party's official interests. This poster from 1986 celebrates two important events: the celebration of International Workers' Day (May 1) and the recent completion of the 27th Communist Party Congress. The image of the poster demonstrates joyous celebrations with participants from all social ranks in the Soviet Union, professionals and workers, as well as from all nationalities within the Soviet Union. Everyone was encouraged to celebrate these important events. This poster is also a moment in time before Gorbachev announced his reform program, or allowed open disagreement within the Soviet Union. The image of the country in the poster reflects the tradition of Soviet unity, rather than any of the growing concerns about stability or stagnation within the country.