Glamour is not what many people would associate with the Soviet Union during the 1930s. The Stakhanovite worker struggling to fulfill the five-year plan and the Red Army soldier defending achievements of socialism from capitalist aggression dominated the poster art of that period. At the same time Soviet travel posters aimed at attracting foreign tourists were designed in the bourgeois Art Deco style to create a glamorous portrayal of the Soviet Union. A selection of posters produced in the 1930s-50s for the Soviet travel agency, Intourist, will be featured at the “Welcome to the USSR” exhibition organised by AntikBar at the Winzavod Ñontemporary аrt centre.
Intourist advertising posters that were unknown to the majority of the Soviet population became a calling card of the country as they were displayed in tourist offices and embassies all over the world. Bold, bright and highly artistic they were aimed at presenting to foreign tourists the joys of travelling in the USSR — the first socialist country in the world. As the only tour operator authorised to deal with foreigners, Intourist was charged with providing the highest quality of service to foreign guests. Visitors can feel the lure of being a foreign tourist from 13th to 26th April in the 6th Building (Brodilny Tsekh) at Winzavod. This exhibition is sponsored by OJSC VAO Intourist.
Exhibition visitors will be able to create their own versions of the modern travel poster. Intourist will run an open competition, inviting visitors to create their own masterpieces using a creative approach in applying and transforming the images of the travel posters on display. The main theme of attractive tourist opportunities for travelling abroad is a subject open to wide interpretation. Every time you cross the border of your own country you effectively become a foreign tourist interested to explore the place you are visiting. Join the competition by submitting your photos, sketches and posters to the website www.intourist.ru Participants and winners will receive prizes from Intourist.
