New online repository showcases Soviet-era posters from across decades

Visual messages from the Soviet past, in the form of political, social and commercial posters created across decades of the Union, can now be found on the web where a repository of the works on wide-ranging subjects has been launched.

Created through a collaboration between Aldagi insurance company and the National Library of Georgia, a website for the collection is now accessible for those interested in contemporary history and visual art. It features posters created in eras as diverse as World War II and the 1980s perestroika.

Visual works on social problems like alcohol addiction, traffic safety and infrastructure maintenance are found in the repository alongside political messages from celebration of anniversaries of the Soviet Georgian republic to a festival of young pioneers. Posters announcing everything from a choral music festival, to non-alcoholic beverage advertising and exhibition banners are also in the selection.

A fire safety poster published in Tbilisi and warning against playing with matches. Image via posters.aldagi.ge.

We completely unexpectedly came across Soviet-era insurance posters, and realised that there is a lot we don't know about not only the Soviet understanding of insurance, but about the era in general" - Aldagi Public Relations Manager Ketevan Maghalashvili

Giorgi Kekelidze, General Director of the National Library, said an overview of the works created an impression of "indicators of development, or lack of thereof, in the society" during the years the posters represented.

Kekelidze also noted artistic differences illustrated by time period in which the works were created, pointing out influences of postmodernism in posters from the final decade of the Soviet Union, compared to those published in the Stalinist period.

• See the full collection of posters on the project website

The project was launched to mark the 30th anniversary of Aldagi and followed an unexpected discovery of USSR-era insurance posters by the company. In the resulting joint project with the National Library, authors of the idea for the online exposition also involved today's design talent.

Georgian vocal quartet 'Orera' is the subject of this poster released by the Georgian Philharmonic. Image via posters.aldagi.ge.

Aldagi PR Manager Ketevan Maghalashvili the project had asked contemporary designers to add their works to the collection as a "continuation of history". These new works, while influenced by the old poster designs, are aimed at current issues - from taking a Soviet-era alcohol addiction poster and creating a modern alternative on mental health, to addressing the ongoing Russian occupation of two of Georgia's regions.

Soviet-era Georgian design has featured in modern online displays before. Earlier this year the National Library started a website presenting covers of the elementary school textbook Deda Ena between 1876 and contemporary editions, including examples from the Soviet Georgian education system.

In 2016, series of Georgian theatre posters were selected for a global catalogue marking 400 years since the death of legendary English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Eight posters created in Georgia and picked for the selection included several from the Soviet-period theatre stagings of Shakespeare plays in the country.