Anti Antisemitism Extremely Rare 1928 Soviet Avant-Garde Poster Campaign

Anti Antisemitism Extremely Rare 1928 Soviet Avant-Garde Poster Campaign “Who is Anti-Semitic? These are the people who, out of spite, turn the dark ones against the Jew.” Poster Designed by Nikolai Denisovsky, Published 1927-1930.

We are honored to present an exceptional and relevant Soviet Avant-Garde Poster Campaign Against Antisemitism, from 1928, that speaks loudly of the dark persistence of antisemitism and hatred despite its many changing faces. This poster comes to remind us that Anti-Semitism, regardless of its outward transformation, remains a deeply ingrained malice in society.

Modern Antisemitism in Russia: Historical Background for the Poster

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw a brutal escalation of antisemitic sentiment across Russia, with Jews enduring pogroms, discriminatory policies, and a barrage of state-sanctioned hate in the press. Newspapers echoed chilling slogans such as, “one-third of Jews should be killed, one-third expelled, and one-third converted to Christianity,”.

The pogroms included: The “Storms of the Negev” pogroms in 1882, which sparked the rise of Zionism and the formation of Hibbat Zion, inspiring the first wave of Jewish migration to Israel. The Kishinev pogroms of 1903, fueled by antisemitic propaganda, brutally orchestrated by the Russian government to instill fear and compliance.

The Poster’s Anti-Antisemitism Message 

In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, even though Lenin condemned Antisemitism, outlawing it officially in 1918. The Antisemitism sentiment lingered in Soviet society, both within the government and among the public. A Soviet campaign followed to root out antisemitic ideologies, framing them as remnants of an outdated, oppressive past.

This poster captures that paradox, depicting six figures split in half—contrasting their appearance before and after the Russian Revolution. While their looks may have changed after the revolution, they remained Antisemitic at heart.

This poster serves as a reminder for us today. How many times have we seen the mask of anti-Semitism change, only to reveal the same face beneath? The message remains timeless: it is not the appearance of our adversaries that matters, but their unchanging animosity.