Lot 21: Framed WWII Soviet Propaganda Poster by TASS Windows Studio

Auction

Estate Auction: Multiple-Estate Liquidation Roseville, CA (144)

Lot Number

21

Status

Sold

Hammer / Price

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Opening Bid

$5.00

Accepted Bids

40

Closed

6/22/25 7:10 PM PT

Description

This is a framed original World War II Soviet propaganda poster titled Klaipeda Port Will Be Restored (TASS No. 1202), created by Andrei Ivanovich Plotnov (1916–1997) and Aleksandr Alekseevich Zharov (1904–1984), and produced by the TASS Windows Studio on March 28, 1945. This poster is an exceptional example of hand-stenciled propaganda art created during the height of WWII. The TASS Windows Studio—a wartime collaboration between Soviet poets, illustrators, and painters—was formed in direct response to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Sponsored by the Russian Telegraph Agency (TASS), the collective produced thousands of pochoir (stencil-based) posters meant to bolster public morale, celebrate Soviet victories, and visually narrate the progress of the war. Rendered in a vivid, painterly style using up to 60 individually applied colors, these posters were as much works of fine art as they were tools of agitational propaganda. They were displayed in shop windows, homes, factories, train stations, and even projected onto public buildings. Very few of these pieces survive today, making them rare artifacts of both Soviet graphic design and WWII history. Klaipeda Port Will Be Restored commemorates the Soviet liberation of Klaipeda (formerly Memel), celebrating both a military and symbolic victory with a forward-looking message of reconstruction and pride. The poem featured in the poster exalts the future rebirth of Klaipeda as a powerful Baltic port. Described by art historian Christina Lodder as works that “stretch the possibility of the stencil to the limit,” TASS posters like this one are significant not only for their technical innovation, but also for their emotional and historical gravity. This framed piece represents a rare confluence of political, artistic, and historical significance, making it a valuable acquisition for collectors of WWII ephemera, Soviet art, or fine graphic design. Measuring 48.5" x 55.5", the poster is in good condition, with only minor wear consistent with age and historical display.