Cards of times of the Great Patriotic War

From the beginning of the Great Patriotic War all economy of the USSR was reoriented on military rails. First of all it affected the spheres connected with culture, science, habitual peace life. "All for the front, all for a victory!" — under this motto production in the country changed. But, despite all difficulties, there was one type of printed materials which remained incredibly demanded. The speech about cards.

Cards in the period of the Great Patriotic War were published in the same quantity, as well as in peace years. During the most difficult period the emotional spirit of soldiers sometimes meant more, than strategic decisions of commanders. An opportunity to write home strongly influenced a spirit. Directly said about it in the country leaders. Therefore in the first months big forces were thrown on reorganization of all means of communication.

Problems with work of mail managed to be solved in the first half a year of war. But there was a question: and on what to write that news to the family? First everything was used. For example, the sergeant Vasily Popov for letters to parents used pieces of the registration magazine, and sometimes even paper packing from porridge. Then there were so-called "triangles", the sheet of paper put in the form of an envelope. But in the middle of September, 1941 the Expedition of signs of post payment began release of post cards forms. They were marked "In army" or "From army", were not marked. These are, by the way, the first similar postcards for which sending brands were not required. Already by the end of 1941 70 million news from the front monthly went.
Then military correspondence had also one more appointment. It became the most mass and available channel for propaganda. Especially it was forbidden to send letters and cards with the attached picture which were taken by soldiers. Therefore illustrated card received so great popularity.

The subject of cards was different. Illustrations or even documentary photos of battle scenes were often represented (what shots could be used, it was approved by censorship). It could be as universal images (for example, a tank with the Soviet flag or the sniper in a snow camouflage), and devoted to concrete events. Post cards with images of war heroes were in special demand: Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, Alexander Chekalin, Vasily Poleshchuk. Big circulations propaganda cards posters were issued: "All forces of the people — on defeat of the enemy!", "All for the front, all for a victory!", "For the Motherland!". A card "The soldier of the Red Army, save!" it was at all printed more than three million times during war.

There were at cards also restrictions. Illustrations of factories, military facilities and even panoramas of the cities were forbidden. Was considered that the enemy will be able to use them in strategic objectives.

In days of the Great Patriotic War popularized great Russian commanders of the past. It found reflection and in illustrations. For example, a card with Alexander Nevsky's image and his quote: "Who with a sword to us will go, and will die from a sword".

A series of cards with writers became one more direction of patriotic illustrations. They were published by the State Literary Museum. Were popular, for example, with Saltykov-Shchedrin. But options with lyrics enjoyed a bigger love at soldiers: "A blue kerchief", "Leningrad table", "Play, my bayan". The text was placed on the front or address party and was followed by an illustration. And, of course, a huge number of cards by various holidays: of New year before the October revolution. All of them were tied on military subject too.

Sometimes usual letters also turned into cards. The writer Evgeny Permyak who was in evacuation in Sverdlovsk put the letter-sekretku (the ruled sheet of paper which was bent in half) in the book on nine pages. Each of them was illustrated by Gennady Lyakhin, the manager of the art sector of the Uralsky Rabochy newspaper. Illustrations represented pictures from life of the Soviet school students. Such here book apportion was published as preparation for the letter of the son or the daughter on the front subsequently.

Now cards of that time can be considered a source of information on the Great Patriotic War. Some photodocumentary remained only in such look that does a military card even more valuable.