Aux étoiles ! Au soleil ! 1964

This dynamic 1964 Soviet poster proclaims an inspiring message: “Aux étoiles ! Au soleil !” (“To the stars! To the sun!”). It captures the extraordinary optimism of the Space Race era, when the USSR projected itself as a nation of technological triumph, scientific ambition, and limitless future possibilities. The heroic figure of the worker dominates the composition, rendered in bold orange against a deep cosmic background. He holds an abstract rocket-like form marked with the Soviet hammer and sickle, symbolising not only industrial power but the idea that human labour and collective effort fuel scientific progress.

The poster reflects the visual language of Soviet propaganda of the 1960s: strong graphic contrasts, simplified monumental forms, and a forward-looking composition full of motion and energy. The upward gaze of the figure and the diagonal trajectory lines reinforce a sense of aspiration and destiny. Rather than depicting specific astronauts or spacecraft, the artist chooses to celebrate the worker as the true hero behind technological achievement—an ideal deeply rooted in socialist ideology.

Today, this poster stands as a striking historical artifact. It encapsulates the spirit of Soviet optimism at a key moment in 20th-century history, when space exploration symbolised not only scientific discovery but ideological pride and national identity. Its bold design, poetic slogan, and powerful symbolism make it both a beautiful graphic object and a vivid reminder of an era defined by ambition, competition, and belief in the future.

Original Poster

Space - Communism - USSR - Russia

Printed in Moscow

Good condition, minor tears