Vers les étoiles ! 1965

This bold 1965 Soviet poster, proclaiming “Vers les étoiles !” (“To the stars!”), captures the triumphant spirit of the Space Race and the optimism of mid-20th-century Soviet ideology. Dominated by a monumental red figure striding forward, arm raised high with the Soviet flag, the composition celebrates strength, determination, and collective achievement. Beside him rises a stylised rocket, symbolising technological progress and the nation’s ambition to conquer space. Radiating brush-like lines behind the figure emphasise movement, energy, and an almost explosive sense of forward momentum.

The visual language is characteristic of Soviet propaganda design of the 1960s: simplified heroic forms, a powerful silhouette, and a limited yet striking colour palette of reds and oranges that both reference the Soviet flag and evoke fire, propulsion, and power. The figure embodies the idealised “new Soviet human” — confident, unstoppable, and inseparable from the achievements of science and industry. Rather than depicting specific cosmonauts, the poster glorifies the collective will of the people and the state, presenting space exploration not merely as science, but as destiny.

Today, this poster stands as a vivid artifact of the Cold War era, reflecting both artistic creativity and political messaging. It speaks to a moment in history when space exploration was charged with ideological meaning and when graphic art played a central role in shaping national pride and imagination. Its striking design and symbolic force make it not only a compelling work of visual propaganda, but also an enduring piece of cultural history.

Original Poster

Space - Communism - USSR - Russia

Printed in Moscow

Good condition, slight soiling