"He had a high rating..." by Elena Osipova (2015) Disegno da Elena Osipova

Among the large number of anti-war posters, Elena Osipova stands out for her extreme rigidity in a poster depicting a familiar figure with a short mustache and oblique bangs. With his right hand raised in a Roman salute, the man whose name has become the embodiment of evil greets his soldiers. One can only see the inclined profiles of people walking in ranks in helmets of a characteristic shape with the same right arms thrown forward. Is it just a parade or are Poland, France, Yugoslavia already looming before the eyes of these people in helmets? Or is it already Drang nach Ost, the eastern territories that are so attractive in search of Lebensraum?

The poster is designed in black and white, and there can hardly be more colors when it comes to such an evil as a world war. But the signature is made in red: “Remember? He had a high rating. He promised a lot..." The hint here is more than obvious. The viewer cannot avoid associations with another political leader, whose high rating is repeatedly confirmed by Russian Public Opinion Research Center.

Getting up from your knees and the struggle for the return of the status of a key player in global world politics required its logical continuation and consolidation. World leaders believed in the peacefulness of the character from the poster for a long time. Criminally, they allowed him to do a lot, satisfying his next “last” demand. Quite deservedly he was recognized as the “man of the year”: he provided a way out of the crisis, economic growth, and the restoration of international positions. The people idolized him and longed for new victories. The break came later...

And here we come to a simply shocking historical parallel. “No, nothing in common! - you say? Take your time, look at the poster, listen to the rhetoric of the "national leader" with a high rating. Feel with your eyes, skin, consciousness the social atmosphere that has been established in the country. Doesn't it remind you of anything?

**** DETAILS****

The work of art was presented to the Russian oppositionist Mikhail Eliseev, who headed the press service of the United Civil Front in St. Petersburg from 2006 to 2011. There is a gift inscription from the author about this on the reverse side.

****ARTIST BIOGRAPHY****

Osipova's parents were survivors of the Siege of Leningrad (at present - St.Petersburg, Russia), but the rest of her family died. Osipova is known for participation in public protests, with placards she has made herself. She has a distinctive artistic style, gentle and fluid but also bold and sometimes cartoon-like, often depicting the ghostly horrors inflicted by state violence.

On 2 March 2022, Osipova was among those arrested in St Petersburg for protesting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Footage of her arrest was widely shared on social media. On 24 March 2022, she told the BBC's Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, that "after Russia attacked Ukraine, she was so shocked, she didn't eat for three days. Then, filled with anger, she'd taken to the streets to protest".

08 April 2002 Milan City Council (Italy) appropriated Honorary citizenship to the St. Petersburg artist Elena Osipova, known for participating in rallies with her posters.

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Temi correlati

Elena OsipovaWar In UkraineWarRussian Invasion To UkraineAntiwar