Sunday, December 25, 2016

Three cheers for super mom! - pro-natal propaganda in post-WWII USSR


Here is a lovely pro-natal poster from the late 1940s Russia. World War II had depleted the population of able-bodied marriageable men. Women were encouraged to repopulate the country, even if they did not have a steady partner. This is a very interesting poster showing a mother with ten children. The father is NOT in the picture. The implicit message in the propaganda poster is that your duty is to procreate, even outside marriage, if necessary. Women who pursued single motherhood by choice were given perks and medals for their selfless sacrifice. By late 1950s the demographic crisis was eliminated more or less, and traditional two-parent families were encouraged. Notice, the boys are sporting uniforms - the next generation of warriors!

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