Beautiful Soviet New Year cards. Retro cards of the ussr happy new year

28.06.2019

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Postcards for me are one of my childhood memories. They came often, and for the holidays so generally packs, pieces of 15-20. We also wrote, one of the pre-holiday days was assigned to mail. It took a lot of time for all the cards, the geography of sending was almost the whole country.

Today - a small selection of Soviet postcards that I have preserved. Let's see what they portrayed in the 80s, how Santa Claus and the characters changed closer to the 90s. The cards were printed in huge numbers, so maybe you will find ones that you remember yourself.

Mail, almost the only way of communication at that time, was cheap, which made it accessible to many. I hardly ever become a fan of the USSR, but I will always speak about Soviet postcards with warmth. Many were made with high quality, with beautiful drawings and kind characters. Among the latter, whoever you will meet. Here is the traditional Santa Claus, whom Santa has not yet supplanted (I have nothing against an old man from Lapland, but now he can be met with us more often than our Grandfather). Here are the happy kids on sleds, here are the animals, here are the cartoon characters.

Unfortunately, I do not have postcards from the 50s - 60s, where rockets, astronauts and other familiar details of that time were solemnly depicted, but something can be shown.

1. In general, I would divide postcards from the past into several groups. One of them is cards with Santa Claus. He was portrayed or with funny animal helpers, like here

3. Or already rushing in a troika to those who behaved well, while Santa was just preparing a reindeer team

4. Closer to the 90s, Grandpa became more like his European brother and began to use different transport

5. Frost even acquired some things that he did without in the earlier Soviet era, and stopped forgetting about technical progress

6. Something fell to his assistants, and he himself even got younger from this situation)

7. Sometimes Grandpa was portrayed in the company

8. Another group of New Year's cards did not let you forget about the Kremlin

9. Moreover, the red star always turned out to be drawn more clearly than all other details.

10. But the snow-covered houses and bells came across infrequently. Probably, they could remind the working people of the pre-revolutionary Christmas cards with angels and churches, which was unacceptable then.

11. Various mythological characters were also rare. Gnomes are much closer to Christmas cards from Europe

12. But we had kids with sleds. There were no computers yet, I had to freeze on a hill) Or one

13. Or in large quantities. Portraying pre-revolutionary traditional leisure in the 80s was no longer considered a crime

14. Folk costumes in the 80s were no longer worn by people, and postcards did not allow people to forget what they looked like. This is great

15. By the beginning of the 90s, such cards began to appear. In my opinion, this was the first step towards the primitiveness of drawings on postcards, which comes across even now

16. But these look good

17. Even cooler - postcards with toys from the 50s - 60s. These decorations are simply gorgeous. Soon I will decorate the tree with them

18.As a bonus - a couple of postcards from socialist Bulgaria

19. They were not exotic, many corresponded with the countries of the socialist camp

I am deliberately publishing this post a little earlier than the pre-holiday rush begins. Maybe some of you want to congratulate your friends in this way. I have nothing against various more modern congratulations, but you must agree that it will be nice to hold a postcard with warm congratulations from dear people in your hands. And after 10-20 years there will be something to remember. Emails and text messages will definitely not last that long. In general, given the speed of our mail, there is still a chance that your open card will arrive before the New Year.

Do you still have similar ones? Show in the comments.

And by the way, where can you buy good postcards now? Not pop, but tasteful and loving. Most of what is sold in kiosks, I will never send to people dear to me.

Postcards of the USSR, congratulating the country on the New Year, are a special layer of the visual culture of our country. Retro postcards drawn in the USSR are not only a collectible, an art object. For many, this is a memory of childhood that has been kept with us for many years. It is a special pleasure to look at Soviet New Year cards, they are so beautiful, cute, creating a holiday mood and children's happiness.

In 1935, after the October Revolution, he again began to celebrate the New Year. And small printing houses began to print greeting cards, reviving the traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia. However, if earlier on postcards there were often images of Christmas and religious symbols, then in the new country all this fell under the ban, and postcards of the USSR fell under it. Happy New Year was not congratulated, it was allowed to congratulate comrades only on the first year of the October Revolution, which did not really inspire people, and such cards were not in demand. It was only possible to lull the attention of the censors with children's stories, and even propaganda postcards with the inscriptions: "Down with the bourgeois Christmas tree." However, very few of these cards were printed, so cards issued before 1939 are of great value to collectors.

Since about 1940, the Izogiz publishing house has started to print editions of New Year's cards depicting the Kremlin and chimes, snow-covered trees, and garlands.

Wartime new year cards

Wartime, naturally, leaves its mark on the postcards of the USSR. S was congratulated with the help of encouraging messages, like "New Year's greetings from the front", Santa Claus was portrayed with a machine gun and a broom sweeping out the Nazis, and the Snow Maiden was bandaging the wounds of the soldiers. But their main mission was to support the spirit of the people and show that victory is near, and the military are waiting at home.

In 1941, the Iskusstvo publishing house issued a series of special postcards that were intended to be sent to the front. To speed up printing, they were painted in two colors - black and red, there were many scenes with portraits of war heroes.

In collectors' collections and in home archives, you can often find imported 1945 postcards. The Soviet military who reached Berlin sent and brought with them beautiful overseas Christmas cards.

Post-war 50-60s

After the war, there was no money in the country, the people could not buy New Year's gifts and pamper their children. People rejoiced at the simplest things, so an inexpensive but touching postcard was in great demand. In addition, a postcard could be sent by mail to loved ones in any corner of the vast country. The plots use symbols of victory over fascism, as well as portraits of Stalin as the father of the people. There are many images of grandfathers with grandchildren, children with mothers - all because in most families, fathers did not return from the front. The main theme is world peace and victory.

In 1953, mass production was established in the USSR. Happy New Year to congratulate friends and loved ones with a postcard was considered mandatory. A lot of cards were sold, they even made crafts - boxes and balls. Bright, thick cardboard was perfect for this, and other materials for creativity and crafts were hard to come by. Goznak printed postcards with drawings by prominent Russian artists. This period saw the heyday of the genre of miniature. The storylines are expanding - the artists have something to draw, even despite the censorship. In addition to traditional chimes, they draw airplanes and trains, tall houses, depict fairytale characters, winter landscapes, matinees in kindergartens, children with bags of candy, parents carrying a Christmas tree home.

In 1956, the film "Carnival Night" with L. Gurchenko was released on Soviet screens. Plots from the film, the image of the actress become a symbol of the new year, they are often printed on postcards.

The sixties open with Gagarin's flight into space and, of course, this story could not but appear on New Year's cards. They depict astronauts in a spacesuit with gifts in their hands, space rockets and moon rovers with Christmas trees.

During this period, the theme of greeting cards generally expands, they become brighter and more interesting. They depict not only fairy-tale characters and children, but also the life of Soviet people, for example, a rich and plentiful New Year's table with champagne, tangerines, red caviar and the indispensable Olivier salad.

V.I. Zarubina

Talking about the Soviet New Year's postcard, one cannot fail to mention the name of the outstanding artist and animator Vladimir Ivanovich Zarubin. Almost all those cute, touching hand-drawn postcards created in the USSR in the 60-70s. created by his hand.

The main theme of the cards were fairy tale characters - funny and kind animals, Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, rosy-faced happy children. Almost all postcards have the following story: Santa Claus gives gifts to a boy on skis; the hare reaches with scissors to cut the New Year's gift from the tree; Santa Claus and a boy are playing hockey; animals decorate the tree. Today the collectibles are these old Happy New Year cards. The USSR produced them in large circulations, so there are many of them in the collections of the philocarty (this

But it was not only Zarubin who was an outstanding Soviet artist who created postcards. In addition to him, many names have remained in the history of fine arts and miniatures.

For example, Ivan Yakovlevich Dergilev, called the classic of the modern postcard and the founder of the production. He created hundreds of images, printed in millions of copies. Among the New Year's ones, one can single out a 1987 postcard depicting a balalaika and Christmas tree decorations. This card was released in a record 55 million copies.

Evgeny Nikolaevich Gundobin, Soviet artist, classic of postcard miniature. His style is reminiscent of Soviet films of the 50s, kind, touching and a little naive. There are no adults on his New Year's cards, only children on skis, decorating a Christmas tree, receiving gifts, as well as children, against the backdrop of a flourishing Soviet industry, flying into space on a rocket. In addition to images of children, Gundobin painted colorful panoramas of New Year's Eve Moscow, iconic architectural features - the Kremlin, the MGIMO building, a statue of a Worker and Collective Farm Woman with New Year's wishes.

Another artist who worked in a style close to Zarubin was Vladimir Ivanovich Chetverikov. His postcards were popular in the USSR and entered literally every home. He portrayed cartoon animals and funny stories. For example, Santa Claus, surrounded by animals, plays the balalaika for a cobra; two Santa Clauses shaking hands when they meet.

Postcards 70-80s

In the 70s, there was a cult of sports in the country, so many cards depict people celebrating a holiday on a ski track or on a skating rink, sports cards with the New Year. The USSR in the 80th hosted the Olympics, which gave a new impetus to the development of postcard plots. Olympians, fire, rings - all these symbols are woven into New Year's motives.

In the 80s, the genre of photo postcards for the New Year also became popular. The USSR will soon cease to exist, and the arrival of a new life is felt in the works of artists. Photo replaces the hand-drawn postcard. Usually they depict Christmas tree branches, balls and garlands, glasses of champagne. Images of traditional crafts appear on postcards - Gzhel, Palekh, Khokhloma, as well as new printing technologies - foil stamping, volumetric drawings.

At the end of the Soviet period of our history, people learn about the Chinese calendar, and images of the animal symbol of the year appear on postcards. So, for example, postcards with the New Year from the USSR in the Year of the Dog were greeted with the image of this animal - photographic and hand-drawn.

I bring to your attention a selection of postcards "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" 50-60s.
My favorite is the postcard of the artist L. Aristov, where belated passers-by hurry home. I always look at it with such pleasure!

Be careful, there are already 54 scans under the cut!

("Soviet artist", artists Y. Prytkov, T. Sazonova)

("Izogiz", 196o, artist Y. Prytkov, T. Sazonova)

("Leningrad Artist", 1957, artists N. Stroganova, M. Alekseev)

("Soviet Artist", 1958, artist V.Andrievich)

("Izogiz", 1959, artist N. Antokolskaya)

V. Arbekov, G. Renkov)

("Izogiz", 1961, artists V. Arbekov, G. Renkov)

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1966, artist L. Aristov)

MISHKA - GRANDFATHER FROST.
Bears behaved modestly, decently,
Were polite, studied well,
That is why im forest Santa Claus
I gladly brought a Christmas tree as a gift
A. Bazhenov, poems M. Rutter)

RECEPTION OF NEW YEAR'S TELEGRAMS.
At the edge, under a pine tree,
The forest telegraph knocks,
Bunnies are sending telegrams:
"Happy New Year, dad, mom!"
("Izogiz", 1957, artist A. Bazhenov, poems M. Rutter)

("Izogiz", 1957, artist S. Byalkovskaya)

S. Byalkovskaya)

("Izogiz", 1957, artist S. Byalkovskaya)

(Map factory "Riga", 1957, artist E.Pikk)

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1965, artist E. Pozdnev)

("Izogiz", 1955, artist V. Govorkov)

("Izogiz", 1960, artist N. Golts)

("Izogiz", 1956, artist V. Gorodetsky)

("Leningrad Artist", 1957, artist M. Grigoriev)

("Rosglavkniga. Philately", 1962, artist E. Gundobin)

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1954, artist E. Gundobin)

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1964, artist D. Denisov)

("Soviet Artist", 1963, artist I. Znamensky)

I. Znamensky

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1961, artist I. Znamensky)

(Publication of the USSR Ministry of Communications, 1959, artist I. Znamensky)

("Izogiz", 1956, artist I. Znamensky)

("Soviet Artist", 1961, artist K. Zotov)

New Year! New Year!
Start a round dance!
It's me, Snowman,
Not a beginner at the rink,
I invite everyone to the ice
For a merry round dance!
("Izogiz", 1963, artist K. Zotov, poems Y. Postnikova)

V. Ivanov)

("Izogiz", 1957, artist I.Kominarets)

("Izogiz", 1956, artist K. Lebedev)

("Soviet Artist", 1960, artist K. Lebedev)

("Artist of the RSFSR", 1967, artist V. Lebedev)

("The state of the art of the imaginative art and the music of the URSR", 1957, artist V. Melnichenko)

("Soviet Artist", 1962, artist K. Rotov)

S. Rusakov)

("Izogiz", 1962, artist S. Rusakov)

("Izogiz", 1953, artist L. Rybchenkova)

("Izogiz", 1954, artist L. Rybchenkova)

("Izogiz", 1958, artist A. Sazonov)

("Izogiz", 1956, artists Y. Severin, V. Chernukha)

In this selection, we have collected the best Soviet postcards for the New Year of the 50s - 60s and a little later - New Year cards of the 70s. This is what you need to create a festive mood for the New Year. We will also tell a fascinating story about how the tradition of giving such beauty appeared in the country.

History remembers the case when Sir Henry Cole sent his friends holiday greetings in the form of a small drawing on cardboard. It happened in 1843. Since then, the tradition has been entrenched throughout Europe and gradually reached Russia.

We liked the postcards right away - they are accessible, pleasant and beautiful. The most famous artists have had a hand in creating postcards. It is believed that the first Russian postcard for the New Year was painted by Nikolai Karazin in 1901, but there is another version - the first could have been Fyodor Berenshtam, a librarian from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts.

Europeans mainly used biblical subjects, and on Russian postcards one could see landscapes, and everyday scenes, and animals. There were also expensive copies - they were made with embossing or with gold crumbs, but they were produced in such limited quantities.

As soon as the October Revolution died down, Christmas symbols were banned. Now you could see postcards only with a communist theme or with a children's storyline, but under strict censorship. By the way, postcards issued before 1939 have hardly survived.

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, postcards often depicted the chimes and stars of the Kremlin. During the war years, postcards appeared with the support of the defenders of the Motherland, who were thus conveyed greetings to the front. It was in the 40s that one could get a postcard with the image of Santa Claus sweeping out the Nazis, or the Snow Maiden, who was bandaging the wounded.

After the war, postcards became even more popular - this is an affordable way to congratulate a relative or friend by giving him a message. Many Soviet families collected entire collections of postcards. In the end, there were so many of them that the postcards were used for crafts or collages.

Postcards became massive in 1953. At that time, Gosznak produced huge circulations using drawings by Soviet artists. Still under strict censorship, the postcard themes expanded: fairy tales, new buildings, airplanes, the results of labor and scientific progress.

Anyone who looks at these cards will be overcome with nostalgia. At one time they were bought in packs to send to their acquaintances and friends throughout the USSR in different cities. There were also true connoisseurs of illustrations by Zarubin and Chetverikova - famous authors of Soviet New Year greeting cards.

Enthusiasts enjoyed learning from professionals, redrawing their favorite characters for wall newspapers and albums. Our grandmothers and mothers have stacks of these cards on the top shelves of the cabinets.

In the 60s and 70s, postcards with athletes who went skiing or sledging on New Years were popular.

And they often depicted couples and companies of young people who celebrated the New Year's holidays in restaurants. On the postcards of this era, one could already see curiosities - TV, champagne, mechanical toys, exotic fruits.

The theme of space also quickly spread in the 70s, but until recently the most popular were postcards with chimes and Kremlin stars - the most recognizable symbols of the USSR.

And after a while, the industry produced a wide range of postcards that were pleasing to the eye in the windows of newsstands filled with traditionally discreet printed matter.

And although the print quality and the brightness of the colors of Soviet postcards were inferior to imported ones, these shortcomings were atoned for by the originality of the subjects and the high professionalism of the artists.

The true heyday of the Soviet New Year postcard came in the 60s. The number of plots has increased: such motives as space exploration, the struggle for peace appear. Winter landscapes were crowned with wishes: "May the New Year bring success in sports!"

A variegated variety of styles and techniques reigned in the creation of postcards. Although, of course, it could not do without interweaving the content of newspaper editorials into the New Year theme.
As the well-known collector Yevgeny Ivanov jokingly remarks, on the postcards, “Soviet Santa Claus is actively involved in the social and industrial life of the Soviet people: he is a railway worker on the BAM, flies into space, melts metal, works on computers, delivers mail, etc.

His hands are constantly busy with business - perhaps that is why Santa Claus carries a bag of gifts much less often ... ”. By the way, the book by E. Ivanov "New Year and Christmas in Postcards", which seriously analyzes the plots of postcards from the point of view of their special symbolism, proves that there is much more meaning in an ordinary postcard than it might seem at first glance ...