The Soviet Union goes neon in these mid-century illustrations of the future

Date
26 September 2012

It’s tricky to reconcile these brightly coloured images of gravity-defying cars and high-speed bullet trains to the post-war Soviet Union, with its gulags and widespread famine, though you could quite easily imagine Stalin demanding that flying automobiles feature heavily in his final five-year plan. Regardless of whether these futuristic illustrations are in any way representative of their creators’ homeland, the vivid palettes and whimsical subject matter are utterly charming in their own right, and demonstrate the striking parallels between contemporary Soviet and American culture – light-heartedly preempting the furious competition of the space race.

Each of these vivid images served as a cover for the esteemed Technology-Youth magazine, a publication designed to inspire Russia’s youth to embrace scientific research and technological advancement. Never mind the science though, it’s the outlandish images we’re blown away by.

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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Mid-century Soviet Illustrations

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About the Author

James Cartwright

James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

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