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Old Soviet New Year cards. Soviet New Year cards. Wartime New Year cards

And after some time, the industry produced a wide range of postcards, pleasantly pleasing to the eye in the windows of newsstands filled with traditionally discreet printed products.

And even though the quality of printing and the brightness of the colors of Soviet postcards were inferior to imported ones, these shortcomings were made up for by the originality of the subjects and the high professionalism of the artists.

The real heyday of the Soviet New Year's card came in the 60s. The number of subjects has increased: motives such as space exploration and the fight for peace appear. Winter landscapes were crowned with wishes: “May the New Year bring success in sports!”

There was a variegated variety of styles and methods in the creation of postcards. Although, of course, it could not do without interweaving the content of newspaper editorials into the New Year's theme.
As the famous collector Evgeniy Ivanov jokingly notes, on the postcards “the Soviet Father Frost actively participates 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 a computer, delivers mail, etc.

His hands are constantly busy with work - perhaps that’s why Santa Claus carries a bag of gifts much less often...” By the way, E. Ivanov’s book “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 hidden in an ordinary postcard than it might seem at first glance...

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Old New Year cards, so cheerful and kind, with a retro touch, have become very fashionable these days.

Nowadays you won’t surprise anyone with a shiny anime, but old New Year’s cards immediately evoke nostalgia and touch us to the core.

Do you want to evoke memories of a happy childhood in a loved one born in the Soviet Union?

Send him a Soviet New Year's card, including your most cherished wishes.

Scanned and retouched versions of such postcards can be sent over the Internet via any messenger or email in unlimited quantities.

Here you can download Soviet New Year cards for free.

And you can sign them by adding yourself

Enjoy watching!

A little history...

There is some controversy regarding the appearance of the first Soviet greeting cards.

Some sources claim that they were first published for the New Year, 1942. According to another version, in December 1944, from the countries of Europe liberated from fascism, soldiers began sending their relatives unprecedented colorful foreign New Year cards, and the party leadership decided that it was necessary to establish the production of their own, “ideologically consistent” products.

Be that as it may, the mass production of New Year's cards began only in the 50s.

The first Soviet New Year's cards depicted happy mothers with children and the Kremlin towers, later they were joined by Father Frost and the Snow Maiden.

And after some time, the industry produced a wide range of postcards, pleasantly pleasing to the eye in the windows of newsstands filled with traditionally discreet printed products.

The real heyday of the Soviet New Year's card came in the 60s. The number of subjects has increased: motives such as space exploration and the fight for peace appear.

Winter landscapes were crowned with wishes: “May the New Year bring good luck in sports!”

Postcards from past years reflected the trends of the times, achievements, changing direction from year to year.

One thing remained unchanged: the warm and sincere atmosphere created by these wonderful postcards.

Soviet-era New Year's cards continue to warm people's hearts to this day, reminiscent of old times and the festive, magical smell of New Year's tangerines.

Old New Year cards are more than just a part of history. These postcards delighted Soviet people for many years, in the happiest moments of their lives.

Christmas trees, pine cones, happy smiles of forest characters and the snow-white beard of Father Frost - all these are integral attributes of Soviet New Year greeting cards.

They were bought in advance in pieces of 30 and sent by mail to different cities. Our mothers and grandmothers knew the authors of the pictures and hunted for postcards with illustrations by V. Zarubin or V. Chetverikov and kept them in shoe boxes for years.

They gave a feeling of the approaching magical New Year holiday. Today, old postcards are festive examples of Soviet design and simply pleasant memories from childhood.

USSR postcards 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 childhood memory that stays with us for many years. Looking at Soviet New Year's cards is a special pleasure, they are so beautiful, cute, creating a festive mood and children's happiness.

In 1935, after the October Revolution, the New Year began to be celebrated again and small printing houses began to print greeting cards, reviving the traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia. However, if earlier postcards often contained images of Christmas and religious symbols, in the new country all this was banned, and postcards from the USSR were also banned. They did not congratulate them on the New Year; they were only allowed to congratulate their comrades on the first year of the October Revolution, which did not really inspire people, and such cards were not in demand. It was possible to lull the attention of the censors only with children's stories, and even with propaganda postcards with the inscription: “Down with the bourgeois Christmas tree.” However, very few such cards were printed, so cards issued before 1939 are of great value to collectors.

Around 1940, the Izogiz publishing house began printing editions of New Year's cards with images of the Kremlin and chimes, snow-covered trees, and garlands.

Wartime New Year cards

Wartime, naturally, leaves its mark on the postcards of the USSR. They were congratulated with encouraging messages, such as “New Year's greetings from the front,” Father Frost was depicted with a machine gun and a broom, sweeping out the fascists, and the Snow Maiden bandaged the wounds of soldiers. But their main mission was to support the spirit of the people and show that victory is close, and the military is waiting at home.

In 1941, the Art Publishing House released 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.

You can often find imported postcards from 1945 in collectors' collections and home archives. Soviet soldiers who reached Berlin sent and brought back beautiful foreign Christmas cards.

Post-war 50-60s.

After the war, there was no money in the country; people could not buy New Year's gifts or spoil their children. People were happy about the simplest things, so an inexpensive but touching card became very popular. In addition, the 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 the fathers did not return from the front. The main theme is world peace and victory.

In 1953, mass production was established in the USSR. It was considered obligatory to congratulate friends and relatives on the New Year with a postcard. A lot of cards were sold, they were even used to make crafts - boxes and balls. Bright, thick cardboard was perfect for this, but other arts and crafts materials were hard to come by. Goznak printed postcards with drawings by outstanding Russian artists. This period marks the heyday of the miniature genre. The storylines are expanding - artists have something to draw, even despite censorship. In addition to traditional chimes, they paint airplanes and trains, tall buildings, depict fairy-tale characters, winter landscapes, matinees in kindergartens, children with bags of sweets, and parents carrying home a Christmas tree.

In 1956, the film “Carnival Night” with L. Gurchenko was released on Soviet screens. Scenes from the film and 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 help but appear on New Year's cards. They depict astronauts in a spacesuit with gifts in their hands, space rockets and lunar rovers with New Year trees.

During this period, the theme of greeting cards generally expands, they become more vibrant and 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.

Postcards V.I. Zarubina

When talking about the Soviet New Year's card, it is impossible not 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 60s and 70s. created by his hand.

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

But not only Zarubin was an outstanding Soviet artist creating postcards. Besides him, many names remain in the history of fine art and miniatures.

For example, Ivan Yakovlevich Dergilev, called a classic of modern postcards and the founder of staged postcards. He created hundreds of images printed in millions of copies. Among the New Year's ones, one can highlight a postcard from 1987, 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 miniatures. His style is reminiscent of Soviet films of the 50s, kind, touching and a little naive. There are no adults in his New Year's cards, only children - on skis, decorating a Christmas tree, receiving gifts, and also children against the backdrop of thriving Soviet industry, flying into space on a rocket. In addition to images of children, Gundobin painted colorful panoramas of New Year's Moscow, iconic architectural signs - the Kremlin, the MGIMO building, a statue of a Worker and a Kolkhoz Woman with New Year's wishes.

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

Postcards from the 70s and 80s

In the 70s, there was a cult of sports in the country, so many cards depict people celebrating the holiday on the ski track or at the skating rink, and Happy New Year sports cards. The USSR hosted the Olympics in the 1980s, which gave a new impetus to the development of postcard subjects. Olympians, fire, rings - all these symbols are woven into New Year's motifs.

In the 80s, the genre of New Year photo cards also became popular. The USSR will very soon cease to exist, and the arrival of a new life can be felt in the works of artists. The photo is replacing the hand-drawn postcard. They usually depict Christmas tree branches, balls and garlands, and glasses of champagne. Images of traditional crafts appear on postcards - Gzhel, Palekh, Khokhloma, as well as new printing technologies - foil stamping, three-dimensional drawings.

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

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

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

(“Soviet artist”, artists Yu. Prytkov, T. Sazonova)

("Izogiz", 196o, artist Yu. 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)

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

BEAR - SANTA CLAUS.
The bears behaved modestly, decently,
They were polite, they studied well,
That's why they have forest Santa Claus
I gladly brought a Christmas tree as a gift
A. Bazhenov, poetry M. Ruttera)

RECEPTION OF NEW YEAR'S TELEGRAMS.
On the edge, under a pine tree,
The forest telegraph is knocking,
Bunnies send telegrams:
"Happy New Year, dads, moms!"
(“Izogiz”, 1957, artist A. Bazhenov, poetry M. Ruttera)

(“Izogiz”, 1957, artist S.Bialkovskaya)

S.Bialkovskaya)

(“Izogiz”, 1957, artist S.Bialkovskaya)

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

(Published by 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)

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

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

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

I. Znamensky

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

(Published by 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 new to the skating rink,
I invite everyone to the ice,
Let's have a fun round dance!
(“Izogiz”, 1963, artist K.Zotov, poetry Yu.Postnikova)