That Russia’s 2018 World Cup poster is a paean to old-school Soviet imagery is clear for all to see. But less apparent are the layers of nostalgia and “great power” symbolism packed within it, as Russia prepares for its second big geopolitical prestige project since the Sochi Olympics: the World Cup
...
Central to this messaging is the design itself. There’s no getting away from the fact that the poster harks back to the past while sending a message about the future. But instead of the socialist realism that defined Soviet propaganda from Stalin onwards, with its paternalistic messaging, stolid images, and dull palette, designer Igor Gurovich turned to the most exciting political era and artistic movement in Russian history: the 1920s and constructivism.
See full text here:
