Soviet New Year postcard. Retro postcards of the USSR Happy New Year

In this collection we have collected the best soviet postcards happy New Year of the 50s - 60s and a little later - New Year's cards of the 70s. This is what it takes to create festive mood under New Year. And we will also tell fascinating story about how the tradition of giving such beauty appeared in the country.

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

We immediately liked postcards - it is affordable, pleasant and beautiful. Most famous artists put their hand in the creation of postcards. It is believed that the first Russian postcard for the New Year was drawn by Nikolai Karazin in 1901, but there is another version - Fyodor Berenshtam, a librarian from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, could have been the first.

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

As soon as the October Revolution died down, Christmas symbols were banned. Now you could only see postcards with a communist theme or with a children's story, but under strict censorship. By the way, the 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 you could get a postcard with the image of Santa Claus, who sweeps the Nazis, or the Snow Maiden, who bandaged the wounded.

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

Mass postcards began in 1953. Then Gosznak produced huge circulations, using drawings by Soviet artists. Still remaining under strict censorship, the postcard theme expanded: fairy tales, new buildings, aircraft, the results of labor and scientific progress.

Anyone who looks at these postcards will be nostalgic. 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 Soviet greeting cards Happy New Year.

Enthusiasts were happy to learn from professionals, redrawing their favorite characters on wall newspapers and in albums. Our grandmothers and mothers keep stacks of such postcards on the top shelves of their cabinets.

In the 60s and 70s, postcards with athletes who went skiing or sledding on New Year's Eve were popular.

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

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

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

In 1935, after October revolution, again began to celebrate the New Year And small printing houses began to print greeting cards, reviving traditions pre-revolutionary Russia. However, if earlier on postcards there were often images of Christmas and religious symbols, then in new country all this fell under the ban, and postcards from the USSR also fell under it. They didn’t congratulate the New Year, it was allowed to congratulate comrades only on the first year of the October Revolution, which did not really inspire people, and such postcards 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 inscriptions: "Down with the bourgeois Christmas tree." However, very few such postcards were printed, so cards issued before 1939 represent great value for collectors.

Around 1940, the publishing house "Izogiz" began to print editions of New Year's cards with the image of the Kremlin and chimes, snow-covered Christmas trees, garlands.

New Year's cards of wartime

Wartime, of course, leaves its mark on the postcards of the USSR. They were congratulated with the help of encouraging messages, like “New Year's greetings from the front”, Santa Claus was depicted with a machine gun and a broom sweeping the Nazis, and the Snow Maiden bandaged the wounds of the fighters. 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.

Publishing house "Art" in 1941 produces a series of special postcards, which 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.

It is not uncommon to find imported postcards from 1945 in collectors' collections and in home archives. The Soviet military, who reached Berlin, sent and brought with them 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 and pamper children. People rejoiced most simple things, so an inexpensive but touching postcard has become very popular. In addition, a postcard could be sent by mail to loved ones in any corner. huge 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. main topic- world peace and victory.

In 1953, a massive one was established in the USSR. Happy New Year to congratulate friends and relatives with a postcard was considered mandatory. A lot of cards were sold, they were even used to make crafts - caskets and balls. Bright, thick cardboard was ideal for this, and other materials for creativity and crafts were difficult to obtain. Goznak printed postcards with drawings by prominent Russian artists. This period saw the heyday of the miniature genre. Expanding storylines- artists have something to draw, even despite the censorship. In addition to traditional chimes, they draw planes and trains, tall houses, depict fairytale heroes, winter landscapes, morning performances in kindergartens, children with bags of sweets, parents carrying a Christmas tree home.

In 1956, the film " Carnival Night» with L. Gurchenko. 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 subject of greeting cards generally expands, they become more vivid and interesting. They depict not only fairy-tale characters and children, but also life Soviet people e.g. rich and bountiful New Year's table with champagne, tangerines, red caviar and the indispensable Olivier salad.

Postcards by V.I. Zarubina

Talking about the Soviet New Year's card, one cannot fail to mention the name 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 postcards was fairy tale characters- cheerful and kind animals, Father Frost and Snow Maiden, ruddy happy children. Almost all postcards have the following plot: Santa Claus gives gifts to a boy on skis; hare reaches out with scissors to cut new year gift from the Christmas tree; Santa Claus and a boy play hockey; animals decorate the tree. Today, collectibles are these old Happy New Year postcards. The USSR produced them in large numbers, so there are a lot of them in the collections of phylocartia (this

But not only Zarubin was an outstanding Soviet postcard artist. In addition to him, many names remained in history visual arts and miniatures.

For example, Ivan Yakovlevich Dergilev, who is 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 cards, one can single out a 1987 postcard depicting a balalaika and Christmas decorations. This card was issued with a record high circulation of 55 million copies.

Evgeny Nikolaevich Gundobin, soviet artist, classic postcard miniature. His style is reminiscent Soviet movies 50s, kind, touching and a little naive. There are no adults on his New Year's cards, only children on skis, decorating the Christmas tree, receiving gifts, as well as children against the backdrop of a thriving 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 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 literally entered 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 they meet.

Postcards 70-80s

In the 70s, there was a cult of sports in the country, so many cards depict people celebrating the holiday on a ski track or on a skating rink, sports cards Happy New Year. The USSR in the 80th hosts 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 motifs.

In the 80s, the genre of photo postcards for the New Year also becomes popular. The USSR will soon cease to exist, and the arrival of a new life is felt in the work of artists. The 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, three-dimensional drawings.

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

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

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

BEAR - FATHER FROST.
Bears behaved modestly, decently,
They were polite, studied well,
That's why im a forest Santa Claus
With joy I brought a Christmas tree as a gift
A. Bazhenov, poems M. Rutter)

RECEPTION OF NEW YEAR'S TELEGRAMS.
On the edge, under a pine tree,
Telegraph knocks forest,
Bunnies send telegrams:
"Happy New Year, dads, moms!"
("Izogiz", 1957, artist A. Bazhenov, poems M. Rutter)

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

S. Byalkovskaya)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I. Znamensky

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

(Publishing of the Ministry of Communications of the USSR, 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 novice on the rink
I invite everyone to the ice,
To a fun 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 Vision of Imaginative Mystery and Musical Literature 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 Yu.Severin, V.Chernukha)