Three-legged beer will drive out prude samogon. (Mayakovsky V., Rodchenko A.) Soviet Posters (1917-1941)

This is a Soviet propaganda poster from 1925 designed by Vladimir Mayakovsky and Alexander Rodchenko to advertise Trekhgornoye beer.

Visual Description:

The poster features a bold, geometric design with a limited color palette of red, yellow, black, and green. Dominating the center is a large, rich brown bottle of beer, exuding an aura of quality. Flanking it are two smaller, greenish bottles, one appearing fractured or cracked and releasing wisps of smoke or steam. Above these bottles, in striking red and yellow sans-serif font, are the words ТРЕХГОРНОЕ ПИВО (Trekhgornoye Beer). Below the bottles, in a circular design formed by greyish text on a yellow background, it reads ВЫГОНИТ ВОН (will drive out). The lower half of the poster is dominated by two large red arrow-like shapes pointing upwards, with bold white lettering on red stripes. The left shape reads ХАНЖУ (hypocrisy/prudishness) and the right reads САМОГОН (moonshine/illicit alcohol). At the very bottom, in smaller yellow letters against a black background, is МОССЕЛЬПРОМ (Mosselprom), the state organization responsible for the advertisement.

Subtexts and Interpretation:

• Modernity and Industrialization: The strong geometric shapes, sans-serif fonts, and bold color blocking are characteristic of Constructivist art and design, which aimed to reflect the new Soviet era of industrialization and progress.
• Trekhgornoye Beer as a Symbol of Purity and Order: The central, pristine bottle of beer symbolizes a legitimate, mass-produced, and therefore approved product. Its prominence suggests it is the superior choice.
• The Rejection of Hypocrisy and Moonshine: The fractured bottles and the words ХАНЖУ (hypocrisy/prudishness) and САМОГОН (moonshine) are depicted as negative and undesirable forces. Samogon represents illegal, unregulated production and consumption, which the Soviet state sought to control. Khazhu can be interpreted as old-fashioned, puritanical, or bourgeois values that are being cast aside by the new society.
• The Power of Beer to Purge Negativity: The slogan Trekhgornoye Beer Will Drive Out Hypocrisy and Moonshine is direct and forceful. It positions beer not just as a beverage but as an agent of social change, capable of eradicating undesirable elements from society and promoting a more modern, perhaps even more liberal, lifestyle.
• State Control and Marketing: Mosselproms inclusion at the bottom signifies the states endorsement and control over the product. This is not just an advertisement but a message from the state about what is considered acceptable and beneficial for the populace.
• A Play on Three-Legged: The name Trekhgornoye translates roughly to three-horned or three-peaked. The posters design, with its triangular and geometric elements, subtly evokes this name, creating a visual identity. The idea of three-legged beer in the title is likely a playful, perhaps even slightly provocative, slogan intended to be memorable and attention-grabbing, playing on the robustness or completeness of the featured beer.

In essence, the poster uses bold graphic design and strong symbolism to promote Trekhgornoye beer as a modern, state-approved beverage that helps to eliminate lingering undesirable elements of the past, such as illicit alcohol and outdated social attitudes.