Be vigilant! Expose the enemy under any mask. (Toric L.) Soviet Posters (1917-1941)

This is a Soviet propaganda poster titled Be vigilant! Expose the enemy under any mask, created by L. Torich in 1941. The poster vividly depicts a large, menacing red hand crushing a distorted, monstrous figure. This figure is presented as a Nazi soldier, distinguished by a swastika on his uniform and a steel helmet. However, the soldiers head is a grotesque, demonic face with sharp teeth and glowing eyes, while a blank, white mask is being torn away from his face, revealing the monstrous visage beneath. Scattered around the scene are a discarded pistol and what appears to be a fragment of a Nazi flag. The text at the top in large, stylized Cyrillic letters urges vigilance (Be vigilant!), and below, in bold white letters, it commands Expose the enemy under any mask.
The subtext of this poster is overtly political and propagandistic. Created at the cusp of the Great Patriotic War, it aims to instill a sense of urgency and paranoia among the Soviet populace regarding the enemys deceptive nature. The dehumanization of the Nazi soldier through the demonic portrayal and the torn mask serves to emphasize their inherent evil and untrustworthiness. The poster warns that the enemy can appear in various guises, and that vigilance and suspicion are crucial to identify and defeat them. The imagery of brute force (the red hand) overpowering the disguised enemy suggests the ultimate victory of the Soviet Union through continued vigilance and determination.