Everyone should try it, how delicious and tender the crabs are. Snotka, the best crabs. Glavryba, USSR People's Commissariat for Food Industry (A. Miller) Soviet Posters (1917-1941)

This is a Soviet propaganda poster from 1938, created by A. Miller, promoting canned crab meat.

What I see:

• Central Figure: A smiling, healthy-looking woman with bright blue eyes and blonde hair, dressed in a blue dress with a white collar. She is holding a fork with a piece of crab meat on it, bringing it to her mouth, conveying enjoyment.
• Food Display: In front of her is a plate with a jellied salad, garnished with olives, hard-boiled eggs, and lettuce. To the left, an open can of CHATKA brand crab meat is prominently displayed, emphasizing the product. The can has a red star on it, a common symbol in Soviet imagery.
• Text: The poster features prominent Russian text, translated as: Everyone should try it, how delicious and tender the crabs are. and Narkomishcheprom USSR (Peoples Commissariat for Food Industry, USSR). Below the image, theres a caption identifying the artist and the title/year of the work.
• Color Palette: The poster uses a bright and cheerful color scheme, with a vibrant yellow background, contrasting with the blue of the womans dress and the red and white of the product branding.

Subtexts:

• Consumerism and Prosperity: In an era of potential shortages and economic hardship, this poster promotes readily available, high-quality food. It suggests a level of abundance and good living that the Soviet state aims to provide for its citizens. The womans happy expression reinforces this idea of satisfaction and well-being derived from the product.
• Health and Vitality: The attractive and healthy appearance of the woman can be interpreted as a representation of the benefits of consuming such nutritious food. The bright colors and the womans energetic presentation suggest that this product contributes to a vibrant and healthy lifestyle, which was a desirable outcome for the Soviet populace.
• National Pride and Resource Utilization: Glavryba (Main Fish Industry) and Narkomishcheprom USSR indicate that this is a state-produced and distributed product. Promoting domestic food sources like crab was a way to showcase the nations resources and industrial capabilities. The CHATKA brand, likely representing a successful fishing region, adds a specific regional pride element.
• Idealized Soviet Womanhood: The woman depicted embodies a positive image of Soviet women during that period – content, well-fed, and participating in the collective good through consumption of state-approved products. Her engagement with the food is portrayed as both pleasurable and responsible.
• Propaganda for Domestic Consumption: The poster directly encourages consumption of a specific product, aiming to boost demand and potentially support the fishing and food processing industries. The enthusiastic tone (Everyone should try it) is characteristic of persuasive advertising.