Long Live Our Dear, Invincible Red Army! (1938) Propaganda Poster

Please note, we also sell a framed version of this poster here on RUS & SOV.

About the Poster

Long Live Our Dear, Invincible Red Army! (Russian: Да здравствует наша родная, непобедимая Красная Армия!) is a 1938 Soviet propaganda poster by Dmitriy Moor and Sergei Senkin (Russian: Дмитрий Моор и Сергей Сенькин).

The poster was released on February 23rd, 1938 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. However, this was a time not just of celebration but also political intrigue on the national and international level.

Conspicuous in his absence from such celebrations was Lev Trotsky, one of the founders of the Red Army. He had been exiled from the Soviet Union eleven years prior and was at the time reeling from the death of his son one week earlier.

Of course, many key military leaders would also not be enjoying the celebrations, as Stalin's Great Purge (1936–1938) was by now in full swing. Many leaders at the very top of the Red Army hierarchy would be put to death during this time, including Vasily Blyukher, the "Red Napoleon" of the Russian Far East, and Mikhail Tukhachevsky, the "Red Napoleon" of the Polish–Soviet War.

Meanwhile, in the international arena, the Republicans that the Soviet Union was backing in the Spanish Civil War were faring badly and had just been pushed back at the important Battle of Teruel. At the time, the Spanish Civil War served as an important aspect of Soviet prestige in international affairs, much like Syria does for Russia today. To be on the losing side here sapped morale and Soviet zeal for global revolution.

All in all, between losing military talent at home and being on the losing side abroad in the Spanish Civil War, the Soviet Union faced an uncertain military future. However, this Long Live Our Dear, Invincible Red Army! radiates anything but that. 

Unlike earlier poster art, Stalin and Lenin appear side by side as equals, symbolizing the maturing nature of the still young Soviet nation. The two leaders face inwards, appearing as sentries of the Soviet system. Meanwhile, countless Soviet soldiers from across all sections of the armed forces point outwards, signaling both their readiness and vigilance.

Under the leaders exclaim the following confident proclamations:

Lenin: “For the first time in the world an army has been created, an armed force that knows what it is fighting for.”

Ленин: «В первый раз в мире создана армия, вооруженная сила, знающая за что она воюет».

Stalin: “Our army is the only one in the world that has the sympathy and support of the workers and peasants. Therein lies its strength, that is its stronghold.”

Сталин: «Наша армия есть единственная в мире, которая имеет сочувствие и поддержку со стороны рабочих и крестьян. В этом ее сила, в этом ее крепость».

Original Poster

Poster Quality

Museum-quality posters made on thick and durable matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.

Please note, all poster sizes are in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm). 

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%