Ski Safety, Ukrainian SSR Propaganda

This 1967 Ukrainian SSR public safety poster warns parents against allowing children to play, sled, ski or skate on roads and highways. Commissioned by the GAI (State Traffic Inspectorate) under the Ministry of Public Order Protection, it formed part of the Soviet government’s extensive campaign to reduce everyday traffic accidents as automobile use increased throughout the USSR. Artist A. M. Rozenberg takes a particularly effective approach to the warning. Rather than showing the accident itself, the composition presents its aftermath: broken skis and poles scattered beneath the wheels of a vehicle. The absence of the child makes the image more unsettling, leaving the viewer to imagine what has occurred while delivering the safety message without graphic imagery. The poster also reflects the broad role of public-information graphics in Soviet life. Safety campaigns addressed everything from industrial accidents and fire prevention to traffic hazards and childhood recreation, with posters displayed in schools, workplaces and public spaces. In the Ukrainian SSR, winter conditions made the combination of icy streets, skiing and sledding particularly relevant as growing numbers of vehicles shared urban roads. Printed in Kyiv, the poster combines a practical public warning with the clean, psychologically direct graphic language emerging in Soviet design during the 1960s. Beyond its original purpose, it offers a fascinating record of changing transportation, childhood life and state-sponsored public safety efforts in Soviet Ukraine. Size: 21.75" x 16.5" Artist: A. M. Rozenberg Condition: Good to Very Good, Age-appropriate wear, fading and toning. Age toning and spotting along top border. General border wear. Two partial horizontal folds near upper areas. Please use the photo zoom feature to get a better understanding of overall condition. *Additional photos available upon request.