Untitled 1942

This ink drawing was made in the Soviet Union by the collective Kukryniksy in 1942. Here, pig-like caricatures of German soldiers are shown destroying a bust of the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol. This propaganda image relies on strong nationalistic sentiments. It plays on the tradition of glorifying writers and artists through monuments, which began in the 19th century. The destruction of the bust is symbolic of the wider destruction of Russian culture by the invading Nazi forces. The Nazis are presented as savage and animalistic. Depicting them as pigs is intended to be dehumanizing and insulting. It served the important public role of inciting hatred and mobilizing resistance against the invaders. To understand this image better, we can research the histories of Soviet propaganda, 19th-century monuments, and wartime political cartoons. The meaning of the artwork relies on historical, social, and institutional contexts.