A second world war poster from the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow. The poster, featuring US, British and Soviet servicemen, is part of the museum's section chronicling the allies' wartime efforts. Photograph: AP

Soviet propaganda poster celebrating International Women's day. MoTGW

The slogan on this poster says: 'having won the war, the soldier has brought spring to the land'. The poster depicts a soldier who has fought in the Great Patriotic War, a term used for world war two. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

This Soviet revolutionary poster depicts an annual exercise parade of Soviet workers and youth. Photo: Museum of Great Patriotic war

A tourism poster from 1934 advertises Aeroflot, launched as the Soviet national airline in the 1920s. Photograph: 2006 KJ Historical/K.J. Historical/Corbis

The text on the top left of this poster translates as: 'listen, country, the dream of the people is calling! Today your people rejoice and sing.' The lower part of the flag reads 'all power to the Soviets [workers]!' Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

This Soviet propaganda poster says: 'Fight for the maximal use of all reserves of collective production for a good harvest!' At the time, it showed modern agricultural methods including irrigation, and crop spraying from aircraft. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

A USSR tourism poster from 1963. Photograph: David Pollack/KJ Historical/Corbis

Soviet propaganda poster from the Workers Gazette newspaper in Moscow from 1925. Photo: Museum of Great Patriotic war

'The people of Cuba have not broken!' – this morale-boosting Soviet poster shows Cuban revolutionaries with machine guns and a peasant woman with a sugar cane in front of the Cuban flag. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

This poster from 1974 features a dove and hammer and sickle to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the October Revolution. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

A Russian revolutionary raises a red flag in front of a crowd of workers in a poster celebrating May Day. The caption translates as 'the first of May holiday of labour.' Photograph: Corbis

USSR aviation/space exploration poster from around 1960. It says: 'Conquering Space!' Photograph: David Pollack/Corbis

This Soviet propaganda poster was published during the second world war. It reads: 'Will give everything for the front!' Photograph: Leonard de Selva/Corbis

This Soviet propaganda poster by B Bilotlskii is titled 'SRSR', the Ukrainian abbreviation for the USSR, and shows young citizens of the Soviet Union from many ethnicities. Lithograph, vintage undated, from a private collection. Photograph: Corbis

This poster celebrates mechanisation in agriculture. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

A Soviet aviation propaganda poster from the 1920s. Photograph: Found Image Press/Corbis

This poster from the 1980s is directed at US foreign policy. It says: 'I wouldn't suggest using force Mr Reagan'. Photograph: Michael Nicholson/Corbis

In this poster from 1968, a farmer and steelworker are featured with the caption 'everyday work is step towards communism'. Photograph: Swim Ink 2, LLC/Corbis

A tourism poster from the 1930s. Photograph: David Pollack/KJ Historical/CORBIS

A tourism poster advertises Odessa, an important Ukrainian port. Photograph: Found Image Press/Corbis

This Besuchet travel poster from the 1930s is written in German. It features landmarks in St Petersburg and Moscow, and advertises the Hotel Metropol. Photograph: Found Image Press/Corbis

A 1930s poster advertises advertises a charity lottery to help impoverished Jewish people. Photograph: Swim Ink 2, LLC/Corbis

This poster from 1932 praises literacy in Leningrad. Photograph: Swim Ink 2, LLC/Corbis

A tourism poster advertising Soviet Armenia, from around 1933. Photograph: Swim Ink 2, LLC/Corbis

This tourism poster from the 1930s advertises what is now the Georgian seaside city of Batumi. Photograph: David Pollack/K.J. Historical/Corbis