The Russian National Library holds an exhibition on the history of epidemics in Russia

On Wednesday, February 2, the Russian National Library held an exhibition in Moscow entitled “It is too late”, or rather the history of posters on the theme of epidemics in Russia in the 20th century.

The exhibition organizers quoted its title from a collection of poetry issued by the Soviet poet, Vladimir Lebedev, in the summer of 2021, after the outbreak of a cholera epidemic in Petersburg.

A spokesman for the Russian National Library said that the exhibition is a collection of posters and propaganda leaflets aimed at combating epidemics and promoting a healthy lifestyle, which were issued by the Soviet government during the years 1920-1990.

Advertising posters for combating various epidemics were issued in the 1920s to reflect the building spirit that prevailed in the country at that time. In the 1930s, the government imposed compulsory smallpox vaccination on the population, making it possible to eradicate smallpox in the Soviet Union by 1936.

And in besieged Leningrad, in continuity with the traditions of the Civil War, posters were issued under the title “The Windows of TASS Agency”, which called for the observance of elementary hygiene rules. The posters of the fifties introduced a new concept of “culture of everyday life”, as the successes of science, technology, medicine, education and sports defined the new poster language in the sixties and seventies.

The exhibition also talks about combating epidemics with the help of incitement, clear propaganda, health and hygiene education, and broad promotion of ways to prevent viral diseases.

The exhibition also shed light on the activities practiced by the Russian “Rosputrip Nadzor” organization, which increased in importance in the era of the outbreak of the Corona virus in the early twenties of the 21st century.