Soviet New Year’s Postcards
Mazaika.com has a fascinating collection of aerospace-themed Soviet New Year’s postcards online. These range from minimalist and modern to a meld of traditional folklore and the latest space hardware. The above depicts Santa’s sleigh, drawn by a combination of lacquer-box Russian horses and the Vostok, Voshod and Soyuz launch capsules. Below, a traditional Russian maiden rides behind Santa on a rocket.
It’s interesting to see, mixed with the rest of the outlawed holiday sentiments, a brandishing by the Russians of their aerospace technology. It’s not just Father Christmas (or Ded Moroz, his government-approved equivalent) on a sleigh under the sparkling fabric of the night sky, it’s Father Christmas flying Russia’s latest jet and making a much more efficient Yuletide trip!
There’s also a strong focus, not just on cosmonauts, but on children as cosmonauts. The next generation! With Santa! Flying advanced Russian aerospace hardware! What could be more charming or inspiring?
I hope to post once more with some final holiday-themed space items, later this week. I also plan to archive this collection of scans, for reference, and will post the link when I have one.
