Be a hero!

This 1941 Soviet photographic poster by artist V. Koretsky, created immediately following Germany's June 22, 1941 invasion of the USSR, employs stark black-and-white photography and the simple directive "Be a hero!" to mobilize Soviet citizens for what would become known as the Great Patriotic War. The composition shows a man and woman, with the woman's traditional appearance designed to be recognizable to soldiers as embodying the "motherland" they were being called to defend. The woman's instruction to "be a hero" pushed soldiers forward by invoking maternal authority and placing defense of the homeland within framework of family obligation, utilizing women in their traditional role to nurture yet demand bravery in facing the enemy.

The poster's photographic realism contrasted sharply with earlier Soviet constructivist styles that employed abstract geometric forms and bold colors, reflecting shift toward more accessible imagery as propaganda needed to reach mass audiences with urgent mobilization appeals. The invasion caught the Soviet Union catastrophically unprepared despite warnings—Stalin's purges had decimated military leadership, and the Nazi-Soviet Pact had lulled Soviet defenses—resulting in millions of Red Army soldiers killed or captured in the war's opening months. Posters like this formed part of massive propaganda mobilization depicting the war as patriotic defense of the motherland rather than ideological conflict, with appeals to Russian nationalism proving more effective than communist internationalism for sustaining morale during the Wehrmacht's devastating advance. The emphasis on individual heroism—becoming a hero rather than simply surviving—reflects Soviet military culture's expectation of extraordinary sacrifice, where retreat was often treated as treason and soldiers faced execution from their own barrier troops if they failed to advance. This poster documents the inception of propaganda campaigns that would help sustain Soviet resistance through four years of the war's most brutal combat.