Exhibition of anti-fascist cartoons by Boris Yefimov opens in Moscow

For the first time, a unique album with drawings of Adolf Hitler's personal enemy will be shown in Moscow — this is what the famous cartoonist Boris Yefimov called the Nazi leader himself. From the pen of the artist came about 70 thousand drawings that reflected that era. The best of the Izvestia archive, where Yefimov worked for many years, can now be seen at an exhibition dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the cartoonist's birth. Alexander Nadsadny, a correspondent for Izvestia, spoke about the exhibition on November 19.

For a century, Boris Yefimov's satirical pen stabbed enemies more painfully than a bayonet. He was born under Tsar Nicholas II, honed his skills during the revolutionary years of agitation and propaganda, where his corporate identity was tempered.

"Already in the 1930s, he mercilessly smashed fascism with his satire so that Hitler noticed it and put him on the list of personal enemies," said Sergei Koroteev, editor-in—chief of the Izvestia newspaper.

Boris Yefimov's bright talent was revealed during his work at Izvestia, which lasted 85 years. Creativity flourished during a difficult period — the Great Patriotic War (WWII).

"Thanks to artists like Boris Yefimov, the spirit of our heroes and our army was sustained back then," explained Vasily Tsereteli, director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art.

The caricaturist's works on the anti-fascist theme have become iconic and recognizable all over the world. Today, unique archives of satirical drawings and personal photographs are available to viewers for the first time. The artist Yefimov, like the correspondents and photographers of the newspaper Izvestia, entered the history of the Second World War.

The personal enemy of Hitler and the entire Third Reich, the fascist leaders, became small demons, rats and spiders in Yefimov's drawings. During his life, the artist drew 70 thousand cartoons and published the book "Hitler and his Pack", Stalin presented several illustrations to Churchill.

"It's not for nothing that Hitler said that when he takes Moscow, the first people he will hang are Boris Yefimov and Dictator Levitan. Therefore, it means that he was familiar with Boris Efimov's work," said Vladimir Mochalov, an artist, cartoonist and friend of Efimov.

Boris Efimov came to Berlin in 1945. The works he made at the Nuremberg Trials are a historical chronicle of war criminals in animal skins. The drawings, made 80 years ago, turned out to be prophetic, as if the author had looked into today, when Nazism is rearing its head again.

His works have both historical accuracy and satirical clarity. Here is the beginning — a cradle with nursing parents in top hats and white collars, and now they are invited to take a place in the dock.

"An imperialist is, of course, claws, there, an embittered expression on his face. His world is very clearly divided into white and black, red and some disgusting shades," explained Maxim Smagin, director of the Museum of Caricature, cartoonist.

Boris Yefimov was the first to create a comic strip by combining several drawings. He also satirized the imperialists during the Cold War.

108 years of Boris Yefimov's life are housed in the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery. Rare family and creative archives have been brought online. The exhibition will show a legendary figure on the edge of history.

What Hitler's personal enemy was joking about: why go to an exhibition of cartoons in Moscow

Memes from a century ago and rarities from Stalin's collection are in the Izvestia special project

At the exhibition "Cartoons. Comics. Humor of the Fuhrer's personal enemy" features, among other things, animated cartoons by Efimov. A number of the master's works were "revived" with the help of artificial intelligence.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.