The cover reads “Movie,” which may be a reference to this Soviet magazine. Movies were not simply viewed as a form of entertainment. Movies were lauded and utilized as a propaganda tool that would be accessible to the masses, including the illiterate, from the beginning of the Soviet Union. Leon Trotsky especially emphasized the crucial role of the cinema as a cultural institution that could replace the Church and as a weapon of propaganda in his article “Vodka, the Church, and the Cinema” (1923) to transform cultural values. Furthermore, Lenin’s iconic profile is seen on this magazine cover. Lenin is often seen as the founding father of the Communist Party and Soviet Union, and after his death in 1924, his image was used widely as a symbol. For instance, his face in profile can be seen again here on a Soviet stamp (one of many that bear his face).

A man (or possibly a boy, given the scarf around his neck may be a sign that he is a Young Pioneer) holding a telescope or binoculars is looking out into space or into the distance. His upward and outwards gaze is a theme among many depictions of Soviet youths, who look off the page and away from the viewer, in order to symbolize their foresight and anticipation of an ideal and, crucially, attainable Soviet future. This gaze is also commonly used in depictions of Soviet leaders, especially Lenin and Stalin. This outward gaze could also be viewed as a symbol of Soviet expansionist ideals. The fact that this image is on the cover of an empty notebook (тетрадь), with its pages yet to be filled, further hints that the power to realize these dreams for the future is in the hands of young Soviet people, who can learn (in many cases, become literate), invent, and work towards realizing their dreams and ambitions.

There are only four distinct colors (five counting the paper tone) used on this page, as is true on the first page. Indeed, these five shades of colors used are the same ones used throughout the entire book. The limitation in colors is indicative of the inaccessibility of extensive color printing--the illustrator was physically limited. Yet, Popova uses the colors creatively throughout the book to create robust and vivid images, illustrating the creative power of the Soviet imagination even when faced with limited tools. The use of the same color palette for depictions of nature, industry, people, and products also creates a cohesiveness and unity among them, literally and symbolically--here, perhaps symbolizing the unity between labor and the products and facets of Soviet life which that labor enables.

The newspaper here, Правда (literally, “Truth”) is the official paper of the Communist Party (see a photo of a real copy here), and had an extremely wide readership (and thus great influence) in the Soviet Union. The presence of the newspaper here reminds us of the vital role that paper plays in the dissemination of knowledge and unification of the people through this common knowledge.

And from paper they make notebooks, block-notes*, and albums; they print books, newspapers, and magazines. *Block-notes are essentially like blank testing books used for school exams.