This is a Russian lubok poster published in 1914. Lubki, originally illustrated woodcuts or broadsides combining hand-colored folkloric, secular, and literary images with text, became widely popular by the end of the 17th century; they often conveyed moral and religious messages and informed the peasantry about social issues and current events. By the end of the 19th century, they had begun to inspire professional artists and during World War I, provided Russians of all classes with details of military developments as well as serving morale-boosting and propaganda functions. This poster showing a collision between two biplanes in mid-air honors the Russian pilot P. N. Nesterov. Specific details of his heroic act are provided at length in the caption below the image.
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