Political cartoons are usually satirical, filled with often grotesque caricatures parodying those in power, but the Young Guard – the youth wing of the ruling United Russia party – wanted to try something different.  No Filters, a one-day Moscow art show, exhibited a range of patriotic caricatures dedicated to President Vladimir Putin. The cartoons pull no punches with their love for Putin and antagonism of the United States.  Visitors were welcomed with a huge picture of Putin in dark sunglasses, looking more action hero/rock star than president.“[It] shows that we’re proud of our president, proud of our country,” said Oksana Tkachyova, head of press for the Young Guard.  The free show, held at the Flacon art and design centre on Friday, featured over 100 artists’ illustrations and paintings: a number of which had already gained widespread popularity after going viral online.  By mid-afternoon, the Young Guard said they had been asked to take the show on the road: to Khabarovsk on Russia’s eastern shores, Nizhny Novgorod in Oblast and Crimea.  One exhibitor was well-known illustrator Vitaly Podvitsky, who works for state news agency Rossiya Segodnya.  “Before, [the president] didn’t really interest me. Even now I’m not really interested in politics, but these events [in Ukraine and Crimea] were so big they evoked a reaction, an emotion,” he said.  One of Podvitsky’s illustrations is a map of north Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Western Europe is in disarray, Ebola has taken over Africa, and Islamic extremism runs rampant across the Middle East. In Russia, a cat sits calm and content, safe amid the turmoil.  He explains that he is trying to show his view of the idea that life in Russia is difficult and the people are unhappy, when actually they are quite calm. “You’ve chosen the most grotesque one ... but it’s meant to be a joke”, he adds.  His other illustrations are less confrontational. One shows a pair of hands holding a small flower painted in the colours of the Russian flag with the words: “Love your flag.”  The exhibit is riding a wave of patriotic fervour that has gripped the country since Russia annexed Crimea and the western-imposed sanctions that followed.  The president’s approval ratings have soared, with a number of initiatives cropping up to support him and Russia’s policies – including the infamous pop-up shop selling a range of T-shirts inspired by “numerous victories on the international stage”.  No Filters’ organisers said that it was the first step in establishing a Young Guard special award for the best Russian artists and caricaturists on the internet.  For Podvitsky it’s about producing illustrations that appeal to “ordinary people” who want images true to their experiences.  “Everything you see, everything I drew, I actually think that. It’s not that someone commissioned this work,” he said. “There is the grotesque, irony, humour, but no lies, from the point of view of a Russian person.”  Fellow artists don’t hold back in attacking the United States and its president. One shows Putin pulling a sword behind Obama as he makes a speech, Obama is made to look like Pinocchio another shows Putin wrestling a skeleton wearing the stars and stripes.  A painting addressing world peace carries the words “From USA” in front of a bloody battle field, with “From Russia” in front of a group of people dancing in a field.  A less aggressive offering depicts Putin taking a selfie in the oval office while Obama takes a nap at his desk.  The visitors The Moscow Times spoke to said they liked the show: “It’s so creative,” said Alexander Musheron, an engineering student. “All [the works] are so different.”  A version of this article first appeared in The Moscow Times
Youth wing of United Russia party organised a free show of nationalist illustrations celebrating President Vladimir Putin and satirising world leaders. The Moscow Times reports