Who gets the national income? 1950

This Soviet propaganda poster created by artist V. Govorkov in 1950 contrasts the life of workers in the USSR with life in capitalist countries and celebrates the growth of the national economy. In the foreground a smiling Soviet worker in a warm winter coat carries consumer goods and food packages against the backdrop of new factories, a university, a Palace of Culture and city construction that symbolize prosperity and social development. The smaller scene on the left shows a tired worker counting coins while a relaxed capitalist enjoys wealth that does not belong to him, highlighting the meaning of the slogan printed on the poster. The text reads: “Who receives the national income? In the USSR it goes to the working people. In capitalist countries the lion’s share goes to the exploiters. In 1950 the national income is more than sixty percent higher than before the war.” The poster presents the Soviet system as fair and socially responsible, where progress and national wealth belong to ordinary citizens and not to private elites.