Title:
КРАСНАЯ ШАПОЧКА И ЧЕТЫРЕ ВОЛКА
Translated Title:
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE FOUR WOLVES
Artist:
Рис. Кукрыниксы
Date:
(1937)
One of several prints from a collection of Soviet political cartoons featured in “Soviet Propaganda,” this image shows the
Brothers Grimm character Little Red Riding Hood (“Little Red Riding Cap” to follow the exact Russian translation) at the end
of the tale, confronting four wolves. The Russian word for peace (МИР) appears on her skirt, and a roll of paper under one
arm reads Non-Intervention (НЕВМЕША…), referring to the agreement that restricted the sale of arms to belligerents in the
Spanish Civil War (see “Soviet Propaganda”). Three large wolves represent the German, Italian, and Japanese leadership, with
a smaller one to the right of the image portraying the Spanish Nationalists. Under the bed large stores of weapons have been
stashed, alluding to the covert sale of arms by the agreement’s signatories. The inclusion of the Japanese wolf in this image
is especially interesting as Japan was not involved in the Spanish Civil War and the formal Tripartite Pact between the Axis
powers did not enter into force until 1940. The connection between the war in Spain and the imminent start of the Second World
War is an interesting one.
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