Angels, Devils, and Soviet Propaganda: An Unusual Exhibition About the Legendary "Perets" Magazine.

Why did angels and saints end up on the pages of a Soviet satirical magazine? How did humor become a weapon of propaganda, and caricatures a method of combating religion? Visitors will look for the answers to these questions starting July 23 at our museum in the new exhibition "The Holy and the Sinful."

At the core of the exposition is a unique private collection belonging to museum researcher Orest Dats. For many years, he collected issues of the legendary "Perets" magazine, which today have become not only rarities but also important witnesses of their era.

The exhibition covers the years 1950–1991 and shows how the Soviet authorities' attitude toward religion and the ways of mocking it changed. Through caricatures, jokes, and familiar biblical imagery, the magazine told stories about corruption, indifferent officials, drunkenness, shortages, laziness, and double standards. Behind the laughter, ideology, censorship, and propaganda were often concealed.

Visitors will see works by the most famous artists of "Perets," learn how legendary caricatures were born, and discover a little-known page of Soviet cultural history. Special attention is drawn to one of the magazine's most popular sections, "The Lives of Saints and the Unrighteous," launched by artists A. Vasylenko and S. Herasymchuk, which became one of the most vivid examples of combining satire with biblical symbolism.

This exhibition is not just about laughter and caricatures. It shows how Soviet propaganda, the fight against religion, and the real problems of that time were hidden behind witty drawings.