{"product_id":"ap_24877","title":"Il acceptera toujours un pourboire : Un taxi en URSS 1961","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"342\" data-end=\"577\"\u003eThis original 1961 Soviet poster, produced by the collective \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eFighting Pencil (Boevoi Karandash)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, offers a witty and incisive critique of everyday corruption, focusing on the widespread practice of unofficial tipping in Soviet taxis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"579\" data-end=\"975\"\u003e“Fighting Pencil” was a group of artists and poets based in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), known for combining sharp visual satire with biting, often humorous verse. Founded in 1939, the collective gained prominence during World War II through anti-Nazi propaganda and later became a key voice in exposing social issues such as bureaucracy, alcoholism, and petty corruption in Soviet daily life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"977\" data-end=\"1399\"\u003eThe composition places the viewer directly behind a taxi driver, whose calculating eyes are reflected in the rear-view mirror—creating a subtle sense of tension and complicity. On the dashboard, a fare meter shows the official price, while a small metal box labeled “чай” (“tea”)—a common euphemism for a tip—sits beside it. The implication is clear: the official system exists, but the real transaction happens elsewhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1401\" data-end=\"1728\"\u003eThe driver is depicted as a cunning, almost archetypal character of Soviet urban folklore—some viewers note a resemblance to \u003cspan class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"whitespace-normal\"\u003eEvgeny Leonov\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. His method is simple: he claims he has no change, encouraging passengers to leave the difference. What appears trivial becomes a subtle form of everyday extortion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1730\" data-end=\"1984\"\u003eIn the upper right corner, a newspaper excerpt refers to a real taxi driver named Kukin from the city of Kostroma, criticized for similar practices. This grounding in real events reinforces the poster’s dual function as both satire and moral instruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1986\" data-end=\"2062\"\u003eThe message is underscored by a poem by V. Khochinsky printed on the poster:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote data-start=\"2064\" data-end=\"2185\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2066\" data-end=\"2185\"\u003e“He has only one reply:\u003cbr data-start=\"2089\" data-end=\"2092\"\u003e‘Unfortunately, I have no change.’\u003cbr data-start=\"2128\" data-end=\"2131\"\u003eAnd so, as if by chance,\u003cbr data-start=\"2157\" data-end=\"2160\"\u003ehe always takes a tip.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2187\" data-end=\"2469\"\u003eCreated during the Khrushchev era, a period marked by controlled openness and self-criticism, this poster reflects how humor was used as a tool of social regulation. Rather than glorifying the system, it exposes its everyday contradictions while reinforcing expected moral behavior.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2471\" data-end=\"2709\"\u003eStylistically, the work blends expressive illustration with caricature and narrative clarity. The confined taxi interior heightens the psychological tension, turning a mundane interaction into a symbolic scene of mistrust and opportunism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2711\" data-end=\"2888\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eToday, this poster stands as a compelling example of Soviet satirical graphic design—revealing, with intelligence and irony, the gap between official ideology and lived reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal Poster\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaricature - USSR - Russia\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoviet poster about the practice of tipping in Soviet and Russian taxis. It depicts a cunning taxi driver, a composite character reminiscent of the actor Yevgeny Leonov. On his dashboard, a sign reading \"Fare\" displays the amount, and a metal money box is labeled \"Tip.\" This driver is actually extorting money from his passengers, pretending to have no change and pocketing the rest. In the upper right corner, a newspaper quote criticizes a similar taxi driver, Kukin, from the city of Kostroma.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis shrewd businessman with a mischievous glint in his eye has been a recurring figure since the early days of taxis. A poem by V. Khochinsky is reproduced: \"He has only one answer: 'Unfortunately, I have no change.'\u003cbr\u003eSo, as if by chance, he always accepts a tip.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood condition, creases visible\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boevoy Karandash","offers":[{"title":"43 x 56 \/ A  \/ On Linen","offer_id":53766517129543,"sku":null,"price":800.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0564\/9275\/3081\/files\/AP_24877.jpg?v=1776868768","url":"https:\/\/galerie1881.fr\/en\/products\/ap_24877","provider":"Galerie 1881","version":"1.0","type":"link"}