Story behind this Trotsky image ?

[CHE with an AK]

I have always liked this image of Trotsky slaying the serpent ...

Does anyone know the story behind this image and the full symbolism?

What does the writing on the serpent say?

When and for what purpose was this image used?

Thanks



http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j318/Tredcrow/2011/TrotskySlayingtheDragon1918.jpg

[Magón]

It's an old time propaganda poster of the Bolshrviks from before Trotsky got kicked.

[Susurrus]

The symbolism is that of St george slaying the dragon, in this case trotsky slaying the whites. Writing says "counter-revolutionary"

[Sir Comradical]

Leon Trotsky. Valiant knight of the Red Army, wielding his shield emblazoned with the hammer of the proletarian & the sickle of the peasant, ready to unleash all hell on the serpents of counter-revolution.

[Wired]

He used to be in charge of the Red Army, if you didnt know.

I've always assumed it was created during the period when they were fighting the Whites (?)

[piet11111]

I love the stove hat on the dragon

[ColonelCossack]

looks like an image of hitler I saw with him in a suit of armour being a fetishist.

I'm jokin', trots.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Russian culture at the time of the Russian Revolution was drenched in Orthodox imagery. The picture is Trotsky as St. George slaying a dragon.As well as being the "patron saint" of Britain, St. George was/is the patron saint of Moscow. My guess the picture could be a counter to viscous anti-semitic pictures of Trotsky as some golem monster destroying Russia during the Revolution of 1905.Having said this I don't know the specific story of that picture.

The writing says "contr-revolution" or counter-revolution.The five pointed stars may have some significance, I don't know. Religious iconography was big in Russian culture so this picture is an extension of it.

[Sir Comradical]

Actually it says "kontr-revolyutsiya", not "contr-revolution". Hehehe.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I knew that, umm....just testing! Izviniti, moya rusky ochen ploxo. Ya zbili...

[The Man]

I have always liked this image of Trotsky slaying the serpent ...

Does anyone know the story behind this image and the full symbolism?

What does the writing on the serpent say?

When and for what purpose was this image used?

Thanks



http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j318/Tredcrow/2011/TrotskySlayingtheDragon1918.jpg


At first glance of this post, I was laughing extremely hard. I thought you were joking around, and saying that this was a REAL photo of Leon Trotsky slaying a serpent with a Spear. I thought you were making fun of Trotskyists :laugh:

[Nox]

It's Trotsky killing all the anarchists, lol

In all seriousness, I originally meant that as a joke, but I actually think that could be the case. The word(s) Counter-Revolutionary are written on the snake, who is wearing a black hat. Anarchism, according to Trotsky, was counter-revolutionary and the black hat makes it more likely to be Anarchism.

And we all know the reputation Trotsky has for slaying Anarchists...

[graymouser]

It's a brilliant image, and in many ways is a deconstruction of the Russian iconography that would have prevailed at the time.

As far as who the dragon represents, it's clearly capitalism - the stovepipe hat is the giveaway there. It's not dissimilar to the image of Lenin sweeping away the bourgeoisie, the church and the monarchies of the earth:
http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/113490530.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF87892140FEB0FF7845C57D62B3FFC42AE5E14D DC1FA2867FD60E88B91CBFA569D72662
The stock cartoon image of the capitalist was the stovepipe hat, to the point where in Orwell's 1984 it's a minor plot point in the book.

I've been thinking for years that a simplified version of this would be a bad-ass tattoo.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Few people know this but when Marx talked about "the muck of ages" he was really making a coded reference to the serpent represented in the above image. The serpent was one of the few that had survived all the dragon-slaying that went on in the feudal era - he survived by selling off the gold-horde he protected in his underwater cave and used the money as capital to start his textile mill. Since dragons live a long time he had accumulated quite a bit of wealth and power as capitalism began to take hold in Europe. After the Russian Revolution he was recruited by the whites and joined their cause. Trotsky, since he already made the shield himself for a costume party, was sent to slay the monster.

What do you want from me, the people gave serious answers already.:lol:

[Susurrus]

It's Trotsky killing all the anarchists, lol

In all seriousness, I originally meant that as a joke, but I actually think that could be the case. The word(s) Counter-Revolutionary are written on the snake, who is wearing a black hat. Anarchism, according to Trotsky, was counter-revolutionary and the black hat makes it more likely to be Anarchism.

And we all know the reputation Trotsky has for slaying Anarchists...

Ah yes, the top hat, traditional head wear of the anarchist.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpyvyuSMt41qhl197o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId =AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1313494261&Signature=TxqzTmyQEMfj0hMni1YlYUO0WdM%3D

[Rooster]

In all seriousness, I originally meant that as a joke, but I actually think that could be the case. The word(s) Counter-Revolutionary are written on the snake, who is wearing a black hat. Anarchism, according to Trotsky, was counter-revolutionary and the black hat makes it more likely to be Anarchism.

http://images.pictureshunt.com/pics/m/monopoly_man-13539.jpg

[ColonelCossack]

^ Yeah, I think the black hat represents the typical top hat worn by the stereotypical bourgeoisie.

[Nox]

'Twas just a theory bros