Anatoly Lunacharsky 1922

Prohibition of public display of the swastika


Written: 1922
First published: 11 November 1922
Source: Lunacharsky Archive
Translated by: Anton P.


On many decorations and posters on the days of the last festival, as well as on various publications in general, etc., due to a misunderstanding, an ornament called a swastika is constantly used, which looks like this: an equal-pointed cross with bent ends to the left is shown. Since the swastika is a cockade of the deeply counter-revolutionary German organization Orgesch, and has recently acquired the character of a symbolic sign of the entire fascist, reactionary movement, I warn you that artists should in no case use this ornament, which produces, especially for foreigners, a deeply negative impression.

People’s Commissar for Education A. Lunacharsky