Russia unveils Soviet-inspired official World Cup poster

Russia has unveiled a Soviet-inspired design as the official poster for the 2018 World Cup.

The image features legendary Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin, reaching for a football wreathed with sunbeams. The ball itself features an image of Russia as seen from orbit: a subtle nod to Russia’s achievements in the field of space exploration.

The artist behind the work, Igor Gurovich, said that he’d been inspired by 1920s Constructivism.

“The style [used in] Soviet post-Constructivist posters — their unique visual language, their new, fresh poetry of figurative images — became one of the most important and revered elements of Russian culture,” he said. “This language is unquestionably thought of as Russian throughout the world. Therefore, in my work on the poster, I really wanted to make this language modern and relevant once again.”

The poster was unveiled at an official ceremony in Moscow’s iconic metro system.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, applauded the poster for keeping Russia at the heart of its design.

“It was very important for us to portray Russia as the host country in the official poster,” Mutko said. “That’s why Lev Yashin, a symbol of Russian football, was chosen as its central figure. I’m sure that the poster will become one of the most memorable symbols of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and that fans and participants alike will approve.”