Welcome to the “Avia-Corner,” the weblog for Dictatorship of the Air!

If you’ve found your way to this part of the web you probably know by now that Dictatorship of the Air (or, DotA) is a forthcoming book about “Aviation Culture and the Fate of Modern Russia.” You probably also know that the book is being published by Cambridge University Press an esteemed academic press known to many as the world’s oldest printing and publishing house.

What you may not know is that despite its academic credentials, DotA it is not intended to be a book just for academics. Nor, for that matter, is DotA intended to be just a book. Instead, it is meant to be the beginning of a conversation about the relationship between culture and technology and how this relationship has contributed to the development of the modern world. The “Avia-Corner” weblog is intended to further the discussion begun by DotA .

Although my own posts will tend to focus on the culture of Russia and the technology of aviation, I invite readers (both non-specialists and specialists alike) to share their thoughts about issues relating the blog’s general themes.

Each week, new “article-length” commentaries will be posted in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning, with shorter responses to discussion threads and readers’ remarks appearing as need be. Generally speaking, the content of the longer commentaries will be devoted to a range of subjects reflecting the subject matter of DotA: Russia, History, Technology, Culture (and, of course, Aviation). [The Avia-Corner will also contain an occasional comment or two regarding higher education, teaching, and the profession of history.] Of course, readers’ responses and comments are not only welcomed, but encouraged.

In the meantime, between now and the July 31st release of DotA, the longer commentaries will be aimed at providing readers with background information about the book, its source base (archives, newspapers, secondary sources, films, etc.), and its general subject matter.

First up: “Soviet Aviation Posters”

One of the unique aspects of DotA is that it includes a rather large collection of never-before published historical images relating to Imperial and Soviet aviation. Soviet aviation posters figure prominently within this collection. Mostly published during the course of the 1920s, these posters were essential tools in the Bolshevik Party’s efforts to win public support for the construction of a new “Red” Air Fleet.

For a few examples of these works of agitational art, please visit the “Poster Gallery” here at DotA. At present, you’ll find five images representative of the posters produced by Soviet officials. I’ll be adding more images from my pixilated collection in the weeks to come.

If you have favorites of your own, please let me know. If I have those images on hand, I’ll add them to the DotA Poster Gallery (along with analysis of their subject matters and themes.) In the event that they’re new to me, I’d be very happy to learn they exist!

ScP