Dayosh yasli! [Let Us Build Nurseries!], a poster by the artist Poskrebyshev. Published by AKhR Publishing, Moscow, [1930], 54 x 68 cm.

The compact construct formed by preceding the name of an object with the verb dayosh was popular with Soviet slogan makers through 1920s and early 1930s. Dayosh denoted the construct’s object as something highly desirable, worthy of the utmost effort in building or achieving. However, post-1932 changes affected all aspects of poster production, including the slogan-making styles, and the use of Dayosh slogans notably declined — as if this grammatically incorrect construct became too modernist for the new political climate.

We were unable to find any information about the artist of this attractive Constructivist poster, or uncover any additional examples of his work in the poster genre. The poster itself is listed in the catalog of the National Russian Library posters collection, with the tentative 1930 dating, but no information is provided as to the artist’s first name.