"Soviet man—be proud, you opened the road to stars from Earth!" "Glory to the conquerors of the universe!" From 1958 to 1963 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics created an incredible collection of posters with over-the-top propaganda lines like that to inspire Russians in the space race. The bold colors painted in the socialist-realism style captured the intensity of an era molded by the paranoid and dramatic competition. The posters, estimated to be worth $400 and $1,500, were recently auctioned off by Mercer & Middlesex Auctions.

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