The flea market section of the Vernisazh, with an assortment of wares for sale and patriotic Soviet World War II posters displayed above. The poster captions read, from left to right: “Death to fascism”; “We will destroy the fascists on dry land and at sea”; “The Red Army’s broom will sweep out all the filth”; “To the victorious warrior the entire nation sends its love”; and “You will live a happy life.” These posters are another way that temporal layering manifests itself not only at the Vernisazh, but in Russia at large, where WWII –known here as the Great Patriotic War—remains a powerful symbolic presence.
