During the Second World War, Great Britain took one of the central places in the Lend-Lease system. On the one hand, it was the main recipient of assistance from the United States, surpassing all other allies combined in terms of total supply volumes. On the other hand, the British Empire itself was a major supplier of military equipment and other supplies: fighters, guns, tanks and armored personnel carriers, uniforms, raw materials and components were delivered to the Soviet Union from the metropolis and dominions until the last days of the war.
At the same time, relations between the USSR and the British allies at the grassroots level continued to be much colder than with the Americans, and it is difficult to find a rational explanation for this. Perhaps the origins of such wariness should be sought simply in the much longer relations between England / Great Britain and Russia / the USSR than the relations between Russians and Americans. It is also possible that the stereotyped image of a stiff Englishman against the background of a no less stereotyped smiling American seemed losing.
Against this background, one cannot fail to notice the difference in the British and American wartime posters dedicated to cooperation with the USSR on the military fronts and Lend-Lease deliveries. It seems that the British remind themselves and the Russians — yes, we are allies, we remember this, and we ask you to remember this too! Another interesting detail: the British originally painted some posters for publication in the USSR with text in Russian — sometimes not skillfully, but quite sincerely.
Text on image: “From the British people. To victory! We are with you.”
Text on the image: “We are drowning the fascist pirates. My greetings are fighters.”
