On November 25, a souvenir sheet dedicated to the 125th Birth Anniversary of Boris Efimov, a painter, a graphic artist, was put into postal circulation

Boris Efimov (1900–2008) was a Soviet and Russian graphic artist and a master of political caricature. He was an Honored Artist of the RSFSR, a People's Artist of the RSFSR, a People's Artist of the USSR, and an Academician of the Academy of Arts of the USSR.

Boris Efimov was born on September 28 (October 11), 1900, in Kiev. His first published drawing was a cartoon of politician M. Rodzianko in magazine Solntse Rossii (Sun of Russia) in 1916. In 1917-1918, he studied at the Faculty of Law of Kiev University.

In 1918, his first caricatures of A. Blok, V. Yureneva, and A. Kugel were published in the Kiev Zritel (Spectator) magazine. Since 1920, he worked as a cartoonist for newspapers Kommunar and Bolshevik. From 1922, he collaborated with newspapers Pravda and Izvestia, the Krokodil magazine and many other publications, including magazine Chudak (Crank).

After 1938, he was forced to switch over to work in book illustration (writings by M. Saltykov-Shchedrin). In 1940, he returned to political caricature under pseudonym V. Borisov and, after direct instructions from V. Molotov, was again included in the group of masters of Soviet political caricature, with the resumption of publications in Pravda, Krokodil, Agitplakat and other publications. In 1966-1990, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Agitplakat creative production association. B. Efimov was the author of political cutting-edge cartoons of international themes. In association with V. Denis, D. Moor, L. Brodaty, M. Cheremnykh and Kukryniksy, he created a unique phenomenon in world culture referred to as "positive satire."

During the Great Patriotic War, he pictured cartoons about the Third Reich and its allies. After the end of the War, he was invited to the Nuremberg trials, where he made sketches from life and drew caricatures of the accused.

After the collapse of the USSR, he made a series of cartoons and caricatures (including those of Soviet leaders). He designed sets for theatre performances such as Titanic Waltz by T. Mushatescu (1956, Central Theater of the Soviet Army, Moscow) and others, and participated in the creation of films at the Soyuzmultfilm studio (1950–1960).

In August of 2002, he became the Head of the cartoon art department of the Russian Academy of Arts. On September 28, 2007, he was appointed Chief Artist of the Izvestia newspaper.

The postage stamp provides a replica of painting The Hero Harvest by B. Efimov (1957, Novokuznetsk Art Museum); the margins of the souvenir sheet feature a portrait of the artist at work.

In addition to the issue of the souvenir sheet, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as illustrated covers for the the souvenir sheet with a label and a First Day Cover with a cancel for Moscow inside; and for the second emission type of the imperforated souvenir sheet with partial varnish.


Design Artist: O. Savina.
Face value: 250 rubles.
Souvenir sheet size: 107.7×82 mm, stamp size in the souvenir sheet: 30×42 mm.
Quantity: 15 thousand souvenir sheets (the 1-st emission type); 3,450 souvenir sheets (the 2-nd emission type*).
* To be on sale as part of an illustrated cover.

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