Brodaty, Lev Grigorievich

Lev Grigorievich Brodaty was a Soviet-based graphic artist and illustrator. In 1905 he studied in Vienna and continued his education at the Academy of Fine Arts (1906-1909). Brodaty reportedly took part in the Polish revolutionary movement. By 1917, he relocated to Soviet Russia where he lived in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) creating political cartoons for the Pravda (Truth) newspaper. In 1918, Brodaty helped organize one of the first Soviet satirical magazines "Red Devil" en tandem with his work in agitational art and political poster design. Along with the Soviet graphic artist Vladimir Lebedev, Brodaty is considered a pioneer of the Petrograd ROSTA Windows poster. In the 1920s, he illustrated for the Soviet weekly satirical magazines "Krasniy Voron" (Red Raven) and “Begemot” (hippopotamus), supplements to "Krasnaya Gazeta" (Red Gazette).

By 1931, Brodaty was living in Moscow and working as an illustrator for the satirical magazine "Krokodil". In addition, he taught at the Moscow Polygraphic Institute that was founded in 1930 from the printing department of VHUTEIN (Higher Art and Technical Institute). Brodaty additionally worked in easel graphics and book illustration during his career. In 1929 he joined the Society of Painters, and in 1945 he was bestowed the title of honored artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.