# The Soviet Liberator Le Liberator Face > The Soviet Liberator (Le Liberator Face) is a 2014 image-macro exploitable derived from exaggerated Slavic soldier faces in a 1940s Herbert Smagon painting, used by 4chan to photoshop onto other images. The Soviet Liberator, also called Le Liberator Face, is a Russophobe caricature meme derived from a 1940s painting by German artist Herbert Smagon. The faces of Soviet soldiers depicted in the painting, with exaggerated Slavic features, were extracted and turned into exploitable images on 4chan starting around late 2014[2]. The meme found a niche following on imageboard communities where users photoshopped the distinctive faces onto other images and public figures. ## Origin The source painting was created by Herbert Smagon sometime in the 1940s after World War II[2]. Smagon was a German artist who depicted scenes from the Soviet occupation of East Prussia. The painting shows Red Army soldiers during the fall of the city of Roessel (now Reszel, Poland) on January 28, 1945. The meme's life on the English-speaking internet began on November 29, 2014, when an anonymous user on 4chan's /pol/ (Politically Incorrect) board posted the original painting. The post's caption read: "Germans killed more than 30 millions Soviet people. I wonder, why they didnt rape and kill all Germans. And this story is propagandistic tale / Russian AIB even have a special mem – 'liberator,' which originated from this picture of German propaganda"[2]. This suggests the "Liberator" meme already existed in Russian-language imageboard communities before crossing over to 4chan. - **Platform:** 4chan /pol/ - **Creator:** Herbert Smagon (original painting), Anonymous (meme creation) - **Date:** 2014 ## Overview The Soviet Liberator meme uses cropped faces from a World War II-era painting by Herbert Smagon. The painting, titled "Besetzung der stadt Rössel in Ostpreussen am 28/1/1945" (Occupation of the city Roessel, East Prussia, 1945), depicts Red Army soldiers during the occupation of East Prussia[2]. The grinning, exaggerated facial expressions of the soldiers in the painting became the core visual element of the meme. Users on 4chan's boards extracted individual faces from the painting and used them as reaction images, photoshopped them onto other artworks, or pasted them over real-life Russian public figures. The most commonly used face comes from a specific soldier in the painting who became the signature "Liberator" character[2]. ## How It Spread The meme spread primarily through imageboard culture. On November 9, 2014 (actually slightly before the more detailed /pol/ post), an anonymous 4chan user created a thread requesting more Liberator images, writing: "I lost my liberator folder pls halp, post pics"[2]. This indicates the meme was already circulating among channers by late 2014, and the broader /pol/ discussion threads show ongoing interest in the format[1]. On August 15, 2015, Reddit user EDEMassHund posted the original Smagon painting along with other works by the artist to the /r/PropagandaPosters subreddit, where it picked up over 415 upvotes within six months[2]. This introduced the source material to a wider audience outside of imageboard culture, though the Reddit post framed it as historical propaganda art rather than meme material. The meme stayed most active on 4chan's /pol/, /int/ (International), and /bant/ boards. Users created edits placing the Liberator faces onto various contexts, including photoshopping them over Russian public figures like Vladimir Putin and Natalia Poklonskaya[2]. On July 7, 2019, a YouTuber named Avtomat uploaded a compilation titled "the eternal liberator meme," showcasing various edits created on 4chan. The video received over 440 views in its first year[2]. ## How to Use The Liberator meme typically works in a few ways: 1. **Face swap:** Crop one of the grinning soldier faces from the Smagon painting and paste it over the face of a Russian public figure, celebrity, or any person in a photo for comedic or satirical effect. 2. **Painting edit:** Take the full Smagon painting and modify it by adding modern elements, text, or placing the soldiers into different scenarios. 3. **Reaction image:** Post a cropped Liberator face as a standalone reaction in imageboard threads, usually in discussions about Russia, Eastern Europe, or Slavic culture. ## Cultural Impact The Soviet Liberator meme occupies a specific niche at the intersection of historical art, political commentary, and imageboard culture. Its reach stayed largely confined to 4chan and related communities rather than breaking into mainstream social media. The meme draws from genuine wartime propaganda art, which gives it a different character than most exploitable formats. The /r/PropagandaPosters thread on Reddit treated the source material as a historical document[2], while imageboard users stripped the faces from their original context and repurposed them for irreverent edits. The meme's origin in Russian-language imageboards before migrating to English-speaking 4chan also makes it an example of cross-cultural meme transmission[2]. ## Fun Facts - The meme existed on Russian imageboards before it appeared on 4chan, where it was already known as "the liberator"[2]. - The original painting documents a real historical event: the Soviet capture of Roessel (now Reszel, Poland) on January 28, 1945[2]. - Herbert Smagon created multiple works depicting the Soviet occupation of East Prussia, several of which were shared together on Reddit's /r/PropagandaPosters[2]. - The YouTube compilation by Avtomat is one of the few video-format collections of the meme's various edits[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is The Soviet Liberator meme? It's an exploitable image meme based on cropped faces from a 1940s painting by Herbert Smagon depicting Soviet soldiers. The exaggerated grinning faces are used as reaction images and photoshopped onto other pictures[2]. ### Where did The Soviet Liberator meme come from? The source image is a painting by German artist Herbert Smagon from the post-WWII era. The meme format originated on Russian imageboards before spreading to 4chan's /pol/ board around November 2014[2]. ### What does The Soviet Liberator meme mean? The meme is used as a Russophobe caricature, portraying Russians with exaggerated Slavic features for humorous or satirical purposes on imageboards[2]. ### How do you use The Soviet Liberator meme? Users typically crop one of the grinning soldier faces from the painting and photoshop it onto other images, public figures, or artworks. It can also be used as a standalone reaction image in threads[2]. ### Is The Soviet Liberator meme still popular? The meme maintains a niche presence on 4chan boards like /pol/, /int/, and /bant/. A 2019 YouTube compilation collected various edits from the community[2], but it hasn't broken into mainstream meme culture. ### Who painted the original Soviet Liberator image? German artist Herbert Smagon created the painting sometime in the 1940s after World War II. It depicts the Soviet occupation of the East Prussian city of Roessel on January 28, 1945[2]. ### What is the painting called? The full German title is "Besetzung der stadt Rössel in Ostpreussen am 28/1/1945," which translates to "Occupation of the city Roessel in East Prussia on 28/1/1945"[2]. ### Which 4chan boards use the Soviet Liberator meme? The meme is primarily found on /pol/ (Politically Incorrect), /int/ (International), and /bant/[2]. These boards deal with politics and international discussion where the meme's content is most relevant. ### Did the meme exist before 4chan? Yes. The original 2014 /pol/ post noted that "Russian AIB even have a special mem – 'liberator,' which originated from this picture," indicating it was already established on Russian imageboards before appearing on English-language 4chan[2]. ## References 1. [/pol/ - Politically Incorrect » Thread #39383310]() 2. [The Soviet Liberator / Le Liberator Face - Know Your Meme]() 3. [Characters of the Metal Gear series]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/the-soviet-liberator-le-liberator-face Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library