Artwork
Motorised Tank Troops
Motorised Tank Troops is a print by Olga Florenskaya. It dates from 2002 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This is a print from a 2002 set called Motorised Tank Troops by Olga Florenskaya.
It comes from a quirky art project titled “Russian Trophy.” The project mocked the fortress mentality of old Russia and the Soviet Union using fake flags and odd war machines made of junk.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more of Florenskaya’s prints.
Overview
Motorised Tank Troops is a print produced in 2002 as part of a larger series created by Olga Florenskaya and Alexander Florensky. The work belongs to the collaborative project “Russian Trophy,” which assembled a fictitious military collection of sculptures, machines, banners, and graphic material presented in a wooden crate.
Subject & Meaning
The print, together with the surrounding objects, satirizes the defensive, fortress‑oriented mindset and xenophobic attitudes historically associated with the Russian Empire and the Soviet state. By inventing flags that hint at former rivals—such as stylized versions of British, French and Japanese ensigns—the work critiques the construction of external enemies.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, the image adopts a graphic, diagrammatic aesthetic that echoes technical schematics of military equipment. The visual language is deliberately crude, echoing the makeshift nature of the surrounding sculptures and machines fashioned from found materials.
History & Provenance
The set was assembled in 2002 and packaged in a wooden box whose lid bears a stencilled title and is secured with wingnuts, mimicking a crate of armaments. The work entered public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, where additional prints from the series are held.
Context
“Russian Trophy” emerged in the early 2000s, a period of renewed interest in post‑Soviet identity and critique of nationalist narratives. By presenting an imaginary museum of war trophies, the artists engage with historical memory and the absurdity of militaristic propaganda.
Artist & collection
Artist
Olga Florenskaya’s prints from 2002 turn Cold War fears into bold, graphic shapes.
