The paper provides an analysis of Kisses from Berlin, a political image. It aims to research the image, its visual rhetoric, and its meaning. Kisses from Berlin represent a fraternal kiss, a socialist form of greeting, and the strong bonds between Communist countries. The image was portrayed on the Berlin Wall as the symbol of protest and the end of the Cold War. Therefore, Kisses from Berlin is a significant political image with much historical value.
The photo taken by Regis Bossu in 1979, depicting the kiss of two Communist leaders, Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker, is commonly referred to as Kisses from Berlin or The Fraternal Kiss. The image featuring politicians caused a strong reaction and rapidly became famous worldwide as it started appearing in different magazines. The same kiss is portrayed on the graffiti The Kiss of Death by Dmitri Vrubel on Berlin Wall. Kisses from Berlin were interpreted differently, representing a strong political bond between socialist countries, the fall of the Iron Curtain, and the end of the Cold War.
Regarding the context of the photo, the fraternal kiss was a form of greeting between the leaders of Communist countries. It usually consisted of a hug and three kisses on the cheeks. However, Brezhnev, the former leader of the Soviet Union, was known to kiss his colleagues on the cheeks twice and deliver the third kiss on the mouth. It was his way of showing respect and deep trust to the political leaders. The politicians’ photo became a historic image presenting the Socialist form of greeting. Due to intense censorship during the Cold War, the West did not see many photos from the Eastern part of the World, but the Kisses from Berlin spread worldwide, becoming a Soviet bloc representation. The political image depicts the tradition of how the Communist leaders showed they are welcomed in each other’s countries.
The original image of Brezhnev and Honecker was taken during Brezhnev’s visit for the thirtieth anniversary of the German Democratic Republic. Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker are kissing in the middle of the photo, with the General Secretary of the Soviet Union on the left and the German General Secretary on the right. The photo is in black and white, and the viewers can see a blurred image of other political leaders in the background. The most prominent part of the political photo is that “Brezhnev is delivering what seems to be a passionate kiss” (Campos et al., 2021). The kiss was described as very enthusiastic and caused strong reactions.
The photo follows one of the fundamental principles of visual rhetoric, symmetry. It enhances the similarity of the General Secretaries in the image and the dictatorship in their countries. It is shocking to see two communist leaders in such an intimate action, and the photo can be perceived as satiric because the two brutal leaders seem to show their soft side. For instance, Erich Honecker ordered to shoot those trying to escape to the West side of the Berlin Wall. The leaders were known to be strict and cruel, and symmetry highlights the similarity of the leaders, making the kiss in the political image shocking to everyone who knows the historical background.
The Fraternal Kiss persuades the viewer of the strong bond between socialist countries. The image may seem controversial to some people as it features two kissing men, while others admire it as they are eager to believe it advocates for rights. Regardless, the photo has no romantic or intimate context and symbolizes friendship, respect, and trust. Kisses from Berlin signify a “mighty site of the Cold War: the Eastern Bloc” (Socialist Fraternal Kiss, 2022). Brezhnev’s kiss and Bossu’s photo portray the closeness of the socialistic countries. The enthusiasm viewers can see in the kiss should be considered as Brezhnev’s deep respect for his colleagues.
The political image was printed in every popular magazine and later became graffiti on the Berlin Wall. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russian artist Dmitri Vrubel painted a famous political image, attracting the attention of many Berliners and tourists (Campos et al., 2021). Below the image, he wrote, “God help me to survive this deadly love,” and the photo was printed on all types of souvenirs in Berlin (Campos et al., 2021). It can be assumed that Vrubel referred to the fraternal kiss as “deadly love” due to the terrible dictatorship of the socialist leaders. The graffiti of the kissing General Secretaries became a symbol of protest, the end of the Communist dictatorship and the Cold War. Together with other images on the Berlin Wall, The Fraternal Kiss represents its fall and reminds people of past mistakes that should never be repeated.
Kisses from Berlin or The Fraternal Kiss is the image of two communist General Secretaries, Leonid Brezhnev, and Erich Honecker, kissing during the thirties anniversary of the German Democratic Republic. The photo was taken by Regis Bossu in 1979 and rapidly spread around the World. It was printed in Berlin’s magazines, cups, t-shirts, and postcards. People interpreted the political image in various ways, from socialist representation to a sign of protest. It can be controversial and shocking as it features brutal communist General Secretaries kissing, and the symmetry, a principle of visual rhetoric, enhances the controversiality. It demonstrates the strong bond between socialist countries and symbolizes the Eastern Bloc. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russian artist Dmitri Vrubel painted graffiti of the image. It symbolized the Socialist dictatorship and the Cold War, reminding Berliners of their country’s hardships. Kisses from Berlin is a significant political image, which became a symbol and a part of the history of the Cold War.
References
Campos, R., Pavoni, A., & Zaimakis, Y. (2021). Political graffiti in critical times: The Aesthetics of Street Politics. Berghahn Books.
Socialist fraternal kiss between Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker, 1979. (2022). Rare Historical Photos.