“In the Struggle for the World Record, Sport Brings States Together” (1980s) by Rodion Stepanovich Shutenko was created during the politically charged climate of the early 1980s—between the Moscow Olympics and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. It reflects the USSR’s use of sport as a diplomatic and ideological tool at a time of growing international tension. Produced for Agitplakat Don, this oil-on-card sketch is one of the few surviving drafts from a period when most preparatory works were destroyed after printing. A rhythmic gymnast in a red leotard stretches upward, ribbon in hand. Her movement traces a white spiral across a blue background, which transforms into the outline of a dove. The metaphor is clear: athletic grace becomes a symbol of peace—national strength expressed through international harmony. The flat planes of red, white, and blue align with late Soviet modernist poster design, moving away from earlier illustrative styles. The slogan “In the Struggle for the World Record, Sport Brings States Together” reinforces the state’s message: sport was a unifying force for the socialist world and a tool of Soviet soft power. Rodion Shutenko (1921–2021) served as a lieutenant at Stalingrad during World War II, a background that shaped his later work as a propaganda artist. He was a founding member of Agitplakat Don and a contributor to Krokodil. His work is held in the collections of the Rostov Regional Museum of Fine Arts and the State Archive of Rostov Oblast.