Red and White chess set

This chess set was created by renowned Soviet porcelain masters, sisters Natalia and Elena Danko. It features “the red” and “the white,” symbolizing the exemplary “ours” and the evil “others.” The contrast is exaggerated: on one side, the anguished white pawns are entangled in chains, while on the other, the red harvesters have enthusiastic eyes and hold golden sheaves. The topless white queen represents vice, while the strong, rosy-cheeked worker symbolizes virtue. The outdated monarch is replaced by a mighty, muscular striker on the Reds’ side and a death knight on the Whites’ side. Ironically, this set was highly sought after by representatives of the “old world” outside Soviet Russia’s “new world.”