The 1950s are generally regarded as a period of close friendship between the USSR and the PRC. However, a closer study of this decade shows that already at that time there were differences at the state, party and even popular levels.
In this regard, it is interesting to analyze Soviet and Chinese publications aimed at affirming a positive mutual image of the two populations. The mainly satirical magazines Krokodil and Manhua allow one to trace the dynamics of bilateral relations and related phenomena, as they appeared regularly during these 1950s and published cartoons that expressed the official view of events in a compact form.
This article reports on the images of Sino-Soviet friendship in the 1950s in the context of Cold War event and the desire of both governments to emphasize the unity of the socialist camp. Despite the general similarity of these images, many details differ, reflecting the profound differences between the communist parties of the USSR and the PRC.
The comparison of the images also shows which methods the Soviet and Chinese propaganda used to reinforce the impression of closeness between the two countries.