ABOUT

The Great Patriotic War started for the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, and lasted till May 9, 1945. As time goes by, witnesses of those 1418 days of hell are passing away. We — the younger generations — have become heirs to that Victory and are blessed to live in peace thanks to those who protected our future from Nazism. It is up to us to preserve their stories so that these memories can live through us.

#VictoryPages pays tribute to all WW2 veterans and heroes who protected our future from the threat of Nazism. This transmedia documentary builds engaging narratives through social media to keep the legacy of our ancestors’ sacrifices alive.

It is a story of Victory told by the young and for the young, using the tools and language of modern media over five social networks, employing visual art, interactive formats and dynamic real-time storytelling. The idea behind the project is not only to commemorate veterans but to also remind what a terrible price the world has paid for the deadliest war in history. That’s why we are giving young artists, designers, animators, content creators the tools and platforms to express their feelings in the wake of the WW2 anniversary and to spread anti-war messages via art, design and storytelling.

#VictoryFont ‘May’ is a crucial visual narrative tool which unites the whole project. A comprehensive research and design work lie behind the creation of the font. When large, the font’s texture is very distinct, when small, the texture is hardly visible leaving only smoothness in type. This was achieved by writing an algorithm that modified the letter’s contours. It didn’t just mechanically make them ‘ragged’, but allowed us to emphasize the font’s natural feel.

As Nazi Germany capitulated in May 1945, thousands of soldiers left inscriptions on the walls of the Reichstag in Berlin. Today most of these inscriptions can be seen only in photo archives and museums. For the 75th anniversary of the victory against fascism, we gave them a new life. We created a dynamic font ‘May’ — where behind each character lies a documented Reichstag victory graffiti, handwritten 75 years ago by real WW2 veterans. They are the voices, words and memories of the victors.

These inscriptions are the voices, words and memories of the victors. With its handwritten characters and symbols, calligraphic and rough, neatly styled and expressively sharp, the font May creates a visual link between the past and the present, between the heroes of The Victory and us, their descendants.

#VictoryFont ‘May’ is a keystone element of the #VictoryPages project — a versatile social media documentary commemorating the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. The multiplatform educational project assesses the historical magnitude of WW2 through a fresh perspective of digital art and creativity.
The font is based on hundreds of original historical inscriptions following months of research. It is a tool to commemorate the veterans and send a message of peace. Through the font’s characters and symbols the font creates a link between the past and the present, between Victory heroes and us, heirs to their legacy.
#VictoryFont is available for use by everyone interested in giving a new expression to the legacy of victory. A key font feature is the number of alternatives for every letter — 499 characters ensure a diverse and dynamic design rooted in a pivotal historical moment which message is important and relevant today.

#VictoryFont 'May is more than just a regular typeface:
- Variability. Multiple versions of every May font character.
- In-type tuning. The font auto-picks clean design when block caps are typed, to improve legibility.
- Ligatures. Individual May font graphemes are bound together in joint symbols to represent handwriting.

These letters preserve heroes' voices: their words, handwriting, memory.