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The Kukryniksy (Russian: Кукрыниксы) were three caricaturists/cartoonists in the USSR with a recognizable style.

The Kukryniksy, a celebrated Soviet artistic trio, consisted of Porfirii Nikitich Krylov (1902–1990), Mikhail Vasil’evich Kupriianov (1903–1991), and Nikolai Aleksandrovich Sokolov (1903–2000. The collaboration began in 1922 when Krylov and Kupriianov, then students in the Graphic Department of VKhUTEMAS, started creating cartoons, book illustrations, and poster designs under the pseudonyms Kukry and Krykup. In 1924, Sokolov joined them, and they adopted the collective name Kukryniksy.

The Kukryniksy's work was extensively published across prominent Soviet newspapers, including Pravda, Krasnaia zvezda, Komsomol’skaia pravda, and Literaturnaia gazeta, as well as magazines such as Krokodil, Prozhektor, Smekhach, and Smena. Their distinct style and keen political satire made them fixtures in Soviet visual culture. In 1929, they expanded their influence by designing the sets for Vladimir Maiakovskii’s theatrical comedy The Bedbug. 

They became nationally famous in the 1930s after they began drawing for Krokodil, the Moscow satirical paper, during the rise of fascism. They received international recognition for their attacks on Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, and Francisco Franco. During the Second World War, they established the TASS Windows for political cartoons and posters. After the end of the Second World War, they continued to depict politics in their series Cold War (1945—1980s).

They illustrated a number of books, including Ilf and Petrov's, Nikolay Gogol, Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, Nikolai Leskov, Miguel de Cervantes.

A typical Kukryniksy caricature of Hitler on an Allied propaganda poster from 1942 exhibited in the now-closed International Museum of World War II.[1]

The Kukryniksy are also authors of Socialist Realism-style paintings concerned with historical, political and propaganda topics.

Their artistic achievements were recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including five Stalin Prizes (1942, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1951), the Lenin Prize (1965), and the State Prize of the USSR (1975). These honors underscored their significant impact on Soviet art and culture. 

The Kukryniksy remain renowned for their dynamic and influential body of work, which spans multiple media and decades. Their unique blend of humor, critique, and artistic skill left an indelible mark on Soviet visual arts, and their legacy continues to be studied and celebrated for its contribution to political satire and propaganda.