What Have You Been Smoking?
FROM RUSSIAN LJ:
In the Soviet Union, cigarettes were plentiful and in great variety (you really need to have a smoke when you are having a drink.) The quality was terrible and the price was attractive (about 50 kopeks -- an equivalent of 40 cents per pack). Each large city had its own cigarette factory which produced several brands, and thus the smokes can serve as a very good review of the Soviet branding. Russia was also importing cigarettes in huge quantities from the sister socialist countries, such as Bulgaria (they were considered much cooler and were slightly more expensive, but still widely accessible, proving that planned economy could get something right after all, but only with a product which is very bad for you.)
Images compiled by LiveJournal user
lukas_pro :
(Here we must interrupt your list, to make a note of this last case, called Nasha Marka (Our Brand). Below is a quote from a famous novel. Anyone remembers which one?
You'd like to smoke, I see?' the stranger addressed Homeless unexpectedly. "Which kind do you prefer?' 'What, have you got several?' the poet, who had run out of cigarettes, asked glumly. 'Which do you prefer?' the stranger repeated. 'Okay - Our Brand,' Homeless replied spitefully. The unknown man immediately took a cigarette case from his pocket and offered it to Homeless: 'Our Brand...' Editor and poet were both struck, not so much by Our Brand precisely turning up in the cigarette case, as by the cigarette case itself. It was of huge size, made of pure gold, and, as it was opened, a diamond triangle flashed white and blue fire on its lid. (Answer here)
More cigarette cases to come soon. Also, we are compiling "Made in Russia" objects here. We've already got Morskoy Boi arcade game, Lomo camera, etc. Might turn into a book at some point.
In the Soviet Union, cigarettes were plentiful and in great variety (you really need to have a smoke when you are having a drink.) The quality was terrible and the price was attractive (about 50 kopeks -- an equivalent of 40 cents per pack). Each large city had its own cigarette factory which produced several brands, and thus the smokes can serve as a very good review of the Soviet branding. Russia was also importing cigarettes in huge quantities from the sister socialist countries, such as Bulgaria (they were considered much cooler and were slightly more expensive, but still widely accessible, proving that planned economy could get something right after all, but only with a product which is very bad for you.)
Images compiled by LiveJournal user
lukas_pro :
(Here we must interrupt your list, to make a note of this last case, called Nasha Marka (Our Brand). Below is a quote from a famous novel. Anyone remembers which one?
You'd like to smoke, I see?' the stranger addressed Homeless unexpectedly. "Which kind do you prefer?' 'What, have you got several?' the poet, who had run out of cigarettes, asked glumly. 'Which do you prefer?' the stranger repeated. 'Okay - Our Brand,' Homeless replied spitefully. The unknown man immediately took a cigarette case from his pocket and offered it to Homeless: 'Our Brand...' Editor and poet were both struck, not so much by Our Brand precisely turning up in the cigarette case, as by the cigarette case itself. It was of huge size, made of pure gold, and, as it was opened, a diamond triangle flashed white and blue fire on its lid. (Answer here)
More cigarette cases to come soon. Also, we are compiling "Made in Russia" objects here. We've already got Morskoy Boi arcade game, Lomo camera, etc. Might turn into a book at some point.