Soviet Set Designer Boris Knoblok, 1950s

Soviet Set Designer Boris Knoblok (April 19, 1903, Moscow – February 4, 1984, Moscow) – Honored Artist of the RSFSR, the winner of the Stalin and the State Prize of the Tatar ASSR. Boris Georgievich Knoblok belonged to a generation of artists who came to the theater decorative art from painting, architecture, graphic. They mastered a new profession, putting their first performances. Many could not withstand the theater test. Knoblok survived, stayed there forever. He perfectly mastered the traditional space of the stage, drama and music, willingly designed there the performances of contrasting genres. But if within the “scene – the box” was not enough for him, and he was constantly looking for the application of his abilities in the circus, cinema and sports.
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Plate ‘Cubist Hammer’. 1919. PV Kuznetsov. Soviet propaganda porcelain

The early USSR period Soviet propaganda porcelain, has become a business card of our country, the same as the jeweler’s art of Faberge, icons, or avant-garde painting. Indeed, nowadays, products from porcelain cost much and sold at the famous auction houses. Meanwhile, vases, plates, cups, dishes and porcelain statuettes were in many Soviet families. But now, the best pieces of the USSR porcelain, and in particular, early Soviet Soviet era, so-called propaganda porcelain is rarity, worth of best museums. In addition, due to the unavailability of items and a sense of historical belonging, and of course, nostalgia for the recent past, such porcelain is now highly collectible.
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USSR coat of arms. Tea-glass holder for Soviet passengers, traveling by train, and one of the symbols of the railway. Legendary Soviet Podstakannik

Legendary Soviet Podstakannik
Traditionally, in the Ukrainian, Belarusian, Georgian and any Soviet republic’s trains the tea was served and drunk from glasses, not from cups. The stability of the glass on the table provided made of metal “podstakannik” that holds a drinking glass.
Meanwhile, the tradition of drinking tea from glasses and podstakanniks penetrated the life of ordinary families, and homes. Noteworthy, the history of podstakannik is inextricably connected with the history of the USSR. Chosen, in particular, an ideal advertising medium, billboard, and conductor of Soviet propaganda. There was no television yet, and for advertising used other subjects, mostly collectible things. Among them – podstakanniks and matchboxes, stamps and postcards, badges and porcelain figurines. Besides, each of them could not help but caught the eye of every Soviet citizen.
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