Soviet Art

Dedicated to the International Women’s day series. Collecting USSR matchbox labels

Collecting USSR matchbox labels

Undoubtedly, collecting matchbox labels, known as Phillumeny, was one of the most favorite hobbies for the Soviet people. In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s in major cities of the USSR appeared Phillumeny sections in the frame of collectors clubs. And, in many cases, philatelists of All-Union Society of philatelists officially supervised phillumenists. Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, Phillumeny heyday lasted for two decades – 1960-1980.
In particular, it was the Balabanovo match factory, located in Moscow suburbs, which printed labels for the majority of match factories. In addition, they produced special kits for phillumenists – 100 labels in the set, as well as souvenir sets. Besides, the Baltic factory produced the similar kits, but with their own labels. At the end of 1980 the production of sets for collectors stopped. In part, due to the transition of many factories for the production of matches in cardboard rather than in veneer boxes. After 1991, Phillumeny craze began to decline, and most Phillumeny sections ceased to exist.
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Legendary Soviet chocolate Alyonka

Legendary Soviet chocolate Alyonka has 50 years of glorious history. Chocolate “Alyonka” – milk chocolate, made in the Soviet Union in 1965 and later produced in Russia, including at the confectionery factory “Red October” (1966). A distinctive feature is the cream, “fat” taste. All these years, “Alyonka” has been with us and become one of the symbols of a happy Soviet childhood for generations. And “Alyonka”, as we have known it since the USSR, even has its own museum! In the new food program, adopted in the early 1960s by the USSR government, a special attention was given to the creation of mass, affordable milk chocolate. At various factories in Moscow have begun experiments in creating delicious chocolate. In 1964, Soviet specialists-confectioners of the Moscow factory “Red October” developed appropriate formulation was which was put into production at the factory and at the same time at other chocolate factories – “Rot Front”, Babayevsky, and then in many other Soviet confectionery factories. The first “Alyonka” became Babayevsky girl in a blue scarf. The second became Alyonka made at Rot Front chocolate factory – girl with a watering can and a girl with a dog and a bunny.
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World War II Soviet posters. Popular poster “Motherland calls!” was the first and the most famous Soviet poster of the second world war. The text on the sheet in the Motherland hand is the Red Army oath

World War II Soviet posters
The Most famous Soviet posters of the period of World War II are works of art and reflect elements of the Soviet cultural heritage. Such posters have often been displayed at special stands. Military posters differed in the quality of performance, and form. Some posters were rude caricatures, while others were paintings on military subjects or photographs and had been popular with explanations about what is happening. Popular was a poetic commentary, or a quote from the works of Vladimir Lenin or Iosif Stalin. Popular poster “Motherland calls!” was the first and the most famous Soviet poster of the second world war. The text on the sheet in the Motherland hand is the Red Army oath. The Motherland Calls poster was created by artist Irakli Moiseevich Toidze in late June 1941. The artist himself recalled – upon hearing the first report of the Soviet Information Bureau that Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Toidze’s wife ran into his studio with a cry “War!”. Startled by the expression on her face, the artist ordered his wife to freeze and immediately began to sketch the future masterpiece.
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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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Soviet American actress Anna Sten (December 3, 1908 – November 12, 1993)

Soviet American actress Anna Sten

When in 1935, French actor, cabaret singer and entertainer Maurice Chevalier (1888 – 1972) was asked to list the 10 most beautiful women in the world, he named Anna Sten, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, French actress Annabella, Loretta Young, Merle Oberon, Clara Bow, Kay Francis and others. In Hollywood, the mid-1930s Anna became famous for her ability to pick up clothes. American film producer and studio executive Darryl Francis Zanuck (1902 – 1979) said that she dresses better than anyone he had ever seen. A female director Dorothy Arzner (1897 – 1979) filmed Anna Stan in drama “Nana”, put her on a par with Garbo, Miriam Hopkins, Katharine Hepburn and Ruth Chatterton in his list of the most glamorous actresses. Soviet American actress Anna Sten was born Anna Petrovna Fesak, on December 3, 1908 in Kiev, the Russian Empire.
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80 years to the legendary 1936 Soviet film Circus

1936 Soviet film Circus
Right 80 years ago, May 25, 1936 on the first show in the Green Theater of Gorky Park in Moscow have gathered more than 20 thousand people. The administration was forced to use Moscow mounted police to keep order – all who wanted to watch the comedy film could not fit an open area for the audience. To say that the film enjoyed a huge, well-deserved success with the audience – to say nothing. The film was adored by many generations of Soviet people. Music from the film, created by outstanding composer Isaac Dunaevsky is known to every Russian, and the role of Mary is one of the best film works of great Diva of Soviet Hollywood – Lyubov Orlova. In 1937 the film was awarded the Grand Prix in Paris at an international exhibition, and in 1941 – the Stalin Prize.
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Glory to great Chinese People! Soviet poster artist Viktor Koretsky

Soviet artist Viktor Koretsky (1909-1998) is known primarily as a master of the political poster. He was the member of the Union of Artists, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1964). During his life he made about seven hundred drawings on various topics, especially – political. Viktor Koretsky began his education in Moscow – professional art school (1922-1929). In the late 20’s – early 30-ies he created a gallery of portraits of artists and actors. Since 1931 and almost to the demise of the Soviet Union, he was constantly working on political posters. Under the influence of creativity of John Heartfield and Gustav Klutsis developed its own technique of photo mosaics as a form of poster. Collaborated with publishers “OGIZ”, “IZOGIZ”, “Art”. In 1930 he worked as a decorator for a number of plays of the realistic theater of Nikolai Okhlopkov and theater-studio of Yuri Zavadsky. Almost fifty years he was a member of the editorial board of the publishing house “Reklam-film” (1939-1987).
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