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In 2003, Russian vodka celebrated its 500th anniversary. In addition to large-scale festivities, the opening of a museum dedicated to the national drink was timed to coincide with this event in Moscow (however, it is far from the only one in the country).
If you want to see the metamorphoses of Soviet labels with your own eyes, it’s time to go there. For those who prefer virtual travel, Vzboltai has prepared a detailed material on the design of vodka bottles during the Soviet era.
Transition from tsarist times to the Soviet era
The design of alcohol in the pre-revolutionary period depended on the clientele for which the drink was intended. On vodka-moonshine for ordinary people, plain labels were used with brief information about the product, volume, and manufacturer.
Bottles intended for representatives of noble circles were decorated with colored drawings, gilding, monograms, and other “pretty things”, and even poured into figured vessels.
With the advent of Soviet power, “bourgeois remnants” are a thing of the past. Vodka labels have acquired a standard – strictly oval or rectangular shape, and buyers are no longer divided into rich and poor.
The labels were printed on flat-bed printing presses based on primitive dyes, which were later replaced by modern flexography, which expanded the color gamut.
However, it is impossible to call Soviet labels of the same type. Each of them had its own history and design.
Russian vodka: double label
Vodka under the Russkaya brand was first produced in the USSR in the 60s. The trademark was registered only in 1969, but before that the drink had already won the first gold medal (at an exhibition in Leipzig). Further – more: production volumes growing every year and more and more awards.
It is noteworthy that the popular Soviet vodka acquired two labels at once:
p> On one were depicted two equestrian Russian knights, proudly marching under a green banner in search of exploits.
The second was decorated with a simple blue inscription “Russian vodka” with antique styling. The nondescript label was supplemented with a gold frame, as well as the words “RUSSKAYA” (top) and “RUSSIAN VODKA” (bottom). From time to time, images of medals received in Leipzig and Plovdiv appeared on a white background. By the way, this option turned out to be the most tenacious: something similar can be seen on modern samples of “the same Russian vodka”.
A double label for alcohol from the USSR was a rarity, if not an isolated case. It is assumed that the prototype of both options was the original sketch, which included both a warrior and an ornate (in the Slavic manner) inscription. But he did not take root, but gave birth to two labels at once, peacefully coexisting for more than a quarter of a century.
During the time of perestroika, the bottle of “Russkaya” went through many transformations: the inscriptions on it either appeared, then disappeared, then were translated into national languages, the knights were eventually replaced by Russian heroes and other national symbols.
Curious: One of the popular design options for Russian Vodka was the use of Vasnetsov’s famous work – the one that depicts Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. On the label, it was signed “Three heroes”, although in fact the picture is called “Heroes”. In the post-Soviet period, other masterpieces of national art appeared on bottles of famous vodka: paintings by Perov, Kustodiev, Savrasov.
Wheat. First nominal
One of the oldest Soviet vodkas (produced even before the war) was the first to get its own name. The rest of the analogues were simply called “vodka” with an indication of the strength: 40, 50, 56 degrees.
The pre-war Wheat label was the most ordinary: no pictures or decorations – only text on a white background. After the war, she was forgotten in the wake of the popularity of Russkaya and Stolichnaya and was remembered only in the 70s. It was at this time that “Pshenichnaya” got its original colorful label. The picture shows a typical rural landscape with rickety houses, green trees and a grain field.
It is noteworthy that in different union republics the label “Wheat” looked the same, but still with its own characteristics. For example, in the Russian territory the sky was completely clear, in Latvian and Belarusian – with a slight haze, in Uzbekistan – with clouds, and in Kazakhstan – it foreshadowed a thunderstorm.
Stolichnaya: mysterious and revolutionary
One of the most famous and at the same time the most mysterious vodkas of the USSR. Historians still argue about the date of its release. Someone claims that the first batch was spilled in besieged Leningrad, someone is sure that this happened already in the 50s in Moscow. However, everyone agrees that the author of the recipe was the distiller Viktor Svirida.
But with the label, everything is not clear. Two people claim the authorship of the drawing: the artist Andrei Ioganson, who became famous for creating political posters, and Vladimir Yakovlev, an employee of Soyuzprodoformleniya. There is no exact information, but it is possible that both specialists worked on the creation of the sketch.
The choice of object is also unusual: the label of Stolichnaya only depicts the newly opened Moskva Hotel, and it is depicted in a collective image that combines the view from different angles. Due to this approach and the mediocre quality of printing, not all Soviet people could recognize the famous building in the picture.
Nevertheless, for its time, the Stolichnaya label was truly revolutionary (and until the early 90s it was the only one with an architectural image). Its uniqueness is also confirmed by the fact that it was mentioned in the famous work “All About Packaging” by Thomas Hine. No other Soviet label has received such an honor.
Most likely, the brand new hotel got on the bottle of Stolichnaya as a recognizable symbol of a growing state. But there is also an alternative, espionage, version on this score, which claims that it could not have done without the participation of Beria.
The legend says that the head of the NKVD thus “advertised” the hotel among the Soviet elite in order to lure as many customers as possible into it and listen in on conversations using devices placed in the rooms.
Embassy vodka
It was developed in the USSR in the early 70s and, as the name suggests, was actively supplied abroad. Among analogues, it stood out with a particularly mild taste and high drinkability, which was explained by a special approach to cleaning. Skimmed milk, coal and quartz sand were used in the processing of the product.
The label was also quite original – in black tones with the image of a man in a red outfit from the time of Peter the Great. The trends of perestroika brought innovations to its design: drawings appeared on the bottle on the subject of presentation of credentials, processions of embassy workers, warlike horsemen and even Kramskoy’s “Stranger”.
Siberian vodka
It was also released in the early 70s and also with a pro-Western design. As a true Siberian, she turned out to be hotter by as much as 5 degrees (45 instead of the embassy’s 40). As for the label, everything is predictable here: the standard idea of Russia for a European consumer is snow, frost, a Russian troika with bells, a coachman driving horses and a traveling couple of gentlemen. The picture was complemented by Russian and English inscriptions. By the way, “Siberian” vodka was supplied not only to the West, but was also popular among Soviet citizens.
Moscow special vodka
One of the most titled Soviet vodkas: it has many medals, including major international exhibitions. When developing the recipe, the pre-revolutionary version was taken as the basis.
The name has also changed slightly (originally, vodka was called “Moscow Special”. Residents of the Union republics remembered the product with a conspicuous green label. Because of this brightness, it was Moskovskaya that was depicted on most anti-alcohol Soviet posters.
However, the color could differ significantly depending on the available paint: along with flashy green, there were olive and light green options. The width of the color band also varied, which could occupy from 20 to 60% of the label. Over the years, the Moskovskaya bottle was decorated with a golden frame, images of medals, factory logos, etc.
golden ring vodka
The first so-called “elite” vodka in the USSR. Appeared after the invention of alcohol of improved purification category “Lux”. In the design, as in the title, the tourist theme was actively exploited: snow-covered expanses, churches, monasteries, horse-drawn carts and ancient coats of arms of Russian cities.
For the incorrect depiction of these same coats of arms, the author of the sketch was later severely criticized, which, however, did not prevent the new vodka from earning popular recognition. This was confirmed by the release in 1980 of the beer brand of the same name, dedicated to the XXII Olympic Games.
Hunting vodka
Appeared in the late 50s, it was distinguished by an increased strength (45 degrees), necessary for quickly warming hunters who were chilled in the forest. A running deer was originally placed on the label, the image of which differed in different factories.
In the late 60s, it was replaced by a black capercaillie against the backdrop of a bright solar disk. What caused such a substitution is unknown, but it was customary to use hunting sausage as an appetizer for new vodka.
In the 80s, “Hunting” vodka was supplied to the West, providing it with two names at once – “Okhotnichya” (in accordance with the original) and “Hunters brandy” (for greater clarity among foreigners). Well, just in case, they added it in large print: “RUSSIAN VODKA”.
High Grade Beverage Labels
In addition to vodka, other strong alcohol was also produced in the USSR: bitter and sweet tinctures, pure alcohol. Their labels did not differ in particular variety and originality: on the bottles of “Lemon tincture” there was a lemon, “Pepper” was decorated with pepper, and “Zubrovka” – bison.
Alcohol did contain only the name, the degree of strength and the most general characteristics. A little more interesting was the bottle of Starkey, inscribed with ornate letters, and later supplemented with monograms.
Relevance: 10.12.2019
Tags: vodka, mash, moonshine