This collection of cigarette boxes highlights Soviet product packaging design largely from the 1920s-30s with some examples from the later decades. The designs span overtly political themes, nationalistic topics, far flung regions and the purely fanciful.

The group consists of 72 items in the complete boxes, sometimes with contents. Production samples of several products are also represented.

"Soviet advertising spoke in the State's name and pursued the State's interests...Everything that was becoming socially, politically and economically most important for this new country was immediately picked up in the advertising...The State competed with the private sector through the large conglomerates of State industry. The advertising of their products was handled by centralized organizations of each industrial sector rather than individual factories...Advertising helped to establish their polysyllabic and often unpronounceable names by circulating them widely, and with them something of the fast, telegraphic style of the times." Soviet Commercial Design of the Twenties. Anikst, Mikhail; Chernevich, Elena. Abbeville Press (1989) at pp. 31-32.

The items in this collection are individually cased for handling and display.

AIDA

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 2 x 3". 1920s.

AIRPORT

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 5" 1939.

ALGERIA

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 3 1/2 x 4 1/2". 1930s.

ALL-UNION AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION 1923

Top only. Factory unknown.

4 x 4 1/2". 1923.

AVIATION

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow. 4 x 4 3/4". 1950s.

BOW

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 2 1/2 x 4". 1920s.

BRICKS

State Tobacco Factory "Red Star". Mosselprom. Moscow.

3 1/4 x 3 1/2". 1920s.

BURLAK

Factory in the name of Rosa Luxemburg. Rostov-on-Don.

4 x 2 3/4" 1920s.

CANNONS

State Tobacco Trust. Uritsky Factory. Leningrad. 3 1/2 x 3 1/4". 1920s.

CAPTAIN'S

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Clara Zetkin Tobacco Factory. Leningrad.

4 x 2 3/4". 1950s.

DEHLI

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 1/2 x 5". 1920s.

DELEGATE

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 3/4 x 5". 1941.

DELEGATE

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 3/4 x 5". 1941.

DUTCHESS PEAR

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 x 5". 1941.

ELITE

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad.

10 1/2 x 7 1/4" 1950s.

EPOKHA

Factory in the name of Rosa Luxemburg. Rostov-on-Don.

4 x 4 3/4". 1920s.

ERZERUM

Metal box. Odessa.

3 1/4 x 4 1/4". 1920s.

EXHIBITION

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

8 1/2 x 5". 1949.

FASHIONABLE

V.I. Asmolov & Co. Rostov-on-Don.

2 x 3 1/4". 1910s.

FESTIVAL

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Uritsky Factory. Leningrad.

4 3/4 x 3 1/2". 1930s.

GTF

Grodno Tobacco Factory in the name of Rosa Luxemburg. Rostov-on-Don.

3 1/4 x 4 1/4". 1920s.

GUARDS

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 5". 1930s.

GYPSY

Third State Tobacco Factory in the name of Comrade Trotsky. Leningrad. 4 x 3". 1920s.

HERZEGOVINA FLOR

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 2 x 3 1/2". 1930s.

HUMMINGBIRD

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 x 3". 1940s.

IRA

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

10 1/2 x 4". 1920s.

JUBILEE

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 1/2 x 5". 1947.

KAZBEK

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Uritsky Factory.

Leningrad. 2 x 3 1/4". 1960s.

KOMINTERN

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 4 3/4 x 4 1/2". 1920s.

KUBAN

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Tobacco Factory After Nov. 9, 1920. Kerch. 1930s.

3 1/2 x 4 3/4"

LENINGRAD

Leningrad Council of Food Management. Leningrad.

3 1/2 x 4 1/2" 1940s.

LTT (Leningrad State Tobacco Trust)

Factory in the name of Comrade Trotsky. Leningrad. 3 1/2 x 4 1/2". 1920s.

LUX

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow. 2 x 3 3/4". 1920s.

MASTERPIECE

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Tobacco Factory Kiev. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". Kiev. 1930s.

MAY DAY

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Clara Zetkin Tobacco Factory. Leningrad.

3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1930s.

MAY DAY

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 1/2 x 5". 1930s.

MAY DAY

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1930s.

METAL CASE

Box only. 3 3/4 x 4 1/4". 1920s.

METRO

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 3 1/2 x 7 3/4". 1940.

METRO

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

8 1/2 x 13 3/4". 1950s. (Production design draft with notes)    

METRO

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

10 1/2 x 11". 1950s. (Production design draft with notes, 3 sheets for top, internal and back)     

MOSCOW-VOLGA

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1940s.

MOSCOW

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1950s.

MOSKVA

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco. Factory Java. Moscow. 3 x 3 1/4". 1950s.

MOSSELPROM EXTRA

State Tobacco Factory "Red Star". Moscow. 4 3/4 x 3 1/4". 1920s.

NEW TBLISI

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Tobacco Factory Tblisi. 3 1/2 x 4 1/2". 1940s.

NORTH

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

8 1/4 x 4 3/4". 1950s.

NORTH PALMYRA

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 4 3/4". 1950s.

OCTOBER

Narkompishcheprom. Tobacco Factory in the name of Clara Zetkin. Leningrad.

3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1940s. (Pencil marks on reverse)

OKTYABRINA

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Factory in the name of Comrade Trotsky. Leningrad. 4 x 3". 1920s.

PACHKA

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Mosselprom. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

3 1/2 x 3 1/4". 1920s.

PERSHOTRAVNEVE

Kharkiv Tobacco Factory. Kharkiv. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1940s.

POLAT

Baku Tobacco Factory. Produced for Siberia and Turkestan. Baku. Attached to board with notes. 9 1/2 x 4 1/4". 1920s. 

RED ARROW

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 4 1/4 x 5". 1940s. 

REVOLUTIONARY YOUTH

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Produced for Mongolia. Leningrad. 3 1/2 x 4 1/2". 1930s. 

RSFSR

Third State Tobacco Factory. Moscow. 2 1/2 x 3 1/2". 1920s. 

RSFSR

First State Tobacco Factory. Moscow. 2 x 3". 1920s. 

POLAT

Baku Tobacco Factory. Produced for Siberia and Turkestan. Baku. Attached to board with notes. 9 1/2 x 4 1/4". 1920s. 

SPECIAL NO. 1

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 3 1/2 x 5". 1930s.

SPUTNIK

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 1/4 x 3 3/4". 1960s.

SPUTNIK

Tyutyunova Factory. Kiev.

8 x 4 1/4". 1960s.

STAKHANOVITE

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 5". 1930s.

STANDARD

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 4 3/4". 1920s.

STORMONG

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Produced for Mongolia. Leningrad. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1920s.

SUKHUMI

Sukhum Tobacco Factory. Georgia. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1930s.

TARI BARI

Lenselprom State Tobacco Factory. Leningrad. 2 3/4 x 2 3/4". 1920s.

THEATER

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow. 2 x 3 1/2". 1930s.

TIGER

Leningrad State Tobacco Trust. Leningrad. 7 3/4 x 3". 1960s.

TRAFFIC LIGHT

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Java. Moscow. 4 x 4 1/2". 1940s.

TSTKA (Central Theater of the Red Army)

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. State Tobacco Factory Dukat. Moscow.

4 x 5". 1940.

WRESTLERS

Ministry of Food Industry USSR. Glavtabak. Leningrad. 4 x 5". 1920s.

ZOT

Narkompishcheprom USSR, Glavtabak. Tobacco Factory Kiev. 3 3/4 x 4 3/4". 1930s.