Table of contents:
- Riga model house
- First-class canned fish and coveted balm
- Technique with unique design and quality
- Cosmetics and perfumery "Soviet Abroad"
Video: Why the Baltics were called "Soviet Abroad", and what goods of these republics were chased for in the USSR
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In the USSR, the Baltics have always been different, and have never fully become Soviet. The local ladies were different from the rank-and-file union workers, and the men were different from the rank-and-file builders of communism. Under the Soviet Union, three small agrarian states grew into a developed industrial region. It was here that the brands that the whole USSR longed for were born. Soviet citizens rightfully called the Baltic lands their homeland abroad.
Riga model house
Latvia was rightfully considered the legislator of fashion in the Soviet Union. A number of fashion designers were known in Riga, but the Gramolina Model House was especially popular. It was she who brought Riga fashion to the all-union level, equalizing the whole country to herself. Alexandra began her professional career in Riga as a cutter, who in a matter of months became the deputy director of the company. Each show of the House of Models under the direction of Gramolina turned into a sensation. These high-profile events were accompanied by the poetry of Ziedonis to the accompaniment of the young Pauls. Tallinn designers did not lag behind.
Once the fashion-meters of the Estonian capital even dared to release a collection in the colors of the national flag. Of course, the case turned into a scandal, and the collection was banned. Baltic fashion magazines were compared in terms of professionalism and popularity with the legendary VOGUE. "Rigas Modes" and "Silhouette" were a godsend for lovers of beautiful clothes and stylish novelties. Often issues of European and American fashion magazines were smuggled into the port city. Local glossy media successfully reprinted bourgeois models and patterns.
First-class canned fish and coveted balm
The Baltic states supplied the Soviet Union with excellent canned fish. Golden dense sprats were in the lead in the rating of desirable products for the festive table. Despite the decent cost (1 ruble 88 kopecks) compared, for example, with sprat in tomato sauce (33 kopecks), it was a matter of honor to spend on the coveted jar of a scarce product. The recipe is natural and simple. The small fish was smoked, placed in a container, filled with oil and sterilized. At first, exclusively Baltic sprat was used as a raw material, and later they began to smoke sprat, sprat, herring. Not a single tourist has returned from Latvia without the coveted “Riga Balsam”.
Herbal tincture in sturdy ceramic bottles with a cork sealed with sealing wax was an adornment of Soviet sideboards. Created in the 18th century as a medicine, the miraculous drink was still treated by Empress Catherine the Great. The name of the brand was attached to the elixir by the 19th century, when it migrated from pharmacies to wine shops. In the era of the USSR, "Riga Black Balsam" produced a distillery plant. It was not easy to get a drink, and treating guests was very prestigious. By the way, the product is still popular today, as evidenced by the clandestine production of counterfeits.
Technique with unique design and quality
High-quality equipment was produced in the Baltics. The conveyor of the Riga "Straume" made the wildest dreams of Soviet housewives come true. The plant produced coffee grinders, food processors, mixers with an unusual design and, most importantly, high quality. Mixers "Straume" were divided into manual (then they were called electric beaters) and stationary with a deep bowl. The production in Riga saw the light in 1967 and the first dishwashers in the Soviet Union. The models were produced according to the type of German Siemens products. In the 50s in the USSR, they already tried to design bulky dishwashers, but they did not get into mass production. Such large-sized appliances did not fit into the cramped Soviet kitchens. The transistor receiver "Spidol" of the Riga VEF plant was in demand not only within the USSR, but also in the West. In the same place, in Riga, one of the first video tape recorders in the Soviet Union, Radiotekhnika, was developed. By the way, it was Radiotekhnika, founded back in 1927 in the still independent Latvia, that reached its highest development with the arrival of the Soviets. The radio plant became the largest audio equipment manufacturer in the USSR.
After leaving the Union, the plant continued to function and today is known for its audio equipment and professional acoustic systems, being considered one of the largest Eastern European manufacturers.
The list of Baltic vehicles of all levels can be continued for a long time. For their laconic design and reliable quality, suburban cars and trams manufactured at the Riga Carriage Works were appreciated in the USSR. The Riga moped, car audio receivers, radios and much more were known throughout the country. It is impossible not to recall the famous "rafiks" that came off the conveyors of the Riga bus factory. And the Latvian plant "Alpha" supplied semiconductor components for microelectronics. The devices created on their basis were used in military computers, radio fuses, airplanes, tracking and communication devices.
Cosmetics and perfumery "Soviet Abroad"
The best domestic perfumery and cosmetic products in the USSR were the goods of the Dzintars brand. Refined aromas in sophisticated bottles, placed in boxes trimmed with satin, were sometimes an unattainable dream of a Soviet citizen. The range of perfumes is the widest: chypre "Autumn", light "Riga lilac", warm "Koketka" and respectable "Rizhanin" were a meager part of the assortment of the industrial association. Latvian aromas quite adequately replaced the French "Fidji" and "Poison" for Soviet users. In addition to perfumes, Dzintars was famous for many types of soap, cosmetic lotions, face powder, care creams, mascara, etc. Even with the collapse of the USSR, Dzintars products were promoted to international markets by nostalgia for Soviet times. Formed in the Soviet era, the cult attractiveness of the brand has long been the guarantor of the enterprise's work. The image of the manufacturer in the minds of several generations was inextricably linked with the refined, fashionable, stylish and discreet Soviet Baltic states.
In Soviet times, the Baltics were considered almost abroad. There was a completely different culture, special traditions, unique architecture, and rare films that were unlike everything else were filmed there. Baltic actors were popular, they were recognized on the streets, their careers and lives were followed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they remained abroad, but interest in the life of Soviet foreigners has not faded to this day.
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