Soviet Matchbox set

Ussr 1970, brand Plitspichprom by Balabanovo factory, material cardboard and matches, cm 18x25,5x2

Russian matchbox label design began in the late 19th century, but it was during the Soviet era that it became a true form of visual communication. In the 1920s, the Main Directorate of Industry passed a regulation requiring all matchboxes to feature “artistic and politically appropriate” labels. This marked the beginning of a unique blend of propaganda, education, and design.
By 1947, matchboxes were officially introduced to the Soviet public as collectible souvenirs. A major turning point came in 1957 during the Sixth World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow, when mass production of illustrated matchboxes began. Themes were wide-ranging: hunting, literature, sports like hockey and football, music, cinema, proverbs, and even the USSR’s complex kinship system.
At the time, 24 factories operated across the country, though only a few, such as Balabanovo in the Kaluga region, designed and printed their own labels. These factories had specialized in-house art departments with dedicated illustrators. Most of these producers ceased operations in the 1990s, marking the end of an era.

One notable example from this tradition is the set “Охота и охотники народов мира” ("Hunting and Hunters of the World"), produced by the Balabanovo factory under the “Plitspichprom” brand. Likely made after 1970, the set contains 18 illustrated matchboxes depicting traditional hunting scenes from around the globe—from African lion hunts to Siberian tiger chases. It includes the original Russian-language insert, framing hunting as a universal and ancient human pursuit.

CO-08-0001 - available