Perfume in the Soviet Union was more than just a beauty product—it was a mirror of ideology, innovation, and identity. From early efforts to nationalize and simplify cosmetics under Lenin’s rule to the nostalgic revival of iconic scents like Red Moscow, Soviet perfumery tells the story of a nation through fragrance. This chapter explores the evolution of the industry from utilitarian hygiene to a cultural touchstone shaped by politics, propaganda, and personal memories.

The Early Years of Soviet Perfume

During the civil war, perfume production halted as factories were repurposed for soap and hygiene products. In the early 1920s, Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP), which allowed some private enterprise, leading to the resurgence of the perfume industry. After the revolution and the nationalization of fragrance factories, the State repurposed operations away from frivolous and luxurious perfumes and cosmetics which catered to the wealthy to functional products like soap which served everyone. The state wanted to advance their own policies which emphasized body hygiene, physical aptitude and kul’ternost’ – a comprehensive term that included literacy, good manners, proper dress and being civilized. Achieving this end through the consumption of products opened the door to cosmetics, makeup and perfume.

Perfume, however, was not created according to the imagination of the perfumer. Fragrances were commissioned by the State who wanted to control them and use them to promote their ideology. They were produced in large quantities and were relatively simple, pleasant and fresh, designed to have mass appeal. Wearing perfume was a way to feel clean and fresh rather than as a means of self-expression, as it was in Western society.

TeZhe, the Soviet State trust which manufactured cosmetics, toiletries, makeup and perfumes, became a manufacturing and marketing behemoth. Under Madame Zhemchuzhina’s* direction, cosmetics and toiletries demonstrated the State’s prowess in a scientific industry. She wanted products to have a health benefit and to be rooted in science. Many Soviet perfumes were created by scientists and chemists who used both natural and synthetic ingredients in new fragrance formulas. By the end of 1935 they were producing upwards of 100 different scents, and the quality had improved over the years.

From a branding and marketing perspective, fragrance became a source of state propaganda, a means to promote the glory of the State. Perfumes had patriotic names that celebrated Soviet events such as Hero of the North (Geroy Severa) and Victory of Kolkhoz (Kolkhoznaya pobeda), or spoke of the domestically produced ingredients (Jasmine, Lily, Lavender). The packaging, which had favored the Art Nouveau style before the revolution, went through a dramatic shift, sporting avant-garde themes and Art Deco design elements.

Over the decades following the Revolution to the end of WWII, the perception of perfume had changed drastically from being a sign of capitalist decadence to becoming a proud symbol of the nation’s industrial strength.

Notable Soviet Perfumes

While perfumery in the West had renowned brands such as Guerlain in France and Floris in the UK, the Soviet Union had their own range of scents that embodied the ideals of the state. Among the best-known fragrances were:

1. Red Moscow (Krasnaya Moskva, Russian: Красная Москва, literally Red Moscow, figuratively Beautiful Moscow): One of the most famous Soviet perfumes, it was launched in 1925 and became an icon. The perfume was named after the capital of the Soviet Union and had a rich floral scent with a long-lasting sillage, mixing notes of jasmine, rose, and lily of the valley. Red Moscow was not just a fragrance—it became a symbol of Soviet identity. After WWII it became popular throughout the Eastern Bloc. The fragrance has survived the demise of the Soviet Union, it is still produced by the New Dawn factory.

2. Troînoi or Troynoy : A legendary Soviet perfume said to have been Joseph Stalin's favorite fragrance. The story goes that the original perfume was brought to Russia by Napoleon Bonaparte, who was known for his usage of eau de cologne, and was appreciated for its refreshing, hygienic and therapeutic properties. There were many versions of this scent, the name of which translates to Triple, which could refer to its strength. Sold in large bottles, it was a muti-purpose product used as a perfume or after-shave, as an antiseptic and even as an alcoholic beverage. The fresh fragrance has notes of lemon, neroli, bergamot, lavender and mint.

3. Red Poppy: Launched by New Dawn in 1927 to mark the 10 year anniversary of the Revolution, it was a spicy scent which was probably based on a formula from the archives. The packaging sported a large red poppy and had Chinese design elements. According to Olga Petrouchenko of Perfume Walks, “They were just in the middle of the opium wars so it so it didn’t go over well with the Chinese.”

5. Soviet Chantilly: A product of the 1950s, Soviet Chantilly was an attempt to create a Russian version of the famed French Chantilly perfume. It had a softer, powdery scent, evoking notions of cleanliness and femininity. It was marketed as an elegant fragrance but remained rooted in the modest ideals of the Soviet lifestyle.

When I met Ms Petrouchenko last November she gave me a velvet pouch in which I found several vials of Soviet perfumes that she had drammed for me from her personal collection.

Swan Princess (Tsarevna Lebed) by Brocard is a powdery floral. Another Brocard fragrance, Malachite Flower (Malakhitovy Tsvetok), a rich floral, was inspired by a folkloric tale of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain. The 1946 film can be compared to the American Wizard of Oz complete with songs, a moral to the story, and may I say glamourous women. The film (The Stone Flower, 1946) with English subtitles can be found on YouTube (I watched it in France) but sadly blocked in many countries.

Perfume was a cherished gift, particularly given on March 8th (International Women’s Day). Husbands and boyfriends often gifted bottles of Red Moscow or other fragrances, reinforcing its status as a luxury that was meant to be treasured.

The Golden Age of Soviet Perfumery

Naturally perfume production had declined during the Second World War, but by the 1950’s it was thriving again. Natalya Dolgopolova, a leading historian on Soviet perfumes, calls the period of the 1950’s to 1960’s the “Golden Age of Soviet Perfumery.” Archives indicate the gross weight of fragrance production (perfume, eau de toilette and eau de cologne combined) at approximately 30,300 tons in 1965, well beyond the levels produced by leading Western countries. What had happened to make this possible?

Nikita Khrushchev had come into power and he ushered in a period of relaxed censorship and repression. Known as Khrushchev’s Thaw, it was a time that allowed more freedom of information in the arts, in the media and in cultural exchange. In 1959 the American National Exhibit came to Moscow with the goal of showing American productivity and prosperity while planting the seed for the Soviets to ramp up production of consumer goods at the expense of producing arms. French fashion maison Christian Dior hosted a fashion show in Moscow, reviving the old cultural links between the two states.

Following these events, the New Dawn factory expanded its range of fragrance and Soviet perfumes became more accessible. Shopping arcades that recalled the Imperial era were reopened. Perfume played a role in state propaganda to portray the Soviet mastery of science and art.

The Decline of the Soviet State

By the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union began to face serious challenges. Economic growth slowed down considerably, not only were there chronic shortages of consumer goods but the quality had declined. Clearly the State had to focus on practical concerns, however, women still made an effort to maintain beauty standards, including the use of perfume. Nevertheless, the perfume industry suffered due in part to the scarcity and the quality of raw materials. Red Moscow continued to be produced and remained popular, but as a result of Glasnost (openness) people had also acquired a taste for Western brands.

But now something didn’t make sense to me. How and where were they buying fragrance when it was difficult to buy food?

After all the research I had done on these articles, I had a lot of questions about daily life in the Soviet era. I wanted real testimonials from people who lived through it and could give an eyewitness account of how perfume was worn and consumed in the Soviet Union. I asked my contacts if I could interview their relatives, I reached out to authors of articles I’d used as sources to ask them to share their memories.

Ruslana’s Story

“I grew up in Leningrad which we now call St. Petersburg. I remember my grandmother kept a bottle of Red Moscow on her bureau which she wore on special occasions. It was considered to be the best and that every lady should have a bottle. I never liked it and wondered why it was considered to be the best. We also had Lily of the Valley that was popular, second after Red Moscow and I remember the box for Malachite Flower by Novaya Zarya. People didn’t have much to choose from.

My mother was born in 1949. I know French fragrances like Climat from Lancome and Fidji by Guy Laroche were popular when she was young. Men gave fragrance to women as presents. Sometimes you could find these fragrances in the shops, but they were a luxury item. Consider the price was maybe 50 rubles and my father’s monthly salary was 150 rubles. I know that people who worked abroad, especially sailors, could buy things when they travelled, and then people would buy directly from them.

I also remember that Soviet citizens who worked abroad and were paid in foreign currency could convert their salary to rubles or certificates that could be used in Beriozka shops which were run by the government. These shops cropped up around the 1950’s and carried brands from around the world.

Raisa Gorbachev, the wife of the last leader of the USSR, had a tremendous influence on women. She was stylish and exquisite, she became a sort of symbol of perestroika, bringing fashion and style to the Communists. The first official Lancome shop came to the Soviet Union because of her. I remember when I was about 15 I wore a perfume called Renomé by Novaya Zarya which was a joint project between Russia and France, thanks to Madame Gorbachev.”

Felix’s Memories

“I emigrated to the USA from Moscow in 1989 when I was 30 years old. I remember and know that my mother used the perfume "White Lilac" ("Belaya Siren') in the Soviet Union, which was produced by the factory "Northern Lights" in Leningrad. It was a very pleasant smell for me.

As far as I remember, Soviet perfumes were not very expensive, the prices were very affordable for most Soviet people. But foreign perfumes were expensive, not for every day. I remember in 1982 I bought my girlfriend, my future wife, the French perfume "Magie Noire" from Lancome, which then cost around 35 or 45 rubles. My salary as a young Soviet Engineer after graduating from college was 115 rubles a month!!!”

Viktoria’s Memories

“My grandmothers preferred elegant complex floral bouquets with a predominance of mimosa and jasmine - for example, "International Women's Day" and "Amethyst" from Novaya Zarya. My mother wore Zilite, a classic chypre with oak moss, Ridziniece, a classic aldehyde fragrance in the style of Chanel No. 5, Sarms, a floral-musky fragrance, Dzintars-21 - a very fashionable perfume at that time with notes of floral, fruity, salicylate and resinous. She also liked the perfume "Vis-a-Vis" from the Northern Lights factory - very fashionable, in the style of Chanel No. 19.

My memories date from the 1980’s. I didn't know anybody who wore the perfumes "Red Moscow" or "Red Poppy". Some of my friends were delighted with the perfume "Shahrazada" by the Ukrainian factory Scarlet Sails - it was a sweet fruity-spicy fragrance with sandalwood and a lot of vanilla. It was a real gourmand scent long before the worldwide trend in gourmands!

The men around me were generally indifferent to perfumes, they used what their wives bought them. There was a division: extrait de parfum for women, eau-de-cologne for men. Men used colognes not as perfumes, but instead as after shave lotions. Soviet factories did not produce EDT and EDP concentrations. When L'Oreal began producing the Eau Jeune line at the Novaya Zarya factory in the early 1980s, the labels were Russified and instead of "eau de toilette" they wrote "cologne" on them. Because of this, the Soviet public decided that Eau Jeune was intended for men - and men did not hesitate to wear the white floral Fleur-a-Fleur and the soft oriental L'Orienthale.”

Olga’s story

“As far as I remember, there were always queues in the shops, for everything from food to clothes. Service wasn’t a concept because you couldn’t be fired: you got your salary regardless. The people who worked in the shops often didn’t care and they didn’t make an effort to provide customer service. It looked as if they weren’t interested in making their business profitable: the presentation of the goods didn’t seem to matter, packaging in the 1980s was rather dull, purchases (even souvenirs bought mostly by foreign tourists) were usually wrapped in an ugly dark paper, sales people were often rude to the customers.

Stock was often inconsistent. One of the reason is supply shortages, but it could also depend on the fact that shops’ employees, their friends and family were the first to have access to high quality goods. The remaining stock was what general public saw on the shelves. It wasn’t an open market so you had to have connections. That counted much more than money.

Women have always taken care of themselves. They saved their money and they were able to buy. Fragrance and looking beautiful was always very important. You see it even in movies from the 1930’s where a woman goes from being a shepherdess to a college student and then she starts to be concerned about her image.

My grandmother loved Tea Rose. She also had a bottle of Red Moscow (almost untouched as it wasn’t her favourite perfume) and of Lily of the Valley, both very moderately priced fragrances.

In the early Soviet times, families still had some foreigns perfumes left. Mikhail Bulgakov in his novel “Master and Margarita” describes Moscow in late 1920s and mentions Guerlain. In other books and memories we read about Molinard, Dior, Carven and Maybelline working as anchors and the reminder of better times through the most tumultuous historical events.

French perfumes were always everybody’s dream! Chanel N5, Magie Noire and Climat from Lancome, Turbulence Revillon, L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci are a few I remember. But also fragrances from Poland, e.g. Pani Walewska in its elegant dark blue bottle and Być Może that always came in a tiny 5 ml bottle. Bulgarian Signature by Alen Mak had a romantic sky blue ribbon around the neck of the bottle. It's still in my collection".

Thank you to my sources for sharing their recollections and stories with our readers.

The Legacy of Soviet – and Russian – Perfumery

Soviet-era perfumes, once symbols of modest elegance and cultural identity, have seen a nostalgic revival in recent years. Despite the collapse of the USSR and the influx of Western luxury brands, many former Soviet citizens still cherish the familiar scents of their youth. Iconic fragrances like Red Moscow continue to be produced, serving as fragrant links to a complex past. Collectors and modern consumers alike are seeking out vintage Soviet perfumes, leading to a resurgence of historic brands with contemporary updates.

Though Soviet perfumes never achieved global renown like their Western counterparts, they held deep significance for those who used them. Fragrances like Lily of the Valley and Red Moscow embodied a uniquely Soviet blend of functionality and refinement. The legacy of perfumers such as Brocard and Rallet lives on through enduring brands like Novaya Zarya. Russia’s perfume industry, shaped by political upheavals and cultural shifts, stands as a resilient symbol of national heritage and aesthetic expression.

* Polina Zhemchuzhina, See Chapter 2

My sincere thanks go to Olga Petrouchenko and her cousin Ruslana, Felix Segal and Viktoria Vlasova for their stories and their insight. They have all been extremely generous with their time and their support in making this series happen. Their knowledge and unceasing pursuit of the story behind the story have been an inspiration for me.

SOURCES

Krasnaya Moskva - Wikipedia

A New Compendium of Bizarre and Banal Soviet Stuff

Politiques du parfum et des odeurs - Nez le mouvement culturel olfactif

Les senteurs de l'URSS - Russia Beyond FR

CHANEL No 5, RED MOSCOW, AND THE SCENT OF TOTALITARIANISM | 032c

Champagne Socialism - Lux Magazine

Smells like Soviet spirit: a brief history of perfume and cosmetics | Russia | The Guardian

Cleopatra's Boudoir: Brocard

Soviet Chanel: How “Red Moscow” Became the Most Popular Perfume in the USSR

The FIRST Soviet Perfume: Red Moscow

(PDF) Marketing for Socialism: The Soviet Cosmetics Trust TeZhe in the 1930s

How Raisa Gorbacheva revolutionized the image of the Soviet first lady (PHOTOS)

Triple Cologne ~ Vintage Fragrances