Cigarettes Bulgarian in the USSR: photo, name

Before the Second World War, Soviet citizens had little idea of what foreign cigarettes were. Then in the USSR in the course were domestic cigarettes. But everything changed after the war saw the acquaintance of the inhabitants of the Soviet Union with European tobacco products. In the sixties the first domestic cigarettes with the filter "Java" appeared. And in the 70's in stores and kiosks was already a truly huge selection of tobacco products. On the shelves you could find foreign cigarettes. Bulgarian brands were represented in a particularly wide range. There were cigarettes for every taste: with a filter and without it, in a soft and hard package, light and firmer. Especially for gourmet smokers, the company Bulgartabak supplied flavored tobacco products to the USSR. Let's go back to the distant Soviet past and remember how these Bulgarian cigarettes were called, what they were remarkable about, what nicknames they were given in the people and why.

Bulgarian cigarettes without filter "Sun" and "Shipka"

It is generally accepted that among cigarette smokers, cigarettes without a filter and in soft packaging were the least popular. However, not all so simple. Depending on the experience of smoking and age, the tastes changed significantly. Young people smoked mostly new-fangled cigarettes with a filter. They were lighter, did less harm to health, looked aesthetically pleasing, and tobacco did not get into their mouths. A heavy smokers with pleasure bought cigarettes without a filter, such as "Sun" or "Shipka". They appreciated the slightly sour taste of real tobacco. "Sun" and "Shipka" were shorter than ordinary cigarettes and were inexpensive. Many people bought them from savings. Almost all of them could afford these Bulgarian cigarettes in the USSR: the intelligentsia, poor students, workers. Maybe that's why "Shipka" was called among the people "a mass grave". Both people remember cigarettes with different emotions. Some speak about them dismissively, others talk about "Shipka" and "Sun" with respect and yearn for those times when they could be bought at any store.

Bulgarian cigarettes with the filter "Stewardess" and "Tu-134"

Bulgarian cigarettes with a filter were in great demand. People still remember the brand of "Stewardess". They were not particularly strong and made a pleasant aroma of real tobacco with notes of dried fruits. "Stewardess" everyone called "bitch", but smoked with pleasure.

Another name for Bulgarian cigarettes will be familiar to every person born in the USSR. "Tu-134" in white and blue packaging with the image of the Soviet aircraft of the same name, tried almost everything. They gave a bit of bitterness, but they were considered quite high-quality, and thanks to their name and design they received the nickname "death on take-off". "Stewardess" and "Tu-134" were in the middle price category and cost 50 cents.

Bulgarian flavored cigarettes "Vega", "Inter" and "Phoenix"

Fans of exotic flavors could buy flavored cigarettes in stalls. Bulgarian brands "Vega", "Inter" and "Phoenix" with sweet and fruity smells knew the whole of the Soviet Union. They differed from each other, like heaven and earth, and caused smokers a storm of emotions, and not always positive. Cigarettes "Vega" had a smell, reminiscent of both prunes and pears. They were not very strong and had a pleasant unobtrusive taste.

But the "Inter" was said to be excessively sweet and inexcusably light. But worst of all the inhabitants of the USSR belonged to the "Phoenix" because of a very cloying smell. It was said that pipe tobacco was used in their manufacture. However, this fact did not affect the reputation of "Phoenix" irreparably spoiled by flavors.

Popular Bulgarian Cigarettes

It is fashionable to see a photo of the Rodopi pack below. These Bulgarian cigarettes were in greatest demand. They were sold in a rigid package. Tobacco in cigarettes was of medium strength and had a pleasant sweetish taste. The Rodopi was generally popular with people, although there were shortcomings. In some, cigarettes were coughing, others argue that they had to be dried on the battery, otherwise they could suddenly die out in the process of smoking. "Rodopi" even gave the nickname "fire-fighting cigarettes." Every Soviet person remembers them. After all, the Rodopi smoked absolutely everything: from schoolchildren to professors. What explains this popularity, no one remembers. But if the conversation is about Bulgarian cigarettes, then the brand "Rodopi" becomes one of the first topics for discussion.

Prestigious Bulgarian cigarettes "BT" and "Pirin"

People with wealth could afford expensive cigarettes. The Bulgarian brands Pirin and BT were the most prestigious. For a person with an average income, they were an inadmissible luxury. Cigarettes "BT" had a neutral taste. Their smoke was not as pungent as from cheap brands. But, despite all the advantages, BT still fell victim to the keen language of smokers, who gave them a rough name - "pavement bulls". Cigarettes "Pirin" were slightly stronger than "BT", and slightly sour.

Qualitative Bulgarian cigarettes "Opal"

Not behind the prestigious brands strong cigarettes "Opal". They had a bright, rich taste and a rather sharp smell. Citizens of the Soviet Union considered them to be among the best. An additional advantage of cigarettes was their reasonable price. If "BT" cost 80 cents, then "Opal" - only 50. Of course, many chose the latter option. It is worth noting that Soviet people also willingly made fun of Opal cigarettes. Because of their name, they got the fame of the enemies of male potency and became the basis of some anecdotes of that time.

Bulgarian cigarettes in the Soviet Union

And this is not a complete list of brands of Bulgarian cigarettes. In the shops you could see a red and white "COM" pack, an original square packing "Tomasyan", cigarettes with a paper filter "Pliska". These brands are less well-known, but in memory of people born in the Soviet Union, they are carefully preserved until now.

So we remembered how the Bulgarian cigarettes that were sold in the USSR were called. All of them firmly entered the daily life of smokers of the 70s and 80s, were in great demand and competed quite successfully with domestic as well as other foreign brands of cigarettes. The question of what they conquered the Soviet man is interesting.

Why Bulgarian cigarettes were in demand?

First, they were really high-quality and affordable cigarettes. The Bulgarian brands won in this respect from the domestic ones. Inexpensive Soviet cigarettes often faded because the tobacco in them was damp and did not contain components that provide free decay. They were tightly packed, and they had to knead with their hands before they lit up. Not all of them liked the taste. A solid domestic brands were expensive. The second advantage of Bulgarian cigarettes was their unusual overseas taste, which was a novelty for Soviet citizens.

They preferred them to exotic foreign brands. Along with the Bulgarian cigarettes, the Cuban was imported to the USSR, which was produced from waste from the production of cigars. They were so strong that not everyone had the courage to smoke them. Also supplied to the USSR were tobacco products from Asia, in particular Vietnam. She tasted disgusting.

Bulgarian cigarettes of the Soviet period stood out clearly against their numerous competitors, so now they are remembered with nostalgia and genuine respect.