12/02/2025

Glavspichprom "Keep matches away from children!" Brand (c. 1950s)

Comrade child, put down the match!

Incidentally we’ve jumped from country to country so far, what a varied start! This matchbox is from the Soviet Union, and we can date it to around 1950. We can tell this by the text “ГОСТ 1820-45”. GOST (ГОСТ) is an acronym for "gosudarstvennyy standart" (государственный стандарт), meaning "state standard" or "governmental standard", clarifying that this matchbox was produced under the 1945 standard. This standard was updated several times, with this set originating from early 1950.

This design was reused multiple times by the Soviet Union, with this example being one of the first (if not the first) instances. It was part of a set of 7 labels, all relating to fire safety. The key piece of text reads “Убирайте спички от детей!” ("Keep matches away from children!"), sentiment shared by the other labels in the set as well. “Главспичпром” is "Glavspichprom", a Soviet state monopoly organization that controlled match production in the USSR. The final block of text reads “Ф-ка пролетарского знамя 50 шт” ("Proletarian Banner Factory 50 pieces"), which tells us where it was created, lots of details this time!

After the Second World War, the USSR had a strong emphasis on child safety in general. The state was highly concerned with protecting the next generation after so much loss during the war, so this label is a good example of this social initiative.

I think the design is quite effective, with the bold red colour and prominent text. It would be almost impossible to place the box down absent-mindedly with this design on the cover, so it likely served its purpose well in that regard! I wonder actually, this design most likely did save lives during its production. That’s interesting to think about, how something so ephemeral can have such an impact, I think that’s why I like these things so much.