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Printed from: http://petersburgcity.com/news/culture/2015/06/23/Muzey_faberzhe_230615/
Culture news, 23.06.2015 10:12

Russian military cigarette case. XX century.

Russian military cigarette case. XX century.

On June 24, 2015 in Faberg's Museum the exhibition "The Russian military cigarette case will open. The XX century", devoted to celebration of the 70 anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Russian military cigarette case
Visitors will be able to see about 100 cigarette cases belonging to the Russian soldiers and officers battling in the years of Russian-Japanese, Civil, First and Second world wars. The exhibition allows to track the evolution of a military cigarette case from a precious award to an element of military daily occurrence, from refined products of firm of Faberg to subjects of "trench creativity". All these various things unite heroic stories of their owners, regardless of their social status and military ranks. Special value and the selection of the cigarette cases belonging to the soldiers who were at war for our city on the Leningrad front in 1941-1944 is of interest to all Petersburgers. In more detail.
The first cigarette cases (from French "Porte" – to carry and "cigar" – a cigar) were the XVII century an element of luxury and were made in jewellery workshops. However, by the end of XIX - the beginning of the XX century, when smoking became popular in all segments of the population, cigarette cases turned into a habitual and traditional subject of private use. During the same period in the Russian army, they start being used as an encouragement form, and not only officers, but also the lower ranks. Prize cigarette cases as a rule have the engraving reporting, to whom from whom and for what merits the cigarette case is presented. The surge in popularity of cigarette cases falls on time of two world wars of the XX century as trench life is inevitably connected with dampness and dirt, and, therefore, for cigarettes highly valued at the front the reliable tight case was required. Thus the intendantstvo wasn't engaged in specialized supply of parts with factory cigarette cases, and them made directly to a place, in front workshops or is independent – in the entrenchments. As materials for such cigarette cases the plexiglass, aviation aluminium and steel, often, extracted directly in the battlefield served – them removed from padded enemy equipment. No wonder that similar cigarette cases quickly became a status thing – a peculiar trophy and a distinctive sign of the veteran of the war.
Exhibits are provided for an exhibition by the Museum of Faberg, and also the State memorial museum of defence and the Siege of Leningrad, the Military and historical museum of artillery, engineering troops and troops of communication, and private collections of St. Petersburg. In an exposition the materials provided by the Russian State archive of film documentary photographs are used.

News source: Telinfo-SPb

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