Before World War II, Soviet citizens had little idea what foreign cigarettes were. Then in the USSR, domestic cigarettes were in use. But everything changed after the inhabitants of the Soviet Union got acquainted with European tobacco products during the war. In the 60s, the first domestic cigarettes with a Java filter appeared. And in the 70s there was already a truly huge selection of tobacco products in shops and kiosks.
On the shelves you could find foreign cigarettes. Bulgarian brands were presented in a particularly wide assortment. There were cigarettes for every taste: with and without a filter, in soft and hard packaging, light and stronger. Especially for gourmet smokers, the Bulgartabac company supplied flavored tobacco products to the USSR. Let's go back to the distant Soviet past and recall what these Bulgarian cigarettes were called, what they were remarkable for, what nicknames they were given to the people and why.
Bulgarian cigarettes without filter "Sun" and "Shipka"
It is generally accepted that among the smokers of the USSR, the least popular were cigarettes without a filter and in soft packaging. However, not all so simple. Flavors changed significantly depending on smoking experience and age. Young people smoked mostly newfangled filter cigarettes. They were lighter, did less harm to health, looked aesthetically pleasing, and tobacco from them did not get into the mouth. And 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 bought them out of cost savings. Virtually everyone could afford these Bulgarian cigarettes in the USSR: the intelligentsia, poor students, and workers. Maybe that’s why Shipka was called by the people a “mass grave”.
Both brands of cigarettes people remember with different emotions. Some speak disparagingly of them, others speak of Shipka and the Sun with respect and yearn for the times when they could be bought at any store.
Bulgarian cigarettes with filter "Stewardess" and "Tu-134"
Bulgarian filter cigarettes were in great demand. People still remember the Stewardess brand. They were not particularly strong and emitted a pleasant aroma of real tobacco with hints of dried fruit. Everyone called the “Stewardess” a “bitch”, but smoked with pleasure.
Another name for Bulgarian cigarettes will be familiar to every person born in the USSR. Virtually everyone tried the Tu-134 in white and blue packaging with the image of a Soviet airplane of the same name. They gave a little bitterness, but were considered quite high-quality, and thanks to their name and design they received the nickname "death on take-off" among the people. "Stewardess" and "Tu-134" were in the middle price category and cost 50 cents.
Bulgarian flavored cigarettes "Vega", "Inter" and "Phoenix"
Fans of exotic tastes could buy flavored cigarettes at the kiosks. The Bulgarian brands "Vega", "Inter" and "Phoenix" with sweet and fruity odors knew the whole Soviet Union. They differed from each other, like heaven and earth, and caused a storm of emotions among smokers, and not always positive ones. Vega cigarettes had a smell that resembled prunes and pears at the same time. They were not very strong and had a pleasant unobtrusive taste.
But the “Inter” were reputed to be excessively sweet and unforgivably light. But worst of all, the inhabitants of the USSR belonged to the "Phoenix" because of the very sugary smell. It was rumored that pipe manufacture was used in their manufacture. However, this fact did not affect the reputation of the Phoenix, irrevocably damaged by flavorings.
Popular bulgarian cigarettes
A photo of the Rodopi pack can be seen below. These Bulgarian cigarettes were in greatest demand. They were sold in hard packaging. Tobacco in cigarettes was of medium strength and had a pleasant sweetish taste. “Rhodope” was generally liked by people, although flaws were also observed. Some cigarettes caused a cough, others claim that they needed to be dried on a battery, otherwise they could suddenly go out during smoking. The Rodopi even gave the nickname "fire-fighting cigarettes." Every Soviet person remembers them. After all, 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 Rodopi brand becomes one of the first topics for discussion.
Prestigious Bulgarian BT and Pirin cigarettes
Well-off people could afford expensive cigarettes. The Bulgarian brands “Pirin” and “BT” were reputed to be the most prestigious. For a middle-income person, they were an inadmissible luxury. BT cigarettes had a neutral taste. Their smoke was not as caustic as from cheap brands. But, despite all the advantages, “BT” was still a victim of the smokers ’sharp tongue, which gave them a rude name -“ sidewalk bulls ”. Pirin cigarettes were slightly stronger than BT, and slightly sour.
Quality Bulgarian Opal Cigarettes
Strong opal cigarettes did not lag behind prestigious brands. They had a bright rich taste and a rather pungent odor. Citizens of the Soviet Union considered them one of the best. An additional advantage of cigarettes was their reasonable price. If BT cost 80 kopecks, then Opal cost only 50 kopecks. Of course, many chose the latter option. It is worth noting that Soviet people also eagerly made fun of “Opal” cigarettes. Because of their name, they gained fame as 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 one could see a red-and-white “KOM” pack, an original square package of “Tomasyan”, cigarettes with a “Pliska” paper filter. These brands are less known, but in the memory of people born in the Soviet Union, they are carefully preserved until now.
So we remembered what Bulgarian cigarettes 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 quite successfully competed with domestic as well as other foreign brands of cigarettes. An interesting question is what exactly they conquered the Soviet man.
Why were Bulgarian cigarettes in demand?
Firstly, they were really high-quality and affordable cigarettes. Bulgarian brands won in this respect against domestic ones. Inexpensive Soviet cigarettes often faded due to the fact that the tobacco in them was damp and did not contain components that ensure free smoldering. They were densely packed, and they had to be kneaded by hands before smoking. Not everyone liked them. A solid domestic brands were expensive. The second advantage of Bulgarian cigarettes was their unusual overseas taste, which was new to Soviet citizens.
They were also preferred by exotic foreign brands. Along with Bulgarian cigarettes, Cuban was imported into the USSR, which was produced from waste from the production of cigars. They were so strong that not every person had the courage to smoke them. Asian countries, in particular Vietnam, also delivered tobacco products to the USSR. It tasted disgusting.
Bulgarian cigarettes of the Soviet period stood out clearly from their many competitors, so now they are remembered with nostalgia and genuine respect.