Name/Title
"Fialka" (Фиалка / "Violet") perfume/cologne flaconEntry/Object ID
2025.1.273Description
Rectangular clear pressed-glass flacon with reeded/paneled vertical corners, rounded shoulders, and a short threaded neck closed by a cream/ivory ribbed plastic screw cap (knurled skirt). About one-third full of yellow-amber liquid. A single rectangular paper label on the front is heavily deteriorated — orange-brown foxing and water-staining throughout, with paper loss in the upper area — bearing the product name "Фиалка" in a cursive-initial script across the lower portion; faint dark traces in the upper field suggest a now-illegible illustration (probably a violet motif).Context
"Фиалка" (Violet) was a staple of the inexpensive Soviet single-flower "floral series" of mass-market fragrances, produced alongside names such as Ландыш (Lily of the Valley), Жасмин (Jasmine), and Душистый горошек (Sweet Pea). These scents were made by several state perfumery factories over many decades and were among the most widely available, affordable Soviet toiletries. As a Russian-language Soviet product, the piece belongs with the collection's cluster of Soviet/socialist-bloc imported toiletries that circulated in Cuba.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collection, María A. Arús Caraballo collectionMade/Created
Date made
1971Time Period
1970sPlace
Country
U.S.S.R.Region
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeEdition
VioletNotes
Manufacturer: undetermined — no maker mark survives on the label (tentative; the floral-series "Фиалка" was produced by multiple Soviet factories, including Novaya Zarya/Moscow, Severnoye Siyanie/Leningrad, and Dzintars/Riga, so a specific producer cannot be assigned from the surviving evidence).
Date: Soviet-era. The floral series ran for decades; the pressed paneled flacon and cream ribbed screw cap suit mid-to-late Soviet production.
Product type (perfume / eau de cologne / toilet water): not legible.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Transcription
ФИАЛКАLanguage
RussianTranslation
VioletNotes
Label: "Фиалка" in script (ornate cursive Ф, remainder in upright capitals).Dimensions
Height
11.5 cmWidth
5.5 cmDepth
3 cmParts
Glass flacon; threaded screw cap.Materials
Material
Glass, Plastic, PaperMaterial Notes
Colorless pressed glass; cream/ivory plastic screw cap; lithographed paper label; fragrance liquid (contents present).Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
María A. Arús CaraballoNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
ownershipPlace
Country
U.S.S.R.Region
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
productionResearch Notes
Notes
Open questions: producing factory; product type (perfume vs. cologne vs. toilet water); capacity; date.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 31, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 15, 2026