Name/Title
"Особый" (Osobiy / "Special") tooth powderEntry/Object ID
2025.1.60Description
A round cardboard box of Soviet tooth powder. The lid is printed with a dark central cartouche reading "ОСОБЫЙ" (Osobiy, "Special") in cream lettering, framed by the words "ЗУБНОЙ ПОРОШОК" (zubnoy poroshok, "tooth powder") curving across the top, with a small Svoboda factory roundel/logo and Moscow attribution below. The ground is a worn yellow/cream. The lid is aged, soiled, and split across the lower center; the box holds a loose dentifrice powder. Cyrillic text only.Context
Tooth powder was used before the 1960s, when toothpaste became popular in the USSR. "Special" tooth powder was the most popular brand.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collectionMade/Created
Manufacturer
VSHV Svoboda FactoryPlace
City
MoscowCountry
U.S.S.R.Region
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeEdition
SpecialInscription/Signature/Marks
Location
LidTranscription
ЗУБНОЙ ПОРОШОК
ОСОБЬІЙ
СВОБОДАLanguage
RussianTranslation
Tooth Powder
Special
SVOBODANotes
Lid (Russian/Cyrillic): "ОСОБЫЙ" ("Special," the brand/edition); "ЗУБНОЙ ПОРОШОК" ("tooth powder"); Svoboda factory roundel with "СВОБОДА" and "МОСКВА" (Moscow).
Languages: Russian (Cyrillic).Dimensions
Height
3.7 cmCircumference
8 cmMaterials
Material Notes
MATERIALS: Printed cardboard box (lid shown) with lithographed label; contains tooth powder (a dry dentifrice, typically chalk-based).
TECHNIQUES: Lithographically printed cardboard lid; the powder a milled dentifrice. The box is the round push-fit type standard for Soviet tooth powder.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Gertrudis Caraballo GálvezNotes
ownerPerson or Organization
VSHV Svoboda FactoryNotes
producerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
storagePlace
City
MoscowCountry
U.S.S.R.Region
Eastern EuropeContinent
EuropeNotes
productionResearch Notes
Notes
This is a box of Soviet tooth powder (зубной порошок) of the "Особый" ("Special") line, made by the Svoboda factory in Moscow — one of the principal Soviet producers of soap, cosmetics, and toiletries. Tooth powder, a dry chalk-based dentifrice applied with a wet brush, was the dominant form of toothpaste in the USSR before tube toothpaste became widespread.
The powder doubled as a metal polish, used to clean silver — a common secondary household use for chalk-based tooth powders.Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
May 4, 2022Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 3, 2026
