You do not smell every day a soviet perfume but when you do it is always a surprise because those smells belong to another era, unknown (in terms of sensorial experience) for many in the West. I've recently resmelled Kremlin from its characteristic tower shaped bottle. Like Red Moscow it is an iconic perfume with a strong message and mysterious history. It seems that a perfume with that name existed around 1900 and was produced by Brocard. In the 30's it was produced by TEJE trust and later is known as a Novaya Zarya perfume. I think that this bottle is still in production. Reformulation was not unknown to soviets but I do not know how it happened for Kremlin. The perfume I smelled seems to be from a period before the 70's.
It has a very strong impact where 2 molecules are noticeable - fresh linalool and terpineol. A big bitter and synthetic citrus bouquet is put over an accord of lilac-heliotrope powdery base, light jasmine and ionone alfa. The spicy sweet and cinnamon like note of cinnamic alcohol is noticeable from the top. After several hours of strong, light-fresh-soapy notes, the perfume changes into something familiar. It is reminiscent of Origan drydown with all the facets: orange flower, carnation, violet-orris plus sweet balsamic notes and musks. It starts to be very powdery and very musky (nitromusk like), but well blended. I had the strong impression that the perfume is made from 2 parts, the first being very harsh almost dissonant (I'm not sure about the deterioration).
To me it is also reminiscent of another old perfume - Tosca 4711 (from the 20's and again inspired by Origan).
As I noticed in several old soviet catalogues it seems that this perfume was masculine, fact that I was not aware during the "smelling session". Also, it was described as "the fragrance of roses in bloom at plantations in Crimea and Caucasus", another aspect that didn't quite fit with my impressions.
In terms of style there is a certain similarity with several perfumes from 50's and 60's - "Avon the Terrible".
For many years the history of fragrance, as seen in the books, was only French. Because history should not make distinctions of value or taste, I believe that both American and Russian perfumery deserve a place or at least to be mentioned.
It has a very strong impact where 2 molecules are noticeable - fresh linalool and terpineol. A big bitter and synthetic citrus bouquet is put over an accord of lilac-heliotrope powdery base, light jasmine and ionone alfa. The spicy sweet and cinnamon like note of cinnamic alcohol is noticeable from the top. After several hours of strong, light-fresh-soapy notes, the perfume changes into something familiar. It is reminiscent of Origan drydown with all the facets: orange flower, carnation, violet-orris plus sweet balsamic notes and musks. It starts to be very powdery and very musky (nitromusk like), but well blended. I had the strong impression that the perfume is made from 2 parts, the first being very harsh almost dissonant (I'm not sure about the deterioration).
To me it is also reminiscent of another old perfume - Tosca 4711 (from the 20's and again inspired by Origan).
As I noticed in several old soviet catalogues it seems that this perfume was masculine, fact that I was not aware during the "smelling session". Also, it was described as "the fragrance of roses in bloom at plantations in Crimea and Caucasus", another aspect that didn't quite fit with my impressions.
In terms of style there is a certain similarity with several perfumes from 50's and 60's - "Avon the Terrible".
For many years the history of fragrance, as seen in the books, was only French. Because history should not make distinctions of value or taste, I believe that both American and Russian perfumery deserve a place or at least to be mentioned.
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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
