Antique Christmas postcard (Russian Empire, 1900s-1910s)
This blog is about old postcards, book illustration, history and culture of Russia and the Soviet Union. I'm a long time collector, and this blog is 10 years old.
I know most of my followers have had their Big Celebration Of The Year by now, but for me it’s still two days ahead. It’s my time to enjoy some holiday trees! :)
(photos via Bolotov.Dacha)
And here’s my collection of vintage cosmonaut ornaments - on display only once a year!
Close ups of my tree ❤
Hey guys, if you have any vintage Soviet ornaments on your Christmas tree, you can send me pictures (or link to your post), I’d love to post them!
Merry Christmas to all of my readers who celebrate today!
I went to the local art gallery for a screening of Bolshoi’s Nutcracker today. It was magnificent! Today is a good day to listen to Tchaikovsky. Here’s my gift to you - Soviet animation and timeless music. Enjoy!
Nutcracker, directed by Boris Stepantsev (USSR, 1973)
“The Tree Market” by Genrikh Manizer (1847—1925)
Soviet art. “It’s Snowing” by Nikolai Viting.
Vintage ads. Holiday tree ornament bazaar in TsUM (Central Universal Department Store in Moscow), 1953.
С Рождеством!
Въ метель по лѣсу шёлъ лѣсникъ,
Къ себѣ въ сторожку поспѣшая,
Гдѣ съ нетерпѣньемъ, каждый мигъ
Ждала его семья родная.
Тамъ такъ тепло… Огни горятъ,
Тамъ ёлка —дѣтская утѣха!..
И стѣны домика дрожатъ
Отъ крика громкаго и смѣха…
И бодро онъ скорѣй идётъ,
И трудъ тяжёлый, рядъ заботъ
Въ родной семьѣ онъ позабудетъ,
И, видя радостныхъ дѣтей,
Глаза ихъ — солнышка яснѣй, —
Онъ счастьемъ ихъ самъ счастливь будетъ!
(А. Доровъ, Светлячок, 1902 г., №24)
Christmas verse by A. Dorov as published in the Firefly children’s magazine in 1902 (written using the old Russian grammar). Illustration by A. Kucherenko.
(via Russian State Children’s Library)
One of Orthodox Christmas traditions is koledari - a kind of Christmas caroling. One of Russian names for Christmas eve is коляда, and koledari is called similarly–колядки.
Here are some 19 century postcards depicting koledari.
January 6 is Orthodox Christmas Eve. Here are some antique (pre-Soviet) postcards that celebrate Christmas.
(from Yuri Kombolin’s collection)