Matchbox label made in the Soviet Union, made in the 1950’s/1960’s. The text on the left side of the label is the name of the matchbox factory. On the left the text reads:”May 1st.” also known as Labour Day. The figure on the label is Nikolai Gogol.
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852) was a Russian novelist, short story writer and playwright of Ukrainian origin.
Gogol was one of the first to use the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works. According to Viktor Shklovsky, Gogol’s strange style of writing resembles the “ostranenie” technique. His early works, such as Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka, were influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing, Ukrainian culture and folklore. His later writing satirised political corruption in the Russian Empire.