Matches in the Soviet Union were an impor­tant part of every­day life. Many apart­ments were not con­nected to the cen­tral gas, power or elec­tric­ity sys­tems, so peo­ple needed matches to light a stove to make food or to boil water to take a bath.

Thus, match­box labels served as a daily reminder of the socially accepted rules of behav­ior or life wis­dom advice, most com­monly in the form of a friend rec­om­men­da­tion from the Soviet state. So let’s have a look at this prim­i­tive yet very quaint form of social advertising.

Honey is good for doing sports. 1959.

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