Advertising Poster for Satche & Mangoubi Papirosi (c. early 20th century, Russian Empire) RE599196

Advertising Poster for Satche & Mangoubi Papirosi (c. early 20th century, Russian Empire)

In this tempestuous battlefield tableau, the figure of Prince Dmitry Donskoy looms resolute—bearded, mailed, and mounted upon a ghost-pale charger. With shield bearing a sable-red lion and sword thrust upward toward an unseeable sky, he commands both men and moment. Around him: a maelstrom of Tatar warriors, battered and scattered, their helmets discarded, weapons broken, and—marvellously—a trove of Russian papirosi boxes strewn across the field.

The suggestion? That even amid the Mongol yoke and the cacophony of Kulikovo, a good smoke is not merely indulgence—but defiance, heritage, and honour itself.
Ah yes, Russian tobacco as a symbol of national might. It’s nothing short of sublime irony.

Visual Narrative: A Clash of Eras

What begins as a commemorative nod to medieval gallantry swiftly swerves into commercial spectacle. This isn’t mere marketing—this is theatrical warfare turned branded ritual.

Note:

• The scattered weapons, sabres, pistols, and papirosi packets—forming a still life of Russian masculinity

• The contrast of violence and veneration, suggesting that Prince Dmitry would personally approve of your next drag

• A sky bruised with the hues of dawn or defeat (one cannot be certain), hovering like a question above the carnage below

For Whom Is This Intended?

This piece is for the gentleman or gentlewoman with a curatorial eye for imperial propaganda—someone who appreciates:

• Russo-historic aesthetics, from the Tsarist eagle to medieval iconography

• Smoking culture ephemera, particularly the rare category of battlefield-cigarette crossover

• Soviet-era collectors, intrigued by the visual antecedents of later socialist realism

• Stylists and designers, assembling rooms of Slavic maximalism or Muscovite opulence

• Or quite simply: anyone who believes their office, parlour, or den deserves a conversation piece that begins with “Is that a medieval warlord selling cigarettes?” and ends with “Yes. Yes it is.”

Craftsmanship of the Reproduction

• Premium heavyweight 200 gsm semi-gloss paper

• Silk finish that reflects light like burnished mail

• Humidity and scratch resistant, fit for palaces or pipesmoke parlours

• Proudly made in the United Kingdom with fidelity to the original press techniques

“A man who defeats his enemies may be great. But a man who does so with a fine papirosa between his lips—now there, my friend, is a legacy.”
— David Harrison