Laika (cigarette)
{{Short description|Soviet brand of cigarettes}}
{{infobox brand
| name= Laika
| logo=
| image= 250px
| caption= An old Soviet pack of Laika cigarettes.
| type= Cigarette
| producedby= Various Soviet tobacco factories, including Tabachnaya Fabrika Dukat Moscow and the Tabachnaya Fabrika No.1 Leningrad
| origin= Soviet Union
| introduced= {{start date and age|1957}}
| discontinued= 1990s
| related=
| markets= See Markets
| previousowners=
| trademarkregistrations=
| ambassadors=
| tagline=
| website=
| footnotes = Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1
}}
Laika ({{langx|ru|Лайка}}) was a Soviet brand of cigarettes, which was manufactured by various Soviet tobacco companies, but most notably the "Tabachnaya Fabrika Dukat Moscow" and the "Tabachnaya Fabrika No.1 Leningrad".{{cite web|url=http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/BrandLajka|title=BrandLajka - Cigarettes Pedia|website=www.cigarettespedia.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.zigsam.at/B_Laika.htm|title=Laika|website=www.zigsam.at}} The brand was named after the USSR space dog Laika, the first animal launched into orbit.
History
Laika cigarettes were created in 1957 to honour Laika, a dog sent into space by the Soviet space program.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/stubbed-out-the-21-most-iconic-cigarette-packets-of-all-time/laika-cigarettes/|title=Stubbed out: the 21 most iconic cigarette packets of all time|newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cite web|url=http://mashable.com/2014/10/02/soviet-space-dogs/#GUyHuZCuE5q9|title=How the Soviet Union Honored the Dogs That Conquered Space|first=Chris|last=Wild|website=mashable.com|date=2 October 2014 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy0v9gvQY18|title=Classic Commercial - "Laika Cigarettes" - 1957|last=Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture|date=2 December 2009|publisher=|via=YouTube}} The cigarettes were produced under supervision of the Ministry of Food Industry. The cigarettes were mainly sold in the Soviet Union, but also in the United Kingdom, the People's Republic of Bulgaria and Finland as Duty Free variants.
A few TV advertisements were made for Laika cigarettes.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZl3rnEu7Cg|title=LAIKA|last=MrPazarium|date=7 October 2010|publisher=|via=YouTube}}
It is unknown when the brand was discontinued, but it is speculated that Laika cigarettes were ended when the dissolution of the Soviet Union happened. It is known, however, that the cigarettes were sold up until the 1980s.
Packaging
The pack is a mixture of blue and white, featuring Laika on the front of the pack with the word "Лайка" ("Laika") written underneath in Russian, as well as the Sputnik 2, the Hammer and sickle which is placed on the rocket she was in, and the Moon and various stars, representing space. The back features a message that is written in Russian, as well as a seal of approval, the date the pack was created, the number of cigarettes in the pack (20) and the words "Made in U.S.S.R." written in English.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Russian cigarette brands
Category:Dogs in human culture
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