Trying to Get Help with a Russian Blend

[madox07]

We were having a discussion tonight on an online club meeting, talking about Russian blends. It may be a possibility for us to get some from Chișinău, Republic of Moldavia. I remember a distant conversation I had with someone who recommended a blend called Baba Yaga, and for some reason I simply cannot find any pictures online. I am either not spelling it right, or it is no longer available, but I did put it on my bucket list and would love to get it if possible. Can anybody help me with a picture of a pouch, perhaps you have it in your cellar or you have better luck than I did with google?

 

[warren]

Baba Yaga, the horrendous crone to be feared by all misbehaving Russian children. It's been years since I lived and worked in the SSR but, I never saw any SSR produced pipe blends. Lots of cigarettes. Some were surprisingly good.
I only knew a couple of pipe smokers who were Russian. I was primarily in the Far East. There is more pipe usage in the large pipulation centers in western Russia.

Currently all I can locate with regard to Molovan, not a Russian satellite, tobacco products are a brand of cigarettes. The country heavily taxes tobacco, even homegrown as they are heavily dedicated to eradicating tobacco use. So, I believe you are out of luck.

 

[anotherbob]

Baba Yaga, the horrendous crone to be feared by all misbehaving Russian children.

also an early adopter of avant garde architecture. That guy that made falling water has got nothing on her.

 

[dcon]

I was in Moscow and St.Pete about this time last year. Warren has pretty well spelled it out. I was able to get some Russian cigarettes but, did not find anything distinctly Russian in the way of pipe tobacco. I have also bought from some online Russian sites and they do not list any either.

 

[madox07]

Hmmm .. russian or not I can remember a package, yellowish brown with a witch type of character drawing on the front. The characters were Latin, not chyrilic ... any road, thanks for the input, guys. I really can't place this whole baba yaga thing right now, hopefully I will get to the bottom of it.

 

[mso489]

Interesting that Russia would be strict about tobacco when they almost mandate overuse of vodka. To say they ply guests with alcohol is hardly fair warning.

 

[warren]

Russia isn't particularly strict about tobacco. Providing such simple "luxuries" is one of the keys to the success of a, for all intents and purposes, a military dictatorship. Diversions must be provided for a population which is kept under the heel of government, limited freedoms and such.

Now, Russian wives were strict when I lived there. Smoking was generally relegated to a chair by an open kitchen window in winter. In summer they insisted smoking was done in the public stairwells or, out of doors. Apartments are small, usually overcrowded and the stench of stale smoke was not welcomed by the "boss" of the residence.

Moldova is not Russia. Nor, is it any longer an SSR as the SSR no longer exists. Moldova is reacting to tobacco in the manner of so many countries. Tobacco is something to be well taxed to reduce use and increase government moneys.

 

[kcghost]

Quality Russian blend!? Never heard of such a thing.

 

[jvnshr]

I searched both in latin and cyrillic to no success. There is only one house blend called Baba Yaga, and it is not a Russian blend but a Balkan-inspired English aromatic according to a Facebook post.

 

[edger]

I'm told that Stalin imported Edgeworth Slice.

 

[madox07]

I searched both in latin and cyrillic to no success. There is only one house blend called Baba Yaga, and it is not a Russian blend but a Balkan-inspired English aromatic according to a Facebook post.

that must be it, can you post a link please? I am sure I will recognize the package ...

 

[madox07]

Moldova is not Russia. Nor, is it any longer an SSR as the SSR no longer exists. Moldova is reacting to tobacco in the manner of so many countries. Tobacco is something to be well taxed to reduce use and increase government moneys.

agreed, but still tobacco is far more affordable than in the EU. In comparison to the prices we are used to in Romania, one could live like a king in Moldova with an above average Romanian salary. Unfortunately the country is still pretty poor, and the signs of the old soviet dominion are still visible 30 odd years after the Soviet Union fell.

In as far as tobacco, recently a friend brought us some local made cigarettes bearing some fancy western name I cannot remember, not that bad in taste if you ask me - certainly lacking the additives that they put in the international brands within the EU. They were priced at about a quarter of the price I pay for the occasional pack of Dunhill Blacks I smoke.

 

[chilllucky]

All I can remember of Russian tobacco discussion on the forums since I joined:

Bruno's Socialist Codger Experience :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

After seeing a thread on most repellent blends, I am inspired to share with you a longer write-up I posted at a different forum. Since this is not a formal review per se, decided to put it up here. I hope you'll enjoy and if there's interest, I will continue with a follow-up here as well...

pipesmagazine.com

Blends From “Elsewhere”. :: Pipe Tobacco Discussion

Modern blends available to us seem to come mostly from a few sources with very few traditional firms of the past still in existence. We have some in the US, few left in the U.K. and a few major EU players that are producing most of the major blends on the market today. I remember reading about...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[jvnshr]

that must be it, can you post a link please? I am sure I will recognize the package ...

I don't use facebook so I can't provide a direct link, Just google St. Pete Pipe Club Baba Yaga and it will show up. I doubt it has a package since it is a house blend.

 

[condorlover1]

The only ones I know of are the cigarettes Belomorkanal in the blue cardboard packs and the loose tobacco Makhorka that was sold in black pouches with the name in red Russian letters. The loose tobacco was I think made for cigarettes but it would smoke OK in a pipe if you puffed gently.

 

[madox07]

Here are 4 Russian pipe blends from another source. It seems that this A.G. Rutetenberg brand is the most prolific over there in as far as pipe tobacco:

Pipe & Cigar Club Bucureşti • Vizualizare forum - A.G. Rutenberg

forum.pipa-bucuresti.ro

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Well , Pogar Cigar and cigarette factory in -Russian Federation produces a wide range of Russian domestic pipe tobacco blends today (cost some 4 e per 40gr pouches) There are at least 10 various blends , Burley, Virgina, Kentucky blends and on,about the quality and taste of thse blends I can not tell since so far I haven't bought any

 

[puff_not_snuff]

And you want these blends solely for the reason that you cannot buy them?