Soviet glasses

The appearance of any thing, be it shoes, clothing or an accessory, depends on the era, economic characteristics and fashion trends. Throughout almost the entire period of the existence of the USSR, mass production was not very diverse, and glasses, which were part of it, were no exception.

What glasses were popular in the USSR?

There were two main types of glasses common in the Soviet Union:

• For vision correction. Corrective devices with diopters were regularly prescribed by ophthalmologists as nearsightedness or farsightedness was discovered among residents of the country.
• Darkened. Initially, they were used as necessary for protection from dust, sparks, fire in industrial production, as well as by people in military specialties. Only later they began to be used as sunscreen by everyone.

Models

Until 1941, they were produced by a single factory - Vitebsk, so the choice was small. A distinctive feature of the model was round lenses with soft elastic earhooks.

Aviators became one of the first fashionable styles of sunglasses.. They got their name thanks to the pilots' notes from which they were made. In the 80s, teardrop-shaped lenses in metal frames, on the faces of military personnel and action heroes, became a symbol of brutality.

Round glasses with steel frames were called “Lennons.” in honor of their most famous owner. In addition, they were a symbol of the hippie movement, although not all Soviet citizens delved so deeply into the origins of this trend.

Women, thanks to the film images of Sophia Loren, preferred the cat eye shape. Also, their interest was attracted by strict geometric frames, one of the popular varieties of which were trapezoidal “wayfarers” in a horn frame.

Frame shapes

The earliest variety was rimless frame, the immediate predecessor of which was the pince-nez. In it, movable arms were attached to round lenses using plastic or metal bolts.

The most common in the Soviet Union was one-piece standard horn square or rounded frame that emphasizes the eyebrows. She was the choice of men who preferred reliability. This style was worn by the famous director Leonid Gaidai, as well as by the main character of “Office Romance” - Lyudmila Prokopyevna Kalugina.

Less common semi-rimless frame, in which the frame covered only the upper part of the lenses. This variety has become part of the image of the hero Alexander Demyanenko - Shurik in films. One of the most original designs for such frames was “clubmasters" The upper arms were made of resin or plastic, and the lower frame was metal.

Glass

There were enough ordinary lenses for people with minor visual impairments; complex bifocal and astigmatic lenses were in short supply.As for sunglasses, good and high-quality ones were also not available to a wide range of consumers. Early models were made of colored mineral glass, later polymer lenses appeared. The largest lenses were "aviators" and "dragonflies". Their size was almost 3 times larger than the human eye.

Features and interesting facts

• European society did not immediately accept glasses. The attitude towards them was ambiguous. There were people who considered them an attribute of vampires and evil spirits.
• In the 50s, Soviet military specialists sent to China observed the local army's exercises. Having asked why the troops were practicing night operations during the day, they received an unexpected answer. It turns out that military leaders need to see clearly and correct all shortcomings, and soldiers, in order to bring the conditions as close as possible to combat conditions, were given dark sunglasses.
• Once, during a regular scientific symposium, a company of Soviet physicists, having spent too much time arguing, was late for dinner. Having hardly received their portions of cabbage soup and bread from the attendant of the already closed dining room, they returned to the room, where they discovered that they had completely forgotten about the cutlery. As a result, the unlucky scientists, in order not to go hungry, had to use their own glasses instead of spoons.

Glasses solve many problems, allowing a person to enjoy life without feeling any physical limitations. And the choice of model and shape depends on the capabilities and personal preferences of each person.