Russian Playing Card History - From the Beginnings to 1917
An in-depth review of the history of card-playing, gambling, legislation, manufacture and taxation of playing cards in Russia.
“Russian playing card history: from the beginnings to 1917” originally published in The Playing Card, 13 (4), May 1985, pp. 97-113 and reprinted in The Playing Card, 40 (1), Jul-Sep 2011, pp. 41-57.
Unable to preview PDF directly.
Download PDF to View
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Activity for Russian Playing Card History - From the Beginnings to 1917
Sign in to comment or save this article.
Related Articles
Russian Circus deck
The Russian Circus deck published by the Imperial Playing Card Factory, St Petersburg.
73: Fakes, forgeries and Tax Evasion
When there are official taxes to pay, people will find a way to avoid paying them - often illegally....
Russian Playing Card Monopoly
The Russian Playing Card Monopoly was established in March 1798 with all revenue going to support th...
Russian Playing Cards
Playing cards were known in Muscovy as early as the last quarter of the sixteenth century.
72: The Ace of Spades
In standard English packs the Ace of Spades is associated with decorative designs. This is a histori...
Hidden meanings in painting by Jheronimus Bosch
Medieval View of Gambling in the ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Jheronimus Bosch
Historical playing cards, 1897
Russian “Historical” playing cards with designs by Nikolay Karazin, 1897
Russian Style
Russian style playing cards first published in 1911.
New Style ‘Jugendstil’
Playing cards showing the influence of ‘Jugendstil’ manufactured by the Soviet Playing Card Monopoly...
Anti-Religions
Clubs represent the Russian Orthodox church, Hearts Roman Catholicism, Spades Confucianism and Diamo...
Playing Cards & Gaming
Soon after their first appearance in Europe we hear of playing cards being banned by the authorities...
Argentina Tax Stamps on playing cards 1895-1968
Argentina Tax Stamps on playing cards 1895-1968
Estanco de Naipes del Perú
In October 1888 the Republic of Peru Congress passed Law no.26 establishing taxes on playing cards, ...
The History of Playing Cards
Playing cards appear in European records in the late 14th century, but their earlier history lies fu...
Impuesto de Timbre para Naipes
EL CONGRESO DE COLOMBIA. LEY 69 DE 1946, por la cual se elevan las tarifas de algunos impuestos indi...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
