There are certain brands that have widely recognized in Russia, in large part thanks to their clever—or ridiculous—advertising. Of course, this list will vary for different people, but I’d like to share, in no particular order, some famous Russian food brands.

Note that when I say “Russian,” I mostly mean “widely known and marketed in Russia.” The current owner of the brand may well be a large multinational.

Image via Pixabay

1. Балтимор (Baltimore)

“Ба́лтимор” (yes, like the city in Maryland) is a brand initially famous for its ketchup. As many other Russians, I first learned about this brand because it sponsored a popular comedy show “Городо́к” (“Small Town”), which ran from the 90s through the 2010s. Here is one of the brand’s recurring segments.

This brand has also made its way into Russian pop culture.

У вас, я слы́шал, чуть ли не це́лые тома́ уголо́вных дел адвока́ты съеда́ют без вся́кого ма́сла и ке́тчупа «Ба́лтимор».
I heard your lawyers eat entire volumes of criminal cases with no butter or Baltimore ketchup.
[Елизавета Козырева. Дамская охота (2001)]

Image via Pixabay

2. До́мик в дере́вне

This brand, whose name loosely translates to a “country house” (literally, “little house in the village”), offers various dairy products (кисломо́лочные проду́кты). Its commercials usually present country living as healthy and something people long for in the city. Of course, the brand comes to the rescue and promises to bring you a country life style—if you buy its products. Over the years, its saccharine commercials have contributed a few taglines to the vernacular, e. g. “Хорошо́ име́ть до́мик в дере́вне!” (“So good to have a village home!”)

The clip below is somewhat infamous for having an unintended double entendre—”Молоко́ вку́сное, как у ба́бушки” (“Milk as delicious, as Grandma’s”)—which has been the butt of many jokes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ8StbWs4Uk

3. Бочкарёв

Бочкарёв is a Russian beer (пи́во) brand. The brand name presumably comes from a last name. The word бо́чка means “barrel.”

This brand may not be the most popular beer in Russia, but it what many people remember it for is its commercials and the tagline “Бочкарёв — правильное пиво.” The commercials usually emphasized the “right” way to relax.

What other Russian food brands do you recognize or remember? Is the food as good as the ads make it out to be?