The Russian Shop
- Patricia Carmel
- Apr 28, 2022
- 4 min read
Story by Anton
Post by Steve
The Russian shop was started by my Dad, David G, in1960 at 278 High Holborn, London. It sold a variety of imported arts and crafts and goods from the Soviet Union
Dad had began trading with the Eastern Bloc during the height of the Cold War, in the mid-late 50s. Through the family solicitors at the time, Seifert Sedley who acted for the Bulgarian embassy, he first started trading with Bulgaria, importing arts and crafts and Gamza wine.
Dad opened two shops in the late 50s called Universal Crafts, one in Spring Street, Paddington which my mum, Mair, managed and the other was in the lovely village of Angmering on Sea, (see pics of Jack and Candy and family visiting the shop below) between Worthing and Littlehampton, where we had a holiday/summer weekend cottage.
I can’t remember who ran the Angmering shop, but my Grandma Debbie used to do the honours when she was staying with us.
Round about 1957, dad made contact with the Soviet Trade Delegation, based in Highgate and his company, Senior Export Import Ltd, became an approved importer of Soviet arts and crafts, toys and games, watches, wine and vodka.
On one of his first visits to Moscow, related to the business he was approached by the British Embassy to engage in espionage, not overtly of course - the phrase used was “We can offer you a lot of help, if you can help us.” He declined, of course, being a communist and Soviet sympathiser !
I think the company was the first in the UK to import authentic Russian vodka, Stolichnaya, which was produced not only in the familiar colourless liquid but with all sorts of flavourings – strawberry, lemon, lime, mint, herbals and others and the display in the Russian Shop once it opened, presented a wonderful spectrum of reds, yellows, greens and I’m sure there was a blue variety.
The shop opened in June 1960. It was opened by the then President of the Board of Trade, Reginald Maudling, who later went on to become Chancellor and Home Secretary, and attended by Sir Isaac Wolfson who owned Great Universal Stores (GUS) to whom the business was eventually sold, and several Soviet trade delegation dignitaries. Dad's first cousin Ellis Sar, was also a director and can be seen serving customers in the Pathe News film link below. Ellis was the son of Debbie’s sister Becky and Julius Sar, who’s featured in the blog post about Izzy.
The Bolshoi Ballet also visited the shop at one time but I'm not sure if this was at the opening or later.
I remember being at the Soviet Trade Exhibition in July 1961. My brother Nic, me and my oldest friend, Mike O’Gorman worked in the unpacking area, jemmy-ing open crates of pecking hens, dancing bears, Palekh boxes, pokerware boxes, Khokloma ware and nested dolls. It was at the Exhibition that I was first introduced to lager and lime by a Scotsman. I think he was the shop’s van driver, who told us all the names of the 15 Soviet States.
Around the same time Dad, Mum, Ellis and the Shop Manager, Ken Smith (no relation), were invited to a reception at the Soviet Embassy in Kensington gardens where they met Yuri Gargarin – who Dad described as being very pleasant.
In August 1961, we went with dad on one of his business trips to Moscow, staying at the Ukraine Hotel (first time I had Chicken Kiev) and a 2-day visit to Kiev and a couple of the workshops that made the goods sold in the shop.
As mentioned in my post on D S Smith, Dad eventually sold the business to Wolfson / GUS, in order to concentrate on the packaging business. This was a shame as it was the first of its kind, original and unique for its time. It went on trading for some years after Dad sold up and I popped in a few times over the years but I’m not sure when it eventually closed.
Anton
Jack Elbery and family with Debbie and Tilly at Universal Crafts in Angmering
top : Jack
Bottom L to R : Jon, Debbie, Candy, Tilly, Geri
The opening of the shop in High Holborn
David with Sir Isaac Wolfson and others, Debbie just visible back right
David with Wolfson. As an extraordinary coincidence the van passing in the background is Bucks Transport. Started by my oldest friend Tim Franey's dad, which Tim would later run himself
David with Reginald Maudling
Mair being filmed
Ellis Sar with Wolfson
Various shots of the opening with David, Ellis, Wolfson and Maudling
Visit by the Bolshoi Ballet, David back centre
Advert for the opening
Architect designs for the shop Copyright Riba
links
Website by Pamela Smith(no relation)
an interesting web site and lovely blog piece about the shop.Pamela attributes her lifelong interest in Russian arts and crafts to a visit to the shop
Ellis with the Duchess of Gloucester
Article on the Soviet Trade fairs
Footage of Ellis at the shop
footage of Bolshoi Ballet prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya visiting the shop
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