In the USSR, it was believed that the inscription on condoms “Product No. 2” was a service code for the defense rubber products factory, where gas masks were produced under No. 1. Today, we will finally reveal the mystery of Product No. 2! But first, a bit of history… A Bit of History In the Soviet Union, condom production began in the mid-1930s, when a rubber products factory was built in the village of Bakovka (now a district in Moscow’s Odintsovo). They were made of pure rubber, easily tore, and looked intimidating. They were packaged in a paper envelope and, at the slightest breach of seal, dried quickly, becoming rough like sandpaper, brittle, and prickly. Moreover, they were packaged two per pack (economy had to be economical), so Soviet men faced the choice each time – either use both products in one night within a short time frame or save one for the next time, risking using a highly unreliable means of protection, because like sturgeon “of the second freshness,” condoms shouldn’t be reused! So the author of the demotivator that “the Soviet designer is our second parent” was somewhat right! And to prevent the twin condoms from sticking together in the pack, they were lightly dusted with talc (thankfully not sand), giving them a distinct hot water bottle smell. By today’s standards, Soviet condoms from 1949 were coarse – their wall thickness was 0.09 mm, which undoubtedly reduced the pleasure of their use. Those with connections and means used Italian condoms brought into the USSR through East Germany, Yugoslavia, or fraternal India. Modern condoms have a thickness of up to 0.04 mm – because they are made of latex. However, the thick rubber condom could withstand a load of 200 kg/cm² – or a bucket of distilled water. The state-calculated need was over 2 billion pieces. 200 million were produced in the USSR, and 50 million were supplied by India. And still, it wasn’t enough. Condoms in the USSR were labeled as product No. 2 because this was the rubber’s density indicator. Incidentally, gas masks were designated No. 1.