The Ukrainian SSR was a highly developed industrial republic that was the leader in many Soviet Union's national economy sectors. Many famous brands were created in Ukraine under the USSR. Many of these brands ceased to exist after the post-Soviet and then Maidan de-industrialization, but some have survived to this day.

Cover photo: Senior foreman with family, Odessa, 1971, Svet/Sputnik

"Antonov"

Even though the Antonov aviation concern is now going through difficult times (only one aircraft has been produced in the last two years), this brand is one of the most recognisable abroad (at least in the post-Soviet space) in the context of Ukraine.

So, among the aircraft fleet of the President of Ukraine, there are An-148 and An-74 planes and are actively operated.

There is also an aviation company Antonov Airlines, which operates charter flights to different parts of the world, including the transportation of oversized cargo. Antonov Airlines is commercially operating the world's largest aircraft, the An-225 Mriya. The last project where the An-225 was involved was transportation generators for power plants from Chile to Bolivia (2018). An-225 performed 12 flights, delivering a cargo weighing 160 tons each.

China, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan are showing interest in Antonov's technologies, trying to get technical documentation and highly qualified specialists.

"Electron"

Lviv's "Electron" history dates back to 1918, when an electrical workshop appeared in Lviv, specialising in producing kerosene lamps and water heaters. In 1930, 42 specialists worked in the workshop, and it was transformed into a joint-stock company, "Contact".

In Soviet times, "Contact" was transformed into the Lviv Television Plant (LTZ).
In 1968, the televisions "Electron" and "Ogonyok" were the first in the industry to receive the State Quality Mark. Electron TVs were the only Soviet brand of television equipment exported to Western Europe.

In the 1990s, Electron was going through difficult times. The situation began to improve in the 2000s gradually, and in 2011 German capital entered the enterprise and the Joint Ukrainian-German Venture Electrontrans LLC was established. The plant specialises in the production of trams, trolleybuses, buses, and electric buses used by municipal transport enterprises in many cities of Ukraine.

"Kyiv cake"

The recipe and technology of the Kyiv cake were developed in 1956 at the Karl Marx Kiev Confectionery Factory. The cake came to the taste of Soviet citizens, quickly gaining popularity throughout the Union.

The Kyiv cake was one of the gifts from the Ukrainian SSR to Leonid Brezhnev on his 70th birthday. The three-tiered culinary art weighed over five kilograms.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Karl Marx Kiev Confectionery Factory became the property of the Petro Poroshenko family and became part of the Roshen corporation, which retained the Kyiv cake production technology.

The popularity of the Kyiv cake today remains practically throughout the entire post-Soviet space.

"Evening Kyiv"

Candy "Evening Kyiv" can be called the "younger relative" of the Kyiv cake. The industrial production of Vecherny Kyiv began in 1984 at the Karl Marx Kyiv Confectionery Factory (now Roshen). By the time of creation, these sweets had no analogs either in the Soviet Union or abroad.

In Soviet times, Vecherny Kyiv sweets were an excellent gift to relatives, friends or relatives, and were a “token of gratitude” for the service rendered.

Formally, the recipe for sweets has never changed, minor amendments were made to the box's design, although its plot remained the same as at the time of its creation: evening Khreshchatyk, illuminated by the lights of a big city. However, as noted by many lovers of this brand, the taste of sweets today has deteriorated compared to what it was 15 years ago.

Brandy "Tysa"

Vintage cognac "Tysa" is considered one of the best Ukrainian cognacs. It is made from cognac spirits that have been aged in oak barrels for over six years. The history of "Tysa" began in 1959 in the village of Velikiye Lazy (Transcarpathian region), when a group of specialists was formed under the leadership of winemaker Eduard Mikhaelyants to create a whole line of cognacs. The industrial production of cognac began in 1961. In 1967, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Soviet power, the Tysa cognac became a gift to the state from the Uzhgorod cognac factory.

Tisa is the leader of Ukraine in terms of the number of medals, including those received at prestigious international competitions (4 gold medals - 1968, 2003, 2005, 2 Grand Prix - 2005, 2007). The cost of a 0.5 liter bottle of cognac is now about $20.