Playing cards Nozdreva

From the beginning of the 19th century, playing cards in Russia were made according to French models using the woodcut technique. The drawings were painted on a stencil.
Cards were produced at the Alexander Manufactory card factory in St. Petersburg. The proceeds from their sale went to the shelter network of the Imperial Orphanage, a monopolist in the production of playing cards in Russia. Each deck was stamped with the image of a pelican feeding its chicks. The import of foreign maps into Russia has been banned since the end of the 18th century. Subsequently, the drawings familiar to everyone were modernized by the artist A.I. Charlemagne (1826-1901). Cards produced from his designs are commonly known as "Satin". The old outdated drawings were no longer used in production. Rare copies of those decks have survived only in museum collections and collections of collectors.