"Sbitenschiki are sneaking around on air sleds": Moscow of the 22-23 centuries on postcards of 1914

In 1914, the capital's confectionery factory "Einem" (after the revolution — "Red October") released a series of futuristic postcards "Moscow of the Future". They were put into gift packages of sweets. On the reverse of the first card is the accompanying text: "... we meant to look, to the best of our abilities and the diversity of colorful imagination, into the more or less distant future of our dear and familiar mother Moscow.

Anyone who knows and loves Moscow, it will not be uninteresting to take a mental look at what will happen to Moscow and its inhabitants in about 200-300 years. These are the pictures that open up to our eyes on the basis of more or less accurate logical conclusions."

The series includes eight postcards depicting Moscow attractions, among which there is the Central Station. It was expected to be built soon, but then they changed their minds. A brief abstract is printed on the back of each postcard. Due to the fact that the series was released during the tsarist regime, there is no pronounced ideological subtext in the annotations. Unlike the Soviet futuristic filmstrip of 1960.

"The pace of life has increased a hundred times. Everywhere there is lightning-fast movement of wheeled, winged, propeller and other vehicles. The trading house "Muir and Merlise", which existed back in 1846, has now grown to fabulous proportions, and its main departments are connected to the air railways. Numerous motors fly out from under the pavement. There's a fire somewhere in the distance. We see a car fire brigade that will stop the disaster in a moment. Biplanes, monoplanes and many aerial carriages are rushing to the fire."

Central Station. "Winter is the same as it was with us 200 years ago. The snow is just as white and cold. The central station of the Earth and air routes. Tens of thousands of people coming and leaving, everything is going extremely quickly, systematically and conveniently. At the service of passengers — land and air. Those who wish can move with the speed of telegrams."

"It's a clear evening. The blue of the sky is drawn by clear lines of glowing airplanes, airships and airway cars. From under the bridge square, long cars of the Moscow Metro, which was only talked about in our presence in 1914, fly out. On the bridge over the Metro we see a slender detachment of the valiant Russian army, which has preserved its form since our times. In the blue air we notice a commercial airship "Einem" flying to Tula with a supply of chocolate for retail stores."

"The noise of wings, the ringing of trams, the horns of cyclists, the sirens of cars, the crackling of engines, the screams of the public. Minin and Pozharsky. Shadows of airships. In the center is a policeman with a saber. Timid pedestrians are saved on the frontal place. So it will be in 200 years."

"The busy, noisy banks of the great navigable Moscow River. Huge transport and merchant cruisers and multi-storey passenger steamers are rushing along the transparent deep waves of the wide commercial port. The entire fleet of the world is exclusively commercial. The military was abolished after the peace treaty in The Hague. In the noisy harbor, you can see the diverse costumes of all the peoples of the globe, because the Moscow River has become a world trade port."

"We are transported mentally to Petrovsky Park. The alleys have been expanded beyond recognition. The ancient Petrovsky Palace has been restored, and the Museum of the Peter the Great Era is concentrated in it. Wonderful fountains are beating everywhere, sparkling. Devoid of germs and dust, completely clean air is cut through by airships and airplanes. Crowds of people in bright costumes of the XXIII century enjoy the wonderful nature in the same place where we, great-great-great-grandfathers used to walk."

"Beautiful clear winter of 2259. A corner of the "old" partying Moscow, the ancient "Yar" still serves as a place of wide fun for Muscovites, as it was with us more than 300 years ago. For the convenience and pleasantness of communication, the St. Petersburg highway has been completely transformed into a crystal-ice mirror, along which elegant aerosani fly, gliding. Right there on small airshoes, traditional sbitens and sellers of hot airshoes scurry. And in the XXIII century Moscow is true to its customs."

"The Kremlin also adorns the ancient White Stone and presents an enchanting spectacle with golden domes. Immediately at the Moskvoretsky Bridge we see new huge buildings of trading enterprises, trusts, societies, syndicates, etc. Against the background of the sky, the cars of the suspended airway slide smoothly."