I spotted some Osram st111 BASIC starters in a shop here. Usually the Basics are from China and use IU glowbottle, but this time..... They have some "other world" look to them right away, and i took one and looked at it closer - Made in Russia - did not see them before..
They are exactly like this :
http://portuguese.alibaba.com/product-gs/osram-starter-st111-cheap-starter-green-starter-flourescent-starter-699757295.htmlBecoming interested, i googled a bit. They are made in Smolensk lamp factory (est 1963, existed under its original name at least up to 1988). currently owned by Osram
Last photo :
http://www.rabochy-put.ru/topnews/17143-vtoroe-rozhdenie-smolenska.htmlThen i googled about the factory under its original name Смоленский электроламповый завод and found this thread. They discuss the etches of various Soviet tubes,, where they were made etc. Generally appear like intersted in lighting - i actually checked if the site is sorta "Russian Lighting Gallery" but no, its a general "vintage electronics" forum, in a more general site, with a thread about vacuum valves that gone a bit on lamps for a few posts
So here it is :
http://offtop.ru/dustyattic/v1_624303_14_.phpMade for some interesting browsing