The 1901 *Women’s Almanac*, published in Odessa, contained one amusing anomaly.

Amid the abundance of advertisements aimed exclusively at women, there was also an ad for the Syzran Asphalt Plant. Amid the abundance of cosmetics, corsets, women’s educational courses, tea, and confectionery—Syzran asphalt stood out as a living testament to the persistence of marketers. Through indescribable efforts, they somehow managed to persuade the almanac’s editors to include in this strictly women’s publication an advertisement that clearly had nothing to do with young ladies.

We come across this factory again in the documents from the 1908 “Construction and Art Exhibition.” This time, it was located in Kharkiv.

A. K. Purychev: Representative of Baron E. E. Bergenheim’s Partnership in Kharkiv and of the Syzran Asphalt Plant Partnership. St.
Petersburg. Kharkiv pyrogranite tiles for floors and sidewalks. Syzran asphalt and tar.

That’s what it’s like—the ever-present Syzran asphalt)))