After discovering and translating the 1990 Soviet Raduga lava lamp manual, we found another original booklet for the same unusual lamp — this time a copy marked 1985.
Although the cover artwork is familiar, the instructions inside are different. The earlier version contains less formal technical information but more illustrations, including a detailed drawing of a tool intended for loosening the nuts on the lamp’s connecting rods. It also provides a particularly interesting explanation of how the wax moves inside the vessel.
Original Russian manual (1985): Download the original 1985 Soviet Raduga manual (PDF) — two scanned pages in Russian, including the original technical illustrations.
Raduga Decorative Lamp — English Translation of the 1985 Manual
Translated from the Russian-language original. The text below preserves the substance of the historical instructions; headings have been added for easier reading.
1. Purpose and Construction
The “Raduga” souvenir lamp is intended for decorative illumination of interiors.
The lamp consists of a base and a removable vessel with a cap. A 220 V, 40 W incandescent lamp (pear-shaped bulb) is installed in the base.
The glass vessel is filled with liquid and a wax-like substance.
2. How the Lava Effect Works
After the lamp is connected to the electrical supply, the wax-like substance melts under the heat of the bulb after approximately 40–60 minutes, rises upward, cools, and descends again.
A colored light filter is applied to the outside surface of the bottom of the vessel, giving the wax-like substance its corresponding color.
3. Operating Conditions
The lamp can operate only at room temperature.
It is not recommended to place the lamp where there is significant air movement, such as in drafts or near heating appliances.
During operation, the lower part of the lamp warms to 50–70°C (122–158°F). This is normal. If necessary, a 127 V, 40 W pear-shaped incandescent bulb may be fitted for a 127 V electrical supply.
Continuous use must not exceed eight hours. Afterwards, switch the lamp off for at least four hours.
During use, slight clouding of the liquid and darkening of the wax-like substance may occur; according to the original manual, this does not affect the lamp’s operation.
4. Replacing the Bulb
Before replacing the bulb, disconnect the lamp from the electrical supply. Unscrew the nuts on the connecting rods, remove the upper cap, and lift off the vessel.
The manual provides a dimensioned drawing of a recommended wrench for unscrewing the nuts on the connecting rods — a useful detail absent from the later document.
5. Important Precautions
Transportation, carrying, and storage must be performed with the lamp upright (base downward) and in a cool condition.
Do not expose the lamp to impacts or vibration, as the two substances in the glass vessel may mix, making the lamp unsuitable for use.
Transportation and warehouse storage in the manufacturer’s packaging are permitted at ambient temperatures from +5 to +30°C. Short-term transportation at lower temperatures is permitted if precautions are taken to prevent the liquid inside the vessel from freezing.
6. Package Contents and Acceptance
- Raduga souvenir lamp — 1 piece.
- Operating instructions — 1 copy.
The booklet specifies a retail price of 10 Soviet rubles and states that the lamp conforms to technical specification 01-02, 940002 TU. It provides spaces for the manufacturing date and the factory quality-control (OTK) stamp.
The surviving copy includes an “85” marking and a handwritten 1985 sales-date entry, along with shop stamps. These are markings on this particular surviving document, rather than a date printed as part of the main instruction text.
7. Manufacturer's Warranty
The manufacturer guarantees normal operation of the lamp for six months from the date of purchase, provided the operating instructions are followed.
If the operating instructions are not observed, claims against the manufacturer are not accepted.
The booklet asks that comments and suggestions be sent to Poltava, Central Post Office, P.O. Box 38 (in the original: “Полтава, почтамт, а/я 38”). It does not identify the manufacturing plant by name.
What Changed Between the 1985 and 1990 Manuals?
These two leaflets document the same Soviet decorative lamp, but they are not simply reprints of one another.
- Format: the 1985 version is more compact and illustration-heavy; the 1990 manual is divided into ten numbered sections with a larger set of technical specifications.
- Special tool: only the 1985 manual includes the dimensioned drawing of a wrench for the nuts on the connecting rods.
- Explanation of the lava effect: the 1985 text explicitly describes the wax-like substance melting, rising, cooling and falling, and explains the colored filter on the bottom of the vessel.
- Warranty: six months in the 1985 booklet versus twelve months in the 1990 manual.
- Manufacturer details: the earlier booklet lists a Poltava post-office box without naming a factory, whereas the later manual names the Komplekt plant in Poltava.
- Storage conditions: the earlier instructions specify +5 to +30°C for transport and storage, whereas the 1990 version allows +5 to +40°C.
What Does the Poltava P.O. Box Tell Us?
The 1985 booklet is intriguing because the manufacturer is not identified directly: it gives only a postal address in Poltava for feedback and suggestions. The later 1990 manual names the Komplekt plant in Poltava.
In the Soviet Union, defense-industry enterprises sometimes manufactured civilian consumer goods alongside their main production. The Raduga lamp has been associated with this wider history of Soviet industrial production, but the 1985 instruction booklet by itself does not establish which military enterprise or workshop manufactured it.
More Raduga History at Old New Lamp
If you enjoyed this earlier manual, read our English translation of the 1990 Raduga operating instructions, which includes the later technical specifications, a photograph of the Komplekt factory, and information about our restoration work.
At Old New Lamp, we collect, preserve and restore examples of this distinctive Soviet lighting design. You can explore our restored vintage lava lamps.