Designed at Polygraphmash type design bureau in 1946-51 by Galina Bannikova, inspired by Russian Grazhdansky early- and mid-18th century typefaces as well as Roman Humanist typefaces of the Renaissance. With the archaic features of some characters the face is well recognized because of unique shapes.

It is one of the best original typefaces of the Soviet typography. The typeface is useful in text and display composition, in fiction and art books.

The revised, improved and completed digital version was designed at ParaType in 2001 by Lyubov Kuznetsova.