The truth, as revealed in Karl Schlögel’s gripping olfactory history of the 20th century, is that both perfumes have roots in Tsarist Russia, in particular in a fragrance developed by two French perfumers, Ernest Beaux and Auguste Michel, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913. Le Bouquet Préféré de l’Impératrice (The Empress’s Favourite Bouquet) was ill fated, appearing only four years before the Bolshevik revolution put an end to the Romanovs and everything they stood for, but it inspired the creation of both Chanel No 5 and Red Moscow.

— Read more in The Scent of Empires by Karl Schlögel review – politics, power and perfume at The Guardian.