ORPHEON RECORD

Russian record company founded by D.A. Finkelstein in St. Petersburg; active between 1909-1911.

Right from the start, the company boasted an amazing repertoire of contributors such as Enrico Caruso and Feodor Chaliapin. Soon, however, it became clear that it simply pirated releases of the British Gramophone label.
Briefly, the company tried to legitimize its activities by engaging in a partnership with Columbia, but continued its pirating activities until the Russian parliament passed copyright legislation in March 1911.

The company then reorganized and morphed into the Русское Акцiонерное Общество Граммофоновъ (Russian Gramophone Stock Company), which existed until 1918.