A few years before the Russian Revolution, two French perfumers based in Moscow—Ernest Beaux and Auguste Michel—were commissioned to create a new fragrance to commemorate the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. With the fall of the Tsars and the ensuing civil war, Beaux returned to France, where he would meet Coco Chanel, while Michel remained in Russia, becoming one of the architects of the Soviet perfume industry. The formula for the imperial perfume was never lost, and from it emerged two iconic fragrances: Chanel No. 5 and Moscow Rouge, symbols of two worlds in conflict. In this fascinating investigation, Karl Schlögel traces the past to offer a previously unseen perspective on the struggle for power in the "century of extremes" that shaped the lives of millions of people, showing us that a drop of perfume can encapsulate a good portion of the turbulent history of the 20th century.