Moleskine (Italian, pronounced «Moleskeenay») is a famous notebook brand founded in Italy in 1997. The history of these notebooks is wrapped in legend, although the modern brand has no actual direct connection to it.
The classic Moleskine is a black notebook with rounded corners, an elastic closure band, an inner pocket, and a fabric bookmark. Early on, the company actively promoted the legend that similar notebooks had been used by such famous figures as Picasso, Van Gogh, Hemingway, and Sartre. What's actually confirmed is only that similar notebooks were used by the travel writer Bruce Chatwin, who likely coined the name «Moleskine».
In 1993 Russia (the period the novel describes), genuine Moleskine notebooks were a rarity and considered a prestigious foreign item, since they wouldn't officially reach the Russian market until much later. Owning one could signal a certain status, connections abroad, or access to hard-to-find imported goods.
Interestingly, the name «moleskin» also refers to a sturdy brushed cotton fabric that had been known in Russia since the 19th century and earned the folk nickname «devil's hide» for its exceptional durability. The fabric was used to sew work clothes, coats, and tracksuits.