@RRK
Yes, they really didn't catch on here, very unfortunate.

Note that general LPS lighting was absolutely absent in USSR too, just except some experimental lamps.
The reasons probably were the same as in USA, cheap electricity, quirky lamps hard to make, quirky use - position dependent and high ignition voltage, zero CRI.

@Multisubject, After reading some Advance Catalogs, I have seen that they did list some 480V 60hz only series reactor ballasts for 35W, 55W, and 90W SOX low pressure sodium lamps.

For the 35W and 55W lamps, the 480V 60Hz reactor ballast designed for them is part number 71A0440. For the 480V 60Hz reactor ballast for 90W SOX low pressure sodium lamps, the ballast part number is 71A0540.

From those particular ballasts, I am sure that the 480V line voltage alone was just enough to ignite the lamps.