Quote Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
Before the spelling reform (early 20th cent.) hard sign was placed at the end of the word after every consonant, which wasn't soft: лукъ (now just лук), слонъ (слон), etc.
I had always heard that this specific reform was more economic, rather than linguistic. Someone essentially observed that as long as one sign was the, the other could be assumed. When things were reprinted under the new system (particularly novels), they shrunk in size by 20-30% ... a considerable savings in paper and ink when taken in aggragate.

It's one of those stories that might be an urban myth. But if it isn't true, it really SHOULD be.