In what century did the samovar appear in Russia? Who and when invented such a thing as a samovar? The most unusual samovars in history

"... Let's stick a torch,
Let's blow up a samovar!
For loyalty to the ancient rank!
For living slowly!
Perhaps, and steam up the torment
Soul Drinking Tea "
Alexander Blok

Samovar - according to the definition of VI Dal - "hot water, for making tea, vessel, mostly copper, with a pipe and brazier inside." This brief definition also gives the main characteristic of the design of the samovar, and explains its appearance among other dishes.

The "darkest" question in the history of the Russian samovar is its origin. Some researchers say that similar designs were used in ancient Rome and cite vessels as an example. autepsa and kaeda, in which used the idea of \u200b\u200ban internal heater. Autepsa (lat. Authepsa) represented a semblance of a Roman fortress made of bronze, with towers and battlements and double walls. In the middle of it were placed hot coals, over which it was possible to cook food by placing a boiler on a tripod. In the same time water was heated in double walls, then it was released through the tap ... Such appliances were also used in southern Italy and Greece for heating homes, along with braziers and portable stoves.

Kaeda (lat.Caeda) was used to prepare a hot mixture of wine, honey and water ... The appearance of the vessel resembled pot on three legs ... Coals were placed in the middle, empty space, equipped with a grate at the bottom. There was a drink around this space. The vessel was covered with a lid, excluding the holes above the space for the coals. Such bronze vessels were very expensive. They were found during excavations of rich villas in Pompeii, a Roman city that perished in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the 1st century AD.

Others believe that the samovar came to us in Russia from Persia, where it is called the warped Russian word “semizar”.

Some researchers believe that we borrowed a samovar from China, where there is a fire pot ho-go, a round vessel with a brazier pipe with a grate and a blower, somewhat similar to a saucepan. The "ho-go" pot stands on legs and rests on a cylindrical pan with holes for draft, in China it is still use "ho-ho" for cooking. Others remind that the first samovars of domestic production were suspiciously similar to tea urns, common in everyday life of the British in the 18th century but in Russia that samovar appeared a hundred years earlier. The samovar gained world fame only after it became the main attribute of Russian tea drinking.

By the 19th century, the samovar had become a characteristic feature of Russian life. The samovar on the table could not be seen only in the poorest families. He was carefully polished, and it was no coincidence that they said about an elegant and self-satisfied man: "Shines like a copper samovar."

The wide demand for samovars in Russia gave rise to a variety of proposals, and samovars began to be made for all tastes and wallets. Ceremonial models of samovars were made of gold and silver, nickel-plated, decorated with gems, covered with enamel and gave to paint to famous artists. We tried to impress the buyer with the original design.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the most popular were samovars in the shape of a barrel and a Russian tower. During World War II 1812 Russian officersthe winners brought such samovars with them to Paris and amazed the French. It was then that the Europeans appreciated the simplicity of design and ease of use. russian samovar, and he began his victorious march across European countries.

Samovars, including for export, as a rule, made together with a tray - he protected the table from boiling water. The samovar kit also included the gargle is a special cup, into which the rest of the water from the bottom of the samovar and unfinished tea from the cups were poured. Expensive models were sold with special tea sets made of the same metal and in the same style as the samovar itself. They, in addition to the tray and rinse, included teapot, creamer, sugar bowl, sugar tongs and teaspoons, tea strainer.

The most exquisite and artistically valuable samovars were those that were ordered in a single copy , to present as a gift to a noble nobleman.

So, in the Museum of the Moscow Kremlin is a samovar made at the factory of the Chernikov brothers for Emperor Alexander I. It is made from tampaka - an alloy of copper and zinc, resembling gold in color. There are many overlaid gilded elements on its case - lion heads, armor and laurel wreaths, which were supposed to recall the victory in the war of 1812. The legs of the samovar are made in the shape of a lion's paws, the crane is in the shape of the head of a bird of prey, and the cap is a figurine of an angel playing the lute.

For exclusive models, which were made in a single copy, there was immediately a high demand - everyone wanted the same samovar as that of the Emperor himself. After waiting out of decency for some time, samovar factories launched into mass production unique samovars, for which there was a high demand - of course, simplifying the material, complex decoration and fanciful design.

It happened that well-known artists agreed to make sketches for exclusive models of samovars. So, the sketch of the samovar "Rooster" for the World Industrial Exhibition, held in Vienna in 1873, was created by Viktor Vasnetsov. The samovar stands on "rooster's feet", the faucet ends with a "cock's head", and the handles resemble the outstretched cock's wings. This unique samovar was awarded the gold medal of the exhibition in Vienna in 1873 .

The past 250 years have not taken the samovar into the past. This copper miracle has a truly living soul, because such concepts as hospitality and cordiality, friendly communication, home peace and comfort, the personification of which has always been and remains the samovar, remain forever alive. A samovar helps a modern person to better understand what the ritual and traditions of real Russian tea drinking are, to feel the genuine value of live, unhurried communication. Put a samovar on the festive table and you will see how the "tea mood" of the whole feast will change during the Maslenitsa week.

Tea drinking at a samovar has long been considered one of the most striking and indicative features of Russian traditional life. The samovar was not an ordinary household item, but a kind of personification of wealth, family comfort, well-being. It was included in the girl's dowry, passed on by inheritance, and presented. Thoroughly polished, it flaunted in the most prominent and honorable place in the room.

Many people believe that the samovar is a truly Russian invention. However, devices similar to a samovar were known in ancient times, in ancient times.

For example, the ancient Romans, wanting to drink boiling water, took a vessel, filled it with water and threw a larger red-hot stone into it, as a result of which the water boiled.

Over time, similar devices began to appear in Europe, but with a more improved design. And in China there was even a device resembling a samovar in that it had a pipe and a blower.
The Russian tea machine, as it was called in Western Europe, first appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I. At that time, the tsar often visited Holland, from where he brought many ideas and interesting objects, including a samovar. It was called, of course, in a different way, with a Dutch flavor, but that name has not come down to our times and the device is known as a samovar.

The samovar owes its appearance to tea. Tea was brought to Russia in the 17th century from Asia and was used as a medicine among the nobility.

Tea was imported to Moscow, and later to Odessa, Poltava, Kharkov, Rostov and Astrakhan. The tea trade was one of the largest and most profitable commercial enterprises. In the 19th century, tea became a Russian national drink.

Tea was a competitor to sbitnya, the favorite drink of Ancient Rus. This hot drink was prepared with honey and medicinal herbs in a sbitennik. The sbitennik outwardly resembles a kettle, inside which a pipe was placed for laying coal. A brisk trade in sbitnem was going on at fairs.

In the 18th century in the Urals and Tula, samovars-kitchens appeared, which were a brother, divided into three parts: in two for cooking food, in the third for tea. The samovar and samovar-kitchen were the predecessors of the samovar.

Where and when did the first samovar appear? Who invented it? Unknown. It is only known that going to the Urals in 1701, the Tula blacksmith-industrialist I. Demidov took with him skilled workers, copper craftsmen. It is possible that samovars were being made in Tula even then.

During the time of Peter the Great, an unprecedented development of industry began in the Urals, a huge number of copper smelting and metallurgical plants were built. It was at one of these factories that they began the production of household utensils from copper for the population, where already in the 30s of the 18th century they began to produce teapots with a handle. A little later, factories began to produce cauldrons and distillery cubes with pipes.

The first mention of the samovar in historical documents dates back to 1746, but it is impossible to name the exact date and place where the first samovar appeared. However, it is known for certain that by the end of the 18th century, the principles of operation and the structure of the samovar itself had already been finally formed, and they still remain unchanged.

Throughout the history of the development of a samovar, its appearance and decoration changed in accordance with fluctuations in taste. At first they bore the imprint of the Rococo style, then they gravitated towards the Empire style, and at the end of their existence they did not escape the influence of modernity. But the "inner content" remained traditional. True, at the end of the 19th century, a kerosene samovar appeared, and the factory of the Chernikov brothers established the production of samovars with a side pipe, which increased the movement of air and accelerated the boiling process.

The first samovar factory in Russia was opened in 1766 in Moscow by A. Shmakov. But a real revolution in samovar art was made by the Tula. From the second half of the 19th century, Tula became the “samovar capital”. There were at that time about 80 factories producing more than 150 styles of "tea machines".

Outwardly, the first samovars were still somewhat different from modern ones. At that time, they were intended mainly for use in field conditions, as a result of which they were small in size and removable legs. The most common volume of samovars was 3-8 liters, although more voluminous ones were produced for a large number of people, 12-15 liters. Due to the fact that the climate in most of the territory of Russia is rather cool, people drank several cups of tea a day. In addition, the warmth of the samovar could warm up the room quite well. All this led to the fact that the samovar became very popular among the people, even despite its far from low cost. By the way, the cost of a samovar was determined depending on its weight, that is, the heavier the samovar was, the more expensive it was.

Making a samovar is a rather laborious process. Workers of various specialties were involved in its production: guides who bent copper sheets and set the shape, tinkers, turners, locksmiths, assemblers and cleaners. The craftsmen in the villages made individual parts of the samovar, brought them to the factory, where they collected the finished products. Whole villages were engaged in the manufacture of samovar parts all year round, except in the summer when work was carried out in the fields.

At first, samovars were made of red (pure) and green copper, cupronickel, and later they began to use cheaper alloys such as brass.

Over time, there were so many different factories producing samovars that in order to determine the manufacturer, they began to affix a stamp corresponding to each factory on the lids of the samovars. It was a kind of trademark by which one could recognize the manufacturer.

Tula samovars penetrated into all corners of Russia, became a decoration of fairs. Every year, from May 25 to June 10, samovars were transported to the Nizhny Novgorod fair from Tula along the Oka river (samovars were carried on horses to the Oka). The river route had a number of advantages: it was cheaper, and samovars were better preserved with this method of transportation.

Samovars from Batashev, Lyalin, Belousov, Gudkov, Rudakov, Uvarov, Lomov took the first places at the fairs. Large manufacturers, for example Lomovs, Somovs, had their own shops in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tula and other cities.

During transportation, samovars were packed in boxes-boxes, which contained a dozen items of different sizes and styles, and sold by weight. A dozen samovars weighed more than 4 pounds and cost 90 rubles.

It was not easy to master the craft of a samovar.

This is what NG Abrosimov, an old-timer samovar-maker of the Maslovo village, recalls: “He started working as a student at the age of 11. He studied this craft for three and a half years. For the wall (body), brass was cut to a certain size, then it was rolled into a cylinder, and this shape was induced in twelve steps. Brass was cut with teeth on one side and then with hammer blows it was fixed along the connecting seam, after which it was carried to the forge. Then the foreman (guide) repeated the operations of sealing the seam with hammers and files and each time he fixed it by annealing in the forge. Boys-apprentices ran to the forge from master to master and back and gradually looked at how the master worked.

A lot of sweat was spilled and sleepless nights spent before the wall was made by the order of the manufacturer. And if you bring it to Tula to be delivered to the manufacturer, sometimes you will find a marriage. Much work has been expended, but there is nothing to receive. The work is hard, but I fell in love with it, it was nice when you made a wonderful wall from a sheet of brass.

The process of making the "Tula miracle" is complex and varied, which consisted of 12 techniques. There was a strict division of labor in production. There were almost no cases when the master would have made the entire samovar. There were seven main specialties in samovar:
Navigator - bending the copper sheet, soldering it and making the appropriate shape. In a week, he could make 6-8 pieces of blanks (depending on the shape) and received an average of 60 kopecks per piece.
Tinker - served the inside of the samovar with tin. I made 60-100 pieces a day and got 3 kopecks apiece.

Turner - sharpened on the machine and polished the samovar (while the worker who turned the machine (turner) received 3 rubles a week). A turner could turn 8-12 pieces a day and receive 18-25 kopecks per piece.
Locksmith - he made pens, taps, etc. (pens - for 3-6 samovars a day) and for each pair he received 20 kopecks.

The collector - he assembled a samovar from all separate parts, soldered the taps, etc. A week he made up to two dozen samovars and received 23-25 \u200b\u200bkopecks from one.

Cleaner - he cleaned a samovar (up to 10 pieces per day), received 7-10 kopecks per piece.
Wood turner - made wooden cones for lids and handles (up to 400-600 pieces per day) and received 10 kopecks per hundred.

The process of making a samovar takes a long time before it appears in the form in which we are used to seeing it.

The factories were assembling and finishing. Manufacturing of parts - at home. It is known that entire villages made one piece. Delivery of finished products took place once a week, sometimes in two weeks. They brought ready-made goods for delivery on horseback, well-packed.

Samovars entered every home and became a characteristic feature of Russian life. The poet Boris Sadovskaya wrote in the preface to the collection “Samovar”: “The samovar in our life is unconscious for us, it takes a huge place. As a purely Russian phenomenon, he is beyond the understanding of foreigners. In the hum and whisper of a samovar, a Russian person imagines familiar voices from childhood: the sighs of the spring wind, the mother’s dear songs, the cheerful inviting whistle of the village blizzard. These voices are not heard in a European city cafe. "

On the eve of the Patriotic War of 1812, the largest enterprise for the production of samovars was the Peter Silin plant, located in the Moscow province. He produced about 3,000 of them a year, but by the 1820s, Tula began to play an increasingly important role in samovar production.

A samovar is a part of the life and fate of our people, reflected in its proverbs and sayings, in the works of the classics of our literature - Pushkin and Gogol, Blok and Gorky.

Samovar is poetry. This is kind Russian hospitality. This is a circle of friends and family, warm and cordial peace.
A veranda window twined with hops, a summer night, with its sounds and smells, from the charm of which the heart freezes, a circle of light from a lamp with a cozy cloth shade and, of course ... a grumbling Tula samovar sparkling with copper, bursting with steam on the table.

Tula samovar ... In our language this phrase has long become stable. The absurd, from his point of view, act of AP Chekhov compares with a trip "to Tula with his own samovar."

Already at that time, proverbs were formed about the samovar ("The samovar boils - it does not order to leave", "Where there is tea, there is paradise under the spruce", songs, poems.

The newspaper "Tula Gubernskiye Vedomosti" for 1872 (No. 70) wrote about the samovar as follows: "Samovar is a friend of the family hearth, a medicine for a vegetated traveler ..."

The history of the Russian samovar is not too long - about two and a half centuries. But today the samovar is an integral part of Russian tea drinking. Samples of Russian samovars can be found on the antique market. The price of such samovars depends, of course, on the fame of the firm or the master, on the safety of the sample, on the material of the product. Collectible samovars start at $ 500. The most expensive samovars are Fabergé samovars, prices for which can reach up to $ 25,000.

A samovar can create a surprisingly warm and cozy atmosphere in the house, add a unique flavor to family and friendly gatherings, remind about long-forgotten, but such pleasant Russian traditions.

It was getting dark. On the table, shining,
The evening samovar hissed,
Heating the Chinese teapot,
Light steam billowed beneath him.
Spilled by Olga's hand.
Through the cups in a dark stream
The fragrant tea was already running ...

In Kolomna. The private collection of the Burov family, presented in the museum, consists of more than 400 samovars. Former military Burovs have been collecting samovars all over Russia for many years. A huge restoration work has been done. About 100 more samovar models are awaiting restoration.

All the photos below were taken at the Samovar House in Kolomna.

A samovar is a water heater that was very convenient in everyday life. The water could be heated over any open fire, for example, put a kettle in the stove. But it is obvious that the stove was not heated all day, because it would take too much fuel. In Russia, the stove was heated only once a day, and in cold times in the morning and evening, that is, twice a day. Therefore, when boiling water was needed, a samovar was used.

The samovar requires very little fuel. It boils quickly. It is believed that with proper ignition, a liter of water boils in one minute. Accordingly, 10-liter samovars boiled in 10 minutes. The same volume of electric samovars boils much longer.

Is the Samovar a Russian invention?

In this article, you will learn:

History says that the samovar is not a Russian invention. There were water heaters in other countries, in particular, in China, and apparently this is a borrowing from China, which has already been adapted by Russian craftsmen to our conditions.

Tea came to Russia in the 17th century, or rather in the middle of the 17th century under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (as you know, this is the father of Peter I). During his reign, merchants began to visit Central Asia. Craftsmen also saw these water heaters because the history of Chinese appliances that heat water by that time was already about 1700 years old. They were in great demand in society.

Composition in Russian style

Samovars were also produced in Europe. For example, in France. These are the so-called fountain samovars. A fire was never made in such samovars. A flask was built into them, into which broken ice was poured to cool the contents of the samovar, to heat the liquid. Then they took a special cast-iron weight, heated it in the oven, and then put it in the same flask. As a rule, they were made in such samovars.

Samovars were also made in England. Basically, these were simple copper samovars. In Germany, coffee pots were most often made with underfloor heating on alcohol.

The first mention of the samovar

The first mention of the samovar is found in Russia in the 1740s. This is the era immediately following Peter I, who died in 1725. And then, in the Urals, in the village of Suksun, at the Suksun copper smelters, somewhere in the inventories, the word "samovar" is mentioned. At the same time, the word "samovar" is found in one of the inventories of the property of an old category monastery. In those days, samovars were of a rather primitive design. The very first samovars are practically nowhere left. Basically, samovars of the 19th century, or the end of the 18th century, have been preserved.

Samovar price

Samovars were very expensive as a trade item. In the middle of the 19th century, during the time of Gogol, or the reign of Nicholas I, an average samovar cost 5-7 rubles, which at that time meant the price of a cow.

Materials for making a samovar

When made by hand, a samovar is an extremely difficult product to manufacture, this is what determines its high cost.

Throughout the 19th century, samovars were made of copper or brass. Classic brass has a straw yellow color, like 999 gold. When the brass contained more than 80% copper, it had a characteristic reddish color, such an alloy is called tompak. The samovar is accordingly tombak. These samovars were more expensive and heavier than the rest. In common people all this was called "samovar" or "gypsy gold". Gypsies could buy one copy in a squad, cut it into the necessary parts and make fake jewelry from them, which could be sold as gold. Although it is known that brass and copper oxidize if water is regularly boiled in them. When heated to 100 degrees, they come into contact with oxygen, which is in the air, and then the so-called. "patina".

Composition in the House of Samovar

Types of samovar coatings

Nickel plating (like the coating of a samovar) became possible only at the end of the 19th century with the advent of electricity and the invention of electroplating baths in chemistry. The metal was dissolved in a solution, electricity was supplied to the galvanic baths, the products were immersed there, and then they were covered with a thin layer of nickel. Nickel was good because this metal is durable and solid. When the samovar was covered with it, it no longer scratched, it was more wear-resistant and durable. In addition, nickel almost does not tarnish, so it did not need to be polished so often. But if samovars are brass or copper, then with constant boiling, just a month after cleaning, they were covered with a large patina.

There are also known artificially patted samovars with a special coating. This was done in order to deliberately age their appearance.

Samovar cleaning methods

In general, samovars were cleaned with fine sand with a little water. The mixture was applied to a rag and thus cleaned. In addition, samovars were cleaned with ash, which remained from burning wood. They also polished with grated brick, for this they ground it into powder, i.e. cleaned with abrasive materials.

Cleaning the samovar was very difficult. The hostess spent a lot of time on this, so they polished it only on major holidays.

Shapes (styles) of samovars

The simplest and most common form of a samovar is the so-called "bank".

Samovar "bank" style

In general, there are dozens of forms of samovars or, as the people said, "styles". The style "glass" is also very popular, when the samovar is narrowed to the bottom. The glass could be “faceted”, “three columns”, “herringbone in a column”, “twisted column”, “glass with an oval edge”, “smooth glass” and so on.

Samovar style "glass"

Forms and styles were strict, however, various details, some decorative elements could flow from one style to another. Sometimes, when you look at a samovar, it is very difficult to accurately determine the shape or style.

In general, samovars could have the most bizarre shapes. For example, a samovar in the form of a "cannon" (similar to the muzzle of an old cannon), "bullets" (rounded down), "watermelon" (absolutely round), "pears", "pumpkins", "nuts", "vases" (she the same “turnip”, “lobed vases”, “vases with medallions”), in the form of “felt boots” (large and small), “queen”, silvered and many others were produced.

Samovars of the "watermelon" style

Samovars could be of different displacement. The small samovar is called « egoist» ... It is designed for one cup of drink. Samovar « tet-a-tet» is designed for two cups, etc.

Small samovar

Samovars of large volume, the so-called "four-bucket" or "tavern". Russian-made samovars were very solid, thick-walled and it was believed that, how many liters of water a samovar contains, how much it weighs empty in kilograms. They were very bulky and not portable. They were staged in taverns, markets and other public places.

Below are photos of some of them.

Festive samovars

Collection exhibit

Kerosene samovars were also produced. At the bottom of such a samovar there was a flask into which kerosene was poured, there was also a wick and a flame regulator. There was also an "alcohol" samovar. Alcohol is poured into the flask, which heated the water during combustion. Due to the complexity of the design, kerosene and alcohol samovars were very expensive and were not in great demand.

Travel samovars. They differ from standard samovars, basically, only in volume and obligatory removable legs for better transportation. They were taken on long journeys.

Army field samovar. Basically, it was intended for officers. Such a samovar has removable legs, taps on 3 sides for quick parsing of water, handles were on 4 sides for easy carrying.

Festive Easter samovar. This samovar looked like an Easter egg. Such samovars were exhibited only once, during the Easter week, and on the other days they used ordinary samovars. If there were several samovars in the house, this house was considered rich or prosperous.

Known festive samovar, in the form of a lantern or the so-called "faceted bank". It is very thick walled because the patterns on it were made with acid. There are brass samovars, painted under Khokhloma and Zhostovo painting.

The main parts of the samovar

With the exception of small details, a samovar consists of two large parts: "body" and "firebox" (aka a jug). Both parts were covered from the inside with food tin, and the soldering of the entire samovar was tin. Tin, as you know, is a low-melting metal, it melts at three hundred degrees. The temperature in the firebox of a samovar could reach 450 degrees if it was heated with wood splinters, and more if it was charcoal. So, if the samovar is not filled to the end, but, for example, only up to half and a fire is made in it, the parts in it are soldered and the samovar becomes unusable.

The internal structure of the samovar

In addition, a design feature is that the two main elements (body and firebox) must be connected in such a way that a single whole is obtained. It is necessary to solder the firebox on purpose, only at the bottom of the product. This complexity of manufacturing also determines its high price. Therefore, even in the 19th century, such a household appliance was far from affordable for everyone. For example, among the peasantry, there were practically no samovars. They were among the aristocracy, in the merchant environment, in the prosperous urban environment among the bourgeoisie, and only under Alexander III and Nicholas II, the samovar began to more or less enter the peasant environment.

Samovar production

By the end of the 18th century, the production of samovars in Russia began to be concentrated mainly in Tula. Although there were other places of their production, for example, the Alenchikov-Zimin firms produced samovars in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The production of samovars in Tula is easily explained by the fact that there worked armourers who knew how to handle metal well. Some of them retrained and began to produce samovars. The samovar in the selling price was almost equal to the weapon, and therefore they were made with pleasure by former armourers. Throughout the 19th century, there were about 70 artels in Tula that were engaged in the manufacture of various samovars after the 1917 revolution, only two factories remained, the first was called the "cartridge plant", the second was called the "Shtamp plant", which, by the way, is still in operation. produce samovars (albeit in very small quantities).

Part of the exposition

The main famous craftsmen who worked in Tula are the Lomov brothers, Batashovs, Shimarins, Vorontsovs, Berta Genrikhovna Teile, who inherited the firm from her husband and others.

Samovars were also made in the Polish kingdom at the end of the 19th century by the Frage company. Frage is known for invented the deep silver plating method. Their samovars were very elegant and very delicate, basically a copper samovar with brass elements, a tray with brass legs, a blower, a faucet handle, also brass.

Samovars today

Nowadays, samovars are most often used for interior decoration to create an interior in the "Russian" style. On sale there are both traditional wood-fired models and electric samovars. The main manufacturer is still the Tula plant "Shtamp". The emphasis in manufacturing is shifted to design, because these days a samovar is more of a decor item than a necessity.

Most often, modern buyers use a samovar in a country house, in the country, in a bath.

We hope that after reading this article you will have a desire to visit the Museum "House of Samovar" in Kolomna, or maybe someone will decide to buy a samovar. In this case, we can safely recommend the "Senior Porcelain" online store. Also in the shop Senor Porcelain you can buy porcelain dishes and other serving items.

Share your favorite tea recipe with the readers of our site!

Night prelude to a cozy summer evening, people run to their homes to dispel fatigue and enjoy the silence of the midnight after a hectic day. The evening garden brings light coolness, imperceptibly and insinuatingly filling the houses with the aromas of greenery. And under the beating of hearts warmed by the heat of the Tula samovar, poetry of the soul is born, national Russian poetry ...

This is a part of each of us, sung by literary classics. The shiny copper samovar lives to this day in the works of Pushkin, Blok, Gorky and Gogol. From time immemorial, the samovar, like an old good friend, attracts with its warmth and hospitality. Where does the history of the samovar begin?

Definitely, samovar is a true Russian brainchild, occupying a special position c. It's amazing how common it is, so mysterious. Indeed, not everyone knows when and where the first water-heating vessel for tea puffed. But the history of the samovar, in fact, is unique and almost unexplored.

As for the origin of the word "samovar" - even here the opinions of historians differ. Different peoples in Russia called the apparatus differently: in Yaroslavl it was "samogar", in Kursk - "samokypets", in Vyatka it was called "samogrei". The general idea of \u200b\u200bthe purpose of the copper friend is traced, “he cooks himself”. Other researchers find evidence of Tatar origin from the word snabar (teapot). But this version has fewer adherents.

Versions of the origin of the samovar

Where to look for answers to the question about the origin of the samovar and its creator? Unfortunately, it is not possible to find exact answers. Historians believe that the Russian samovar, a synonym for our hospitality and an indispensable attribute of Russian tea drinking, originates from ancient civilizations. But these are, again, versions.

1. Antique samovar of Ancient Rome

According to one of the versions, the roots of the samovar go much deeper than it seems. They grow from the place where all the roads on Earth lead - Ancient Rome. Archaeologists have discovered devices that work on the principle of a Russian samovar. Incredibly, the Romans drank drinks from samovars even in antiquity. Autepsa was the name of the antique samovar. A rather simple, but, nevertheless, original and extremely useful invention is arranged as follows: externally, the autepsa looked like a tall jug, inside which there were two containers for coal and for liquid. Hot charcoal was fed through a hole on the side, and liquid was poured using a scoop. In the same device, it was possible to cool drinks on hot days, for this, ice was used instead of coal.

2. Chinese samovar 火锅 "Ho-Go"

A similar adaptation exists in China. A deep bowl on a pallet, equipped with a blower and a pipe - this is what the famous Chinese prototype of the samovar, called "Ho-Go", is. "Ho-Go" is made of metal and porcelain. They are usually served with soup or boiling broth. Perhaps, the origin of the samovar, as well, is due to China, and the prototype of the Russian samovar is the Chinese "Ho-Go".

Appearance in Russia - from the history of the samovar

There is a legend according to which the samovar appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I - he brought it from Holland as an outlandish and innovative device.

There is another version, according to which the homeland of the samovar is not even Tula, but the Urals, and its creator is the Tula blacksmith Demidov. Having gone on a trip to the Urals back in 1701, the industrialist Demidov, together with skillful copper craftsmen, laid the foundation for a dynasty of samovars.

The history of the samovar is florid and ambiguous. According to documented data, the following is known about the appearance of the first samovar: in 1778, in the city of Tula, on Shtykova Street, two Lisitsin brothers began the first production of samovars. At first, it was a small samovar-making establishment. It is thanks to him that Tula is often considered the birthplace of the Russian samovar.

What, then, about other historical documents, resting on the shelves of the State Archives of the Sverdlovsk Region? The fact is that one of them, certified by the Yekaterinburg customs service on February 7, 1740, confirms the version about the earlier appearance of the samovar. According to the inventory of the confiscated property of Demidov, it included, in addition to six tubs of honey and a bundle of nuts, a copper samovar. And literally: "Copper samovar, tin-plated, weighing 16 pounds, factory own work." The officially recorded appearance of a samovar in Tula and its distribution in the Urals differ by almost forty years. To this day, the question from the history of the samovar remains open - Tula or Ural became the birthplace of the Russian samovar?

It turns out that in 1730-1740 samovars are used in the Urals, and only later in Tula, Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the 19th century, samovar business spread beyond the boundaries of big cities and is observed in the Vyatka, Vladimir and Yaroslavl provinces. By 1850, there were 28 samovar workshops throughout Russia. About 120 thousand copper samovars were produced annually. Samovars were made at the discretion and at the request of the customer: from large to small, souvenir, decorated, in the form of vases, cans, wine glasses, barrels, balls, even muzzles. The imagination of the artisans and the customer's wallet knew no limits. The appearance of the samovar was transformed in step with the times, fashion and people's way of life. In the next issues of our blog, we will definitely publish the history of the samovar in pictures.

Tea drinking and samovar are inseparable concepts!

Going through the pages samovar history, look at yourself. What does a samovar mean to us? How did he fall in love and become synonymous with Russian hospitality and generosity?

What a tea party without a samovar! Pot-bellied and smoking, important and shiny, the samovar has become the center of the festive feast and an irreplaceable attribute. The unhurried and hospitable samovar created a friendly atmosphere and encouraged conversation. This good friend was outside the class, he was respected by both the poor man and the king. Under the puff of a samovar, they composed poems, sang songs, danced in circles and decided matters of state importance. The samovar is sung in Russian folk songs, proverbs have developed about it: "With a samovar-brawler, tea is more important, conversation is more fun", "Where there is tea, there is paradise under the spruce." The samovar has become an indispensable assistant to the teapot, greatly facilitating the process of brewing tea. There was no longer the need to heat the stove in order to boil water, with a samovar it took several minutes and turned not into daily work, but into the tradition of tea drinking. Water cools down for a long time, tea is brewed in a samovar better, and it turns out much tastier!

Vladimir Stozharov at the samovar.

The samovar completely unconsciously became a part of the cultural heritage of the Russian people. Moreover, not a single foreigner will be able to understand why such a simple and unpretentious household item, a samovar, is treated so carefully in our country with all his heart. A measured hum, bagels on the table, cups and saucers and the most delicious tea from a samovar - all this is so close to the heart, giving so much warmth and comfort to the hearth. The samovar brings back memories of childhood, the mother's dear and caring hands, the chants of the wind, a snowstorm outside the window, friendly festivities, family feasts for a Russian person. Not a single European city cafe will be able to repeat all this, because this is a memory that lives in hearts.

Tea drinking at a samovar has long been considered one of the most striking and indicative features of Russian traditional life.

The samovar was not an ordinary household item, but a kind of personification of prosperity, family comfort, well-being.

It was included in the girl's dowry, passed on by inheritance, and presented. Thoroughly polished, it flaunted in the most prominent and honorable place in the room.

Many people believe that the samovar is a truly Russian invention. However, devices similar to a samovar were known in ancient times, in ancient times. For example, the ancient Romans, wanting to drink boiling water, took a vessel, filled it with water and threw a larger red-hot stone into it, as a result of which the water boiled.

Stozharov V.F. "At the samovar"

Over time, similar devices began to appear in Europe, but with a more improved design. And in China there was even a device resembling a samovar in that it had a pipe and a blower.

Russian tea machine

The Russian tea machine, as it was called in Western Europe, first appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I. At that time, the tsar often visited Holland, from where he brought many ideas and interesting objects, including a samovar. It was called, of course, in a different way, with a Dutch flavor, but that name has not come down to our times and the device is known as a samovar.

The samovar owes its appearance to tea. Tea was brought to Russia in the 17th century from Asia and was used as a medicine among the nobility. Tea was imported to Moscow, and later to Odessa, Poltava, Kharkov, Rostov and Astrakhan. The tea trade was one of the largest and most profitable commercial enterprises.

V.A. Nagornov "Fair"

In the 19th century, tea became a Russian national drink.

In the 18th century in the Urals and Tula, samovars-kitchens appeared, which were a brother, divided into three parts: in two they boiled food, in the third - tea. The beatnik and the samovar kitchen were the predecessors of the samovar.

Zhdanov Vladimir Yurievich, "March sun"

The first samovar

During the time of Peter the Great, an unprecedented development of industry began in the Urals, a huge number of copper smelting and metallurgical plants were built.

It was at one of these factories that they began the production of household utensils from copper for the population, where already in the 30s of the 18th century they began to produce teapots with a handle. A little later, factories began to produce cauldrons and distillery cubes with pipes.

V. Nesterenko. "Baranochki sweets"

Outwardly, the first samovars were still somewhat different from modern ones. At that time, they were intended mainly for use in field conditions, as a result of which they had a small size and removable legs.

The most common volume of samovars was 3-8 liters, although more voluminous ones were produced for a large number of people, 12-15 liters.

Due to the fact that in most of the territory of Russia the climate is quite cool, people drank several cups of tea a day.

In addition, the warmth of the samovar could warm up the room quite well. All this led to the fact that the samovar became very popular among the people, even despite its far from low cost.

By the way, its value was determined depending on its weight, that is, the heavier the samovar was, the more expensive it was.

Making a samovar

Whole villages were engaged in the manufacture of samovar parts all year round, except in the summer, when work was carried out in the fields.

Morev Andrey. "Still life with a samovar"

N. Bogdanov-Belsky. "New owners (Tea Party)"

At first, samovars were made of red (pure) and green copper, cupronickel, and later they began to use cheaper alloys such as brass. There were also samovars made of precious metals - gold and silver. The shapes of the samovar were also very diverse, and in Tula alone there were more than 150 types of them.

Kuznetsov Valery

The most expensive samovars today are those made at the beginning of the last century in the workshops of Faberge. Silver and gilding were used for their production. Also, unique techniques were used for chasing, punching, casting and notching.

The Tula samovar, which held 250 liters of water and weighed 100 kg, was made in 1922 as a gift to the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, Kalinin. The water boiled for 40 minutes and cooled for two days. At that time, this samovar was the largest in the world.

Today the record for the largest samovar in the world belongs to the Ukrainians. It weighs more than 3 centners, its height is 1.8 m, and its volume is 360 liters! The samovar works in the building of the Kharkov railway station and can serve up to 10 thousand people per day.

The smallest samovar in the world was considered a 3.5-millimeter "micro-samovar" by V. Vasyurenko, a fitter at the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of the USSR Academy of Sciences. It is designed to boil 1 drop of water. However, the absolute record was set by the "Russian Lefty", the master of microminiature Nikolai Aldunin. His samovar is only 1.2 mm high! It is made of gold and consists of 12 parts.

Our days

Nowadays, it is also possible to pamper yourself with tea from a samovar. They are sold both in antique shops and in special samovar stores. A samovar can create a surprisingly warm and cozy atmosphere in the house, add a unique flavor to family and friendly gatherings, remind about long-forgotten, but such pleasant Russian traditions.

Today, in the life of a modern person, a samovar is not an obligatory attribute that should be on the table when the whole family gets together. Rather, it is a curiosity that is often purchased as an element of the interior.

Text: Yana Malinka

1. If you decide to buy a samovar, do not be deceived - when buying a samovar, be sure to check the spout so that no water leaks out of it. To check, you can pour water or blow into the faucet. Air should not pass through.

2. Also, when buying, you should pay attention to what material the handles are made of, it is desirable that they be made of heat-resistant material.

3. The material from which the samovar is made is also important. Regular brass needs cleaning as it tarnishes. Therefore, nickel plated is considered better.

4. When buying an electric samovar, its heating part must be checked.