Samovar of the 19th century from the collection of the Preserve

Dear friends!

Today we continue to acquaint you with the rich and diverse collection of artistic metal of the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”. This collection includes not only samples of valuable church utensils, but also simple household items used by both clergy and laity. Today we present to you another miracle device - a samovar made of base metal in the 19th century (KPL-M-10916).

The samovar’s design is simple and thought out to the last detail. Its most complex detail is the faucet which consists of three pieces. The lid is also composed of several parts. In total, a charcoal samovar is composed of 14 to 21 details.

The body of the samovar from the Preserve collection has the shape of faceted glass, decorated with four embossed vertical ribbons. The faucet has a figured drain and a kind of external indicator of the allowable water level in the form of a rosace. The handles are made as elegantly shaped plates fastened together with wooden holders. The base for the teapot (upper part of the lid) has figured slots. A relief trefoils ornament decorates the circle.

There are several versions of the origin of this device. According to the western version, the samovar was brought by Peter I from a trip to Europe, or rather - from Holland. Most likely, it was either a prototype of a samovar, or a kind of this device. However, this version has no documentary evidence. There is no mention of the use of such devices in the history of Holland in the late 17th - early 18th centuries.

Another version is oriental. In the 16th century in China a similar device appeared, a so-called “ho-go” - a deep bowl with a blower and a pipe. Ho-go was made of metal or porcelain. Despite some similarities in the design of the ho-go with the samovar, the device was not intended for tea. A soup or a hot broth was served in it.

The oldest predecessor of the samovar is considered to be the ancient Roman authepsa. It is a sort of a jar with double empty walls, where water was poured. The vessel inside had a small area for lighting a fire. It was installed above the device on a tripod and used for cooking or heating food.

There are also several versions of the meaning of the word “samovar”. Some historians believe that the name comes from the phrase “he cooks”. Others associate the name with the Tatar word “snabar” that means a “teapot”.

In Russia, the production of samovars began approximately in the first half of the 18th century in the village of Suksun in the Urals. Here, in 1727, a plant was founded by Maxym Demidov, the industrialist from Tula. The first Ural samovar was mentioned in 1740 in the description of the confiscated Demidov’s property. The famous Tula samovars were officially recorded in 1778 by the Lisitsyn brothers.

The first samovars were expensive. This miracle machine was considered a vessel for privileged circles. According to the requirements of the aristocracy, the device had to match the style and interior of the house. Samovars were made in the form of glasses, barrels, vases, balls, sometimes were decorated with inlays. Some samovars were designed by famous artists. Silver and gilded samovars by Carl Fabergé were the most expensive. Folk masters also created unique models of porcelain, glass and even from vines and wood (the latter were most likely souvenirs).

By and by, the samovar come into general use of townspeople and peasants. It was the pride and decoration of the house, pass down through the generations, became a kind of symbol of comfort and warmth. One of such descendants decided that this miracle device - a symbol of comfort, warmth, leisurely conversation - should live in a museum and gave it to our Preserve.

The author of the article is grateful to the staff of the division of the research and fund activities Iryna Martyniuk, Galyna Lystopad and Anna Morgun for their assistance in working with the content.

The text was prepared by Olena Serhiy, senior research worker

Research Division for the Study of Artistic Heritage

Captions to illustrations

Samovar. Base metal. Russia, the 19th century. KPL-M-10916