Museum "Tula Samovars", Tula

The business card of Tula since the times of Rus was gingerbread, shotguns and samovars. To this entertaining and delicious trifles Tulchans are now given a considerable place in their culture. Armory museums and gingerbread museums are very popular and respected by the guests of the city. And the museum of samovars is a separate story, because the samovar is not just an object, but a whole history and tradition of tea drinking in Russia. The Museum "Tula Samovars" is one of the keepers of this art. Therefore, to come to Tula and not visit it - it's like not to get drunk in an oasis in the desert.

Where to find

The Tula museum of samovars registered the address in itself in the historical center of the city - on Mendeleyevskaya street in house number 8, not far from the Kremlin and the central square. In many cities of Russia there are similar museums, but it is the local institution, which, by the way, does not say that shines in scope, will send its visitors on an exciting journey to the origins of the creation of the samovar.

It opened in Tula in 1990. The exposition of the museum is regularly updated and updated. The museum "Tula Samovars" together with the museums of weapons and gingerbread are one of the "three whales" of the city's culture.

The origins of the museum

The local history museum of the city of Tula and the samovars production plant "Stamp", the only one operating to this day, have greatly contributed to the establishment of the institution. The whole collection of samovars is located in several halls on two floors of the building. Do not wait for a luxurious interior, you have to go here for the history and unique facts from the life of Russian people. The collection has about 300 exhibits. The museum "Tula samovars" in Tula stores samples of samovars from the XVIII century, many of them are real works of art.

From the history of samovarodelaniya

When visiting the museum, it is better to use the services of a guide who will not only talk about the most famous Tula families that made samovars, but also the factories for the production of these devices, and the very history of this household miracle device.

The first samovars in the world appeared not in Russia, but presumably in ancient Rome. There, a hot stone was thrown into the vessel with water, from which the water boiled. In Asia, a device was invented for heating water and brewing tea with an ashtray. Everyone knows that the tea traditions of Asians are rooted in antiquity, no wonder that they actively developed their inventions. In Europe, too, had their own "samovars", on the designs of which they worked both in Holland and in France. A frequent guest in Holland was the Russian Tsar Peter the First. It is believed that he brought from there the idea and prototype of the Russian samovar. The great development of the metallurgical industry in the Urals and served as an impetus to the fact that it was here that the first samovars began to be produced.

The beginning of Tula self-creation

The first Tula dynasty, which began to produce samovars at the end of the 18th century, was the Lisitsyn family. Two brothers-craftsmen made samovars not only for ordinary people, but also made exclusive options for noble persons and the royal family. They took up the baton for the production of water heaters of the Batashev family, Shemarins, Fominyh. The products of each of these dynasties are kept by the museum "Tula Samovars". Tula takes care of its history. It is also interesting that price lists for samovars of the XIX century and some interesting documents from factories, for example, requirements for employees when hiring, were preserved.

In every Russian house of the XVIII-XIX centuries there was a samovar. But not only the Russians paid tribute to this subject of household appliances. Samovars were purchased and ordered by foreigners. They appreciated the quality of Tula products in Europe and America, as evidenced by medals and certificates of honor, which were won by Russian samovars at international exhibitions. The award-winning samovar factories made impressions of their medals on their products, which was the criterion of the highest quality of products, and in some way protected from counterfeits.

Even the Soviet years did not break Tula samovarodelov, who quickly reoriented to a new policy, and began to decorate their products with logos of sickle and hammer, and even a red star.

After three hundred years, the samovar became a symbol of Russian folk life. And tea, which was available only to noblemen under the tsars, became available to ordinary people. A whole era has passed. But the city of Tula, the museum of samovars, have preserved the memory of that time and are proud of their masters. By right the most purchased local souvenirs were decorative items, which are a symbol of Russian hospitality and home comfort.

Not a samovar single

The Museum "Tula Samovars" is the custodian and collector of all the facts of tea ceremony development, popular sorts of tea, its preparations in Russia and favorite "noble" drinks. In the halls of the museum there are interiors of tea rooms of the 14th century, as well as exquisite tea couples and sets.

The museum stores items and equipment for making samovars, used from the origins of its appearance, valuable samples that are the pride of the museum - the largest and smallest samovars. The museum "Tula Samovars" will acquaint its visitors with the ancestor of the modern multivark - a marching specimen, as well as a samovar for making porridge and soups, which combined several compartments for simultaneous preparation of tea and food. The collection includes the ancestor of the samovar - sbitennik. Of course, the creators of the museum did not forget that the samovar is the direct ancestor of modern electric teapots, and the museum's collection contains curious samples of the first electric kettles, and also tells about the transformation of the samovar into a modern teapot.

Separately, we need to consider souvenir samples of products: here and birch bark, and clay, glass transparent and porcelain painted, wooden and sugar!

The Museum "Tula Samovars" is not limited to one direction. Museums of Tula are known for their versatility. In the same institution, besides the permanent exhibition, there are exhibitions that touch upon the history of the tea ceremony in tsarist Russia and the Soviet years. All about tea etiquette and table setting, popular samovars, treats and the best sorts of tea can be found in the museum. The lecture of a skilful guide will become a real lesson in history.

And the samovar

The samovar is sung in the works of Russian classics. Just like valenki and balalaika, he became a symbol of the Russian soul for foreigners. Many masters of arts and crafts took part in decorating this king of the Russian tea ceremony.

What kinds of samovar the samovar did not take: a kukish, a vase, a jar, a glass, an egg, the most common were cubic and cylindrical. For the poor - wood, for the rich - electric, copper, nickel silver, brass. Hiking samovars with removable legs and huge giants for a whole company of soldiers - history knows a lot of options.

Centuries later

Years go by, and Tula is not going to stop there, for good reason says the proverb: "Give Tula a piece of iron - he will do a miracle." Now the only operating factory for the production of samovars "Stamp" produces about 1.5 million souvenirs per year. Out of the walls of the enterprise and full-fledged electric samovars.

The homeland of Russian samovar - Tula, museum of samovars - the face of the city.