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Samovars are a necessary feature of the Russian mode of life & consequently a part of Russian applied art. It is difficult to say when the first ever samovar was made, but they became widely spread throughout the country with the introduction of tea and coffee. Russians of all walks of life had, have & still use samovars today. In bygone times samovars were fired with either, coal, charcoal, or wood. Today many are electrical appliances just like a toaster, a microwave oven or a coffee-maker. There are even butane fired samovars that are used for picnics & travel.
Samovars originally were brought to Russia first, by the ancient Silk Road caravan traders then by Genghis Khan's Golden Horde. They were made of various metals such as copper, bronze, cast iron & eventually out of stainless steel. Some were very plain & others were very ornate. Many had porcelain attachments & handles. They come in a wide variety of shapes as well as sizes. Some had carved ivory handles. Many were intricately engraved & even inlet with precious metals. Exotic woods & semi-precious stone were used as well to make handles & bases for these wonderful contraptions.
Samovars were produced in many towns of Russia, but most famous was Tula, an old center of metalworking. Russian samovars vary in interior construction & exterior decoration and purpose. They were made of different metals; copper, iron, silver, silver plating on copper, steal, cast iron, and their decoration testifies to different stylistic art trends echoing the general tendencies in the artistic tastes of different periods. Other great locations that also were justly famous for producing samovars included Odessa in Ukraine, Minsk in Belorussia, Saratov, Rostov, Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekhistan, Kharkiv in Ukraine, and Tbilisi in Georgia.
Samovars have traditionally been the most recognized symbol of Russian hospitality & family comfort as well as a sign of prosperity. Step-by-step a unique ritual of tea drinking emerged & was virtually adopted in every Russian home. In accordance with this ritual a hostess or her elder daughter poured the tea. Some families held 2 samovars. One, plainer, for everyday use, and a much dearer one, for formal occasions, receptions & festivities. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Rus: Samovars: Truly Cultural Symbols of the Rus in Russian Culture is owned by . Permission to republish Rus: Samovars: Truly Cultural Symbols of the Rus in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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