Samovars are a necessary feature of the Rus mode of life and consequently a part of Rus applied art. Samovars are used as an identity symbol for the people of the Rus. The history & devlopment of this most useful appliance is long & varied.

Samovars are a necessary feature of the Rus mode of life and consequently a part of Rus applied art. Samovars are used as an identity symbol for the people of the Rus. 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. Rus of all walks of life have and still use samovars today. In bygone times, the samovars were fired either with coal, charcoal, or wood. Today many are electrical appliances just like a toaster, a microwave oven or a coffee maker.


Samovars were originally brought to the Rus first by the ancient Silk Road caravan traders and later on by Genghis Khan's Golden Horde. Samovars have a varied and somewhat convoluted history. It is thought that the modern samovar is derived from a Mongolian tea maker-warmer that was of course brought with Genghis Khan's invading hordes. Samovars are not solely Russian but are to be found all over Central Asia, China, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet, parts of northern India, and a lot of the Middle East. You can find modern samovars, antique samovars, & samovars with historical significance side-by-side with each other all over the former Soviet Union (FSU).


Samovars were made of various metals such as copper, bronze, cast-iron & eventually out of steel. Some were very plain and others were very ornate. Many had porcelain attachments & handles. Some had carved ivory handles. Many were intricately engraved & even inlet with precious metals. Exotic woods were used as well to make handles and bases for these wonderful contraptions. Samovars were produced in many towns of the Rus; one of the most famous was Tula, an old center of metalworking. Rus samovars vary in interior construction and exterior decoration and purpose. They were made of different metals copper, iron, silver, silver plating on copper, steel, cast iron, and their decoration testifies to different stylistic art trends echoing the general tendencies in the artistic tastes of different periods. Tula, Tver, Samara & later on Zlatoust were all famous for their samovars. Other great locations that also were justly famous for producing samovars included Odessa in Ukraine, Minsk in Belorussia, Saratov, Rostov in Russia, Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekhistan, Kharkiv in Ukraine, and Tbilisi in Georgia.


Samovars have almost always been the symbol of Rus hospitality and family comfort as well as the sign of prosperity. Step-by-step a peculiar ritual of tea drinking emerged and was adopted in every Rus home. In compliance with it, a hostess or her elder daughter poured the tea. Some families held two samovars, one, plainer, for everyday use, and a dearer one or receptions and festivities.


There were homes with separate samovar-rooms whose interior was crowned by the samovar. Many families had several samovars, each with its own history and family lore. Samovars were a favorite gift of nobility to important commoners such as priests, teachers, military leaders, government officials, etc. Very large samovars were to be found in military offices, train stations, large inns, and often in the rectories of churches & monasteries.


Repairing old samovars has become a hobby that can mean extra money for many Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians, etc. in recent times. There has been a resurgence in samovar popularity both in the countries of the former Russian Empire & former Soviet Union as well outside of Russia in such places as England, Australia, the USA, Canada, Germany, & Italy just to name a few. You can buy hand-painted, screen-printed, plain, fancy, copper, brass, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, and combinations thereof ranging cost from $25 up to $5000 and anywhere in between. Collecting antique samovars has become a true passion for collectors all over the world.


Owning and using a samovar becomes a way of life for the uninitiated the first time that they use one. There is something very comforting about a warm samovar especially on a cold day or evening. Try it, you will find out why the Rus all love their samovars.


Sources:

Samovars On The Silk Road; by Omar M. Murat, Almaty Kazakhstan, Karavan Publishing 1994

http://www.russiansamovars.com

http://www.therussianshop.com/russhop/samovar/specialsam.htm

http://www.therussianshop.com/russhop/samovar/FAQ.htm

http://www.specialteas.com/mystore/se_samovar.html


© Donald R. Houston, PhD 2005-2011