The Premier Site for Russian Culture
The samovar (Russian: boils itself ) is a round metal urn used in Russia for making tea. It is filled with water, which is heated by charcoal placed in a pipe. The first samovars appeared in Siberia ...
Toby jugs were English beer mugs in the form of standing or sitting Englishmen. They were first manufactured in Staffordshire in the 1760s. Toby jugs were extremely popular in Russia and produced in ...
The boom in hotel and inn construction increased the demand for trays in the nineteenth century. Trays were used to both carry objects and decorate interiors. A series of workshops in St Petersburg a...
Brightly painted sledges were an important aspect of winter festivities in Russia. Sledging was one of the most popular pastimes of young people. Careering downhill, a young man would stop to pick up...
Sashes were an invariable part of male and female folk costumes and a prominent feature in the wedding ceremony. They were plaited, knitted or woven from linen and silk threads in many parts of Russi...
The towel played an important role in national folk life and was a vital element in many traditional rites. A dowry often included dozens of towels; their quantity and quality indicated the bride’s f...
Barrels were made from birch bark and resembled a small wooden pail with a lid. They were used to store grain and flour, to carry food to people working in the fields or to soak cloudberries and cran...
The shaft bow was part of the traditional horse harness of the Russian and Finno-Ugric peoples. Carved and painted bows were used to decorate horses during festive processions and peasant weddings. S...
Salt played an important role in peasant life and enjoyed pride of place alongside the bread on dinner tables and at banquets. Salt cellars were traditionally decorated with fretwork or paintwork. On...
Pitchers were popular in Russia in the seventeenth century. They were not only used to serve wine or honey at the table. They were also used as common goblets for drinking the health of the patriarch...