Museum of samovars in Kasimov “Russian samovar”. Photo

Where is

The Samovar Museum in Kasimov was opened in honor of the 850th anniversary of the city. Its exhibition includes more than 500 exhibits. The exhibitions are dedicated to demonstrating the traditions of Russian tea drinking. The museum's rare items include unique items, such as Kolchak's samovar or the samovar given to Brezhnev.

Kasimov is a city of administrative significance, located in the central part of the East European Plain, closer to the northeast of the Ryazan region. Kasimov is separated from Ryazan by 165 km. To get to the Nizhny Novgorod or Vladimir regions, you need to travel about 30 km.

Samovar Museum in Kasimov

The city was built on the banks of the Oka River, on the north side of the city there is a famous biosphere reserve of national importance. The population of Kasimov is about 30 thousand people. Mostly Russians and Tatars live here. The city is connected to Moscow by a direct road, the route is designated “P 105”. In addition, the road is often called “Egoryevskoe Highway”.

Bus routes run through the city, connecting the settlement not only with Moscow, but also with Ryazan, Murom, as well as Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir.

Additional ways to get to the city:

• By rail. The railway station of the same name is located 7 km from the city center. Bus routes from the urban village of Shilovo arrive at the station.
• On a boat. Cruise ships often stop in Kasimov. One of the popular river routes is called “Moscow Around the World”.

The Samovar Museum in Kasimov is located at: st. Sovetskaya, 4.

Borshchev Collection

The extensive collection includes about five hundred copies. Most are antique; in addition to those made in Russia, you can see foreign products here. The exhibition presents products from all Russian factories, as well as samples created in Vienna, Warsaw and London. In addition to the samovars themselves, here you can look at bouillottes, other kitchen utensils, and serving items. Geographically, the collection is located near Tula, on the territory of the Gurmant Hotel; in the near future it is planned to build a separate building for it.

History of appearance

The Kasimov Museum appeared in 2007. The private collection of Mikhail Silkov became the basis for creating and combining exhibitions.

Brief description of the Russian Samovar Museum:

• there are more than 500 exhibits;
• there are rare specimens;
• thematic exhibitions have been created demonstrating the traditions of Russian tea drinking over the past 400 years;
• 4 exhibition halls;
• several types of excursions.

The first item in Mikhail Silakov’s collection was a copper samovar, produced in 1778. The samovar was created at the famous Tula factory. At first it belonged to Nazar Lisitsyn, and then moved to his relatives. In 1991, the samovar was put up for auction as one of the rare items of the 18th century.

The Russian Samovar Museum in Kasimov was opened in honor of the city’s 850th anniversary. The project involved funds from private investors. A team of partners led by Mikhail Silakov found the premises and organized space for exhibitions.

In addition, a store was opened at the entrance where they sell modern samovars. Anyone can choose a samovar according to size and shape, buy it and take it with them.

Collecting items for the museum, according to the owner, included several stages. Due to the fact that one of the surges in the acquisition of samovars occurred in the sixties of the 20th century, Silakov was able to acquire items in good condition, which required minor restoration.

The fact is that during the time of N.S. Khrushchev, the fashion for buying samovars again spread among townspeople. Many families owned samovars of different sizes, intended for morning or evening tea.

Then household items, which were gradually replaced by teapots, turned out to be unnecessary to anyone. Silakov says that he found samovars at scrap metal collection points, in abandoned village houses, and restored them after being found in landfills.

By 2000, Mikhail Silakov found and bought many copies from the population. As a result, the collection reached 400 pieces. For storage, a separate warehouse was required, which Mikhail rented. But even then, he didn't think about opening a showroom.

Mikhail Silakov’s relatives told how the idea of ​​the discovery came to him. One day he was walking around his hometown and met a group of tourists in the old part on Sovetskaya Street. Silakov unwittingly overheard the conversation that the tourists were having among themselves. They said that in the city included in the Golden Ring of Russia route there are surprisingly few museums or exhibitions that one would like to visit.

By that time, the collector had accumulated enough exhibits. He decided to share his collection with other people. It took more than 3 years to implement this plan. Silakov emphasized that he was going to exhibit all the exhibits that he owned. Some of the specimens were interesting for their appearance, while others became famous because of the famous manufacturer.

But there are also those that have become part of history because they belonged to famous people. After the opening of the museum, “famous” samovars appeared on display. Among the exhibits there are still handmade devices that belonged to Nicholas II, Sergei Yesenin, and Leo Tolstoy.

Museum visitors are given a unique opportunity to see samovars of different shapes and sizes. The variety of materials used as a base and the addition of finishing details amazes the imagination.

Lobanov Collection

This collection is considered one of the largest in the world. The insurance amount at which the exposition was estimated is impressive: it is about $10 million. The number of exhibits is more than two hundred; a significant number of related items are presented here: kitchen utensils, antique furnishings and other items related to tea drinking. The collection has been collected for more than fifty years by the third generation of Lobanovs. A special feature of the exhibition is the uniqueness of each of the exhibits: any samovar from the collection has its own amazing history. The collection is not a museum in the literal sense of the word: it often moves from place to place, and exhibits participate in various exhibitions. Negotiations are currently underway to create a full-fledged museum on the basis of this private collection.

Architecture

The Kasimov Samovar Museum is located in a two-story building on Sovetskaya Street. Almost all the buildings in this area are mansions built at the beginning of the 19th century. Initially they were painted with ocher pigment.

During the restoration, the style and architecture were preserved. The quarter belongs to the center of the old part of the city, at the end of the street is the Ascension Cathedral.

Internal organization

The museum is stylized as antique.

In addition to the main exhibits that are exhibited in the halls, here you can see various household items or furniture produced in the 18th-19th centuries:

• chests of drawers with carved handles;
• cabinets for storing dishes made of oak;
• the first cast iron egg boiler;
• iron heated by coals;
• textiles that were used in the interior;
• chairs and tables with lacquered surface.

The samovar museum in Kasimov has 400-500 copies. The data varies due to the fact that some experts count not only samovars, but also other household items collected during collecting.

"Tula samovars"

The very first Russian samovars began to be produced in Tule. It is not surprising that this city is home to one of the most significant museums dedicated to the samovar. It opened in 1990; the exhibits on display clearly illustrate the history and process of evolution of Russian samovars. The museum's exposition includes more than three hundred exhibits, here you can see one of the first Russian samovars, modern models, a 70-liter pantry and a small souvenir samovar with a volume of one teaspoon. It is not possible to boil water in some samovars: they are decorative and made from a variety of materials: wicker, wood, clay, glass and even sugar.

Museum expositions

There are 4 exhibition halls for the maintenance and storage of collectible items. At the entrance to the museum, visitors are greeted by a pyramid of 26 samovars. On tiers draped with textiles, there are samovars of different shapes and sizes. As an accompaniment, plaques are attached with a brief description telling the history of each specimen.

Before viewing the exhibition, visitors are invited to familiarize themselves with information about the classification of samovars.

For products working with firewood or coal, there is a special tray where the ignition material is placed. In the 20th century Electric samovars have become especially in demand.

The heating system was located on the bottom of the case, and in the rear there was a socket for attaching a cord. The heating system rarely failed, but if necessary it could be replaced with new elements.

The exhibition halls are conventionally divided into sections. The tea party room is one of the most sought-after and popular rooms. Here they sell figured gingerbread cookies covered with glaze. The sweets are made in the Ryazan region and delivered to the museum at opening time.

Contents of the exhibition in the tea drinking area:

• a samovar designed for one person is called “Egoist” and holds 250 ml of boiling water;
• samovar for 2-3 people, called “Tete-a-tete”;
• “Family samovar”, holding 1 bucket of water.

All items are lined up so that visitors have the opportunity to estimate their size.

Another interesting exhibition demonstrates samovars by type of use. Not everyone knows that you can heat soup or porridge in a samovar. Most often it is used to heat boiling water.

The device intended for heating soup or porridge is made of heavy metals. It warms up slowly, but retains heat longer. Samovars with thin walls are designed for boiling water for further preparation of tea.

In the next room, visitors are invited to look at a cross-section of the samovar. Immediately after this, interested visitors have the opportunity to purchase a samovar at a local souvenir shop. For sale are working specimens made of durable materials using electric heating.

For those interested in unusual samovars, an exhibition has been created with objects of different shapes and types of heating. The most famous of them: “glass”, “ball”, “pear”, “vase”, “jar”. Each instance has its own characteristics.

Many collectible items were created by hand, craftsmen came up with monograms, developed the smallest details and installed unusual structures for turning the tap. The nuances can only be seen upon closer inspection.

In the next room there is an exhibition that demonstrates the largest samovar, it holds 48 liters. The item was sold by the trading house of the Shemarin brothers for the Orenburg prison. There it stood until 1900 in the prisoners' dining room.

In addition to the largest samovar, the exhibition displays a camping samovar, that is, a samovar lit with a boot. The tradition of kindling arose during population movements from one area to another. Families had to leave their home, they took with them everything they could take.

During the journey, samovars were blown up everywhere at stops so that family members could drink hot tea at a halt.

The third room houses the most valuable specimens. They are made of silver, trimmed with gold. Some exhibits are fenced off from curious visitors with glass display cases to protect them from theft and damage. Unique specimens are also presented here.

The most interesting museums and cultural centers

Museum of Unusual Collections

• Address - st. Sovetskaya, 39.

It opened quite recently - in the summer of 2022. It presents an unusual collection of local collector Igor Aleksandrovich Skripay and his relatives. The themes of the collections are extremely wide - here you can see minerals, tea accessories, airplane models, and much more.

The mission of the museum is to awaken people's interest in collecting, especially in collecting unusual things (for example, figurines of certain animals). The attraction is open in Kasimov every day, except Mondays, from 10 am to 5 pm (on Saturday and Sunday - until 15:00).

Palace of Culture

• Address - st. Academician Utkina, 5A.

The cultural center in Kasimov is open every weekday from 8:30 to 18:00. Its modern building was built in 1965, but its history begins much earlier. Currently, 515 people are employed in creative groups, circles and clubs. The best creative teams of the city work here, many of which bear the honorary title “People’s”.

At one time, such famous personalities in domestic star circles as Joseph Kobzon, Mikhail Shufutinsky and Oleg Gazmanov performed on the stage of the Kasimov Palace of Culture. Despite the fact that the building of the attraction needs restoration, the auditorium is well equipped. This can be seen perfectly in the photo.

Tatar Center for Culture and Art named after Ishimbayev

• Address - st. Bolshakova, 31.

The center occupies the building of a former madrasah from the 19th century. It has an exhibition hall where household items, musical instruments and traditional Tatar clothing are displayed. Arabic and Tatar language courses are organized at this Kasimov attraction. All excursions and master classes are conducted by appointment.

Center for Cultural Development

• Address - st. Sovetskaya, 1a.

This center has created all the opportunities for creative self-realization and cultural development, and the emphasis is primarily on family leisure. From time to time, exhibitions are organized where you can see the work of local artists and craftsmen.

The mission of the complex employees is to introduce local residents and guests of the city to traditional crafts. It runs many circles and clubs of various types, for example, there is an applied arts studio, a painting school and a film club.

Excursions

To appreciate the collection, visitors are offered the services of guides who tell in detail the history of each specimen.

Excursion services:

• individual excursion – 300 rub. (excluding entrance fees);
• for a group of 10 people or more, the cost of the excursion will be reduced to 200 rubles. per group.

In addition to the traditional tour, which introduces the features of each exhibition hall, you can book a tour with an additional tea party. A visit to the teahouse built at the museum offers the opportunity to buy a delicious cake for tea, try tea with pancakes, gingerbread cookies or sweets.

Where to go with children in Kasimov

Museum of Translator Anna Hansen

• Address - st. Nikolsky ravine, 1.

Here, by appointment, excursions are regularly organized, including for children - with elements of theatrical performance and tea drinking. The idea of ​​opening such an establishment belongs to Kasimov local historian A.N. Smirnov, who dreamed of introducing city guests to the life of Anna Hansen, a translator of the books of the famous children's writer Hans Christian Andersen. Among the exhibits you can see “galoshes of happiness”, tin soldiers and other items related to Andersen’s work.

Apartment-museum “Butterflies and dragonflies”

• Address - pl. Sobornaya, 10a.

Like the Museum of Unusual Collections, the Collection of Butterflies and Dragonflies is an initiative of Igor Skripai. A local collector began collecting butterflies as a child, but his collection includes more than just real insects. Here you can see a collection consisting of jewelry, paintings, stamps, boxes and even fossil fragments with butterflies and dragonflies. The establishment is popular not only among local residents, but also among tourists from other Russian cities and foreign countries. The attraction is especially delightful for children.

Don't miss the sights in Skopin, Gus-Zhelezny, Spas-Klepiki and Ryazan.

The city of Kasimov is interesting from a historical and cultural point of view. It is usually visited by tourists interested in the culture and history of the Ryazan region and all of Russia as a whole. Moreover, in 2015 Kasimov was included in the list of tourist routes “Golden Ring of Russia”. First of all, city guests strive to see medieval Muslim architecture, Orthodox churches and unusual local museums, which we told you about by showing the sights of Kasimov in the photo.

Interesting Facts

The museum employs people who treat the traditions of Russian tea drinking with special reverence. The guides try to tell as much interesting information as possible about each exhibit of the museum. First of all, they talk about how the samovar works.

It consists of several parts:

• body;
• cavity for fuel;
• a special tray to which the legs are attached;
• neck as a transition between the main body and the pallet;
• handles with wooden inserts;
• a faucet or spout with a turning mechanism that, when turned, releases a stream of hot water.

In the museum you can see a cross-section of a samovar.

During the tour, many interesting facts are announced:

• the country's acquaintance with the tea drink took place in the second half of the 18th century;
• the decoration of samovar bodies largely depended on the fashion trends of the time; the body was decorated with monograms, inscriptions were created and patterns were placed;
• samovars became an indispensable element of household appliances in the 18th century;
• Researchers consider the Ural territories to be the birthplace of samovars, where factories first began to produce classic samovars of the traditional type;
• The first mention of the samovar dates back to 1740; historians found it in the customs books of Orenburg.

The exhibition of the Kasimov Museum contains unique specimens, for example, a samovar in the shape of a steam locomotive of the Demidov brothers. The brothers were the founders of a samovar factory.

The collection includes porcelain samovars, which are called “moths”. They are made from high quality porcelain. The nose is additionally decorated with curls.

The guides dwell in detail on the description of the life of Russian people who use samovars. It is known that objects were rubbed with special care before various holidays. Sand and stones were used for rubbing; they were used to remove scale from the body.

For some time, families liked to tell fortunes by the noise of the samovar. At certain periods they especially listened to him. The sounds of boiling water could be seen as a promise of family well-being, monetary gain, or impending disaster.

The museum staff note that they especially like to conduct school excursions. Primary school students pay attention to the exhibit, which is called a samovar that “fulfills wishes.” It was made by the master for his daughter when she got married.

According to stories collected by Ivan Parfilyevich Elagin, the samovar could fulfill the simplest desires if you rubbed its body with your palm. The legend is confirmed by the fact that on the body of the samovar the sides are rubbed to a shine.

For Russian people, the samovar has become one of the attributes of hospitality. This item has united people around the same table for many centuries. Thanks to the production of samovars, establishments such as tea houses appeared in Rus'. There the samovar stood on a special stand and was periodically filled with water.

Most teahouses adopted a self-service system as a basis. Each visitor could go to the samovar and pour boiling water into a glass.

In the second half of 2014, Mikhail Silakov implemented another idea. He opened a museum of bells, which he collected for several years. Today Kasimov has become one of the most interesting points on the tourist route. The Russian Samovar Museum is known throughout the country; it does not need additional advertising. People come from different cities of the country to see the unique samovars.

Orthodox temples and churches

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Address - pl. Sobornaya, 1a.

The current stone building of this Kasimov church was built in 1775. Before the revolution, the miraculous icon of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary was located here. In 1934 the temple was closed and from 1936 it was used as a library, and from 1939 – as a warehouse. In the 1990s, the parish was returned to believers.

Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Address - pl. Sobornaya, 13a.

The Annunciation Church was founded in 1740; Kasimov residents consider it the most beautiful religious building in the city. During Soviet times, services were not held here. The Church of the Annunciation was returned to believers in 1994.

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

• Address - pl. Nikolskaya, 11a.

It was erected in 1705 and has survived to this day. From 1943 to 1990 St. Nicholas Church was the only active Orthodox parish of Kasimov. From pre-revolutionary times, a carved gilded iconostasis of the 18th century remained in it, and there are also 5 icons with pieces of holy relics.

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity

• Address - st. Sverdlova, 1b.

This temple was built in 1753, and in 1772 a stone octagonal bell tower was added to it. Trinity Church is built according to an architectural plan called “octagon on quadrangle”. In 1938 it was closed, placing here first a warehouse and then a workshop for restoration work. In 2002, the temple again began to be used for its religious purpose.

Church of the Epiphany

• Address - st. Oktyabrskaya, 8a.

The Epiphany (St. George) Church is considered the first stone church in Kasimov. It was built back in 1700 in the former Pushkarskaya Sloboda. The architectural style is Baroque. During Soviet times, there was a warehouse for raw hides here, and in 1995 the church opened its doors to believers.

Church of Elijah the Prophet

• Address - st. Okskaya.

This stone temple began to be built in 1811 on the initiative of the merchant Dmitry Semenovich Kakushkin. Construction was completed in 1848, and in 1866 a bell tower appeared at the parish. In 1929, the Elias Church was closed and the building was not used in any way during Soviet times. In 2002, restoration work began, and already in 2003 the church doors were opened to believers. Today, the Temple of Elijah the Prophet is not just an Orthodox landmark of Kasimov, but also a cultural monument of federal significance.