Tea is a drink invented in ancient China. For several centuries, he fell in love with all the peoples of the world and gained distribution throughout the globe. This popular drink has not only pleasant taste, but also a lot of useful properties depending on the variety, various additives and even the method of brewing. In addition, tea drinking can be a great way to spend time: it’s so nice to chat with loved ones over a cup of this hot aromatic drink, discuss the news with colleagues, just sit with a warm mug in your hands in good company.
And by the way, there are a great many types of tea drinking. Tea is drunk differently in England and China, Japan and Russia. Speaking of traditional Russian tea drinking - what do you first imagine when you hear this phrase?
Most probably have an association with a hot Russian samovar. But there are more than one variety of them: large and small, painted and shiny, round and even square … You can admire all this splendor, as well as learn more about samovars, if you visit the Samovar Museum in Gorodets. But about the museum itself, read this article.
A few words about the city itself
Gorodets is a small district town with a population of only thirty thousand people. However, the city has the most extensive history. Gorodets was first mentioned in written sources in the distant 1171. The rapid development of the settlement is evidenced by the fact that in the thirteenth century it was even the capital of its own principality. However, during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, it was completely plundered and devastated. And even after such a ruin, Gorodets was able to revive to life in a very short time and, as if in spite, began to develop even faster. Due to the fact that the city stands on a navigable river, merchantry became popular in the city, along with trade, a variety of crafts were mastered, for example, carving and painting on wood, leatherwork, shipbuilding. Now Gorodets lives mainly through tourism, but industrial enterprises (ship repair and woodworking plants) also work.
What to visit in the city for a tourist?
But we, first of all, are interested, of course, not in factories, but in tourist places: museums of the city of Gorodets, churches and churches, exhibitions, monuments and so on. In general, the city can be considered one big attraction - interesting places here at every step. The color, authenticity is given, of course, by the preserved merchant city building - just walking along the narrow streets you already begin to feel as if you were in the nineteenth century. Even a whole block was rebuilt in the center of Gorodets - the Museum of the City of Masters museum. It is dedicated to crafts that were and remain popular with local residents, and even hold master classes at some exhibitions.
But acquaintance with Gorodets usually begins not here, but in the museum of local lore. Here they will tell you and, most importantly, show the history of the city. Another place worthy of attention in Gorodets is the museum of Countess Panin. This is the art department of the museum of local lore, there are several different exhibits, for example, “Revived Masterpieces” and “Shine of Copper Cookware”, “Time Lords” and “Libra and Bezmen”.
The Children's Museum in Gorodets has gathered a large collection of toys from different times. And in the museum of goodness you can look at household items that people used in the nineteenth - early twentieth centuries. In the museum "Gorodets on the Volga" you will see what the appearance of the city was during its heyday - that is, at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. In general, each of the visitors to the Volga town will find entertainment to their taste.
However, perhaps the samovar museum has remained in Gorodets for more than a year, the most visited by tourists.
A fly went to the market and bought a samovar ….
To go directly to the description of the samovar museum in Gorodets itself, we need to figure out what, in fact, is such an assembly.
Probably everyone knows the children's riddle: "There is a hole below, a hole above, and fire and water in the center." The answer to it, as you already understood, is a samovar. And in principle, this is a concise description of the principle of operation of this ancient self-heating kettle.
Water in a samovar is heated by hot coals, which are laid in a special furnace in the form of a pipe with a hole on top. Boiling water is poured into the cups using a small faucet at the bottom of the "barrel".
Samovar story
The Samovar Museum in Gorodets will not only tell you how the unit is arranged, but also tell its story. It is generally accepted that a samovar is a primordially Russian invention, but the prototype of the device appeared in antiquity. Judging by the data of historians, from ancient times similar vessels for boiling water were popular in Japan and Iran … In Russia, according to written sources, the samovar appeared only in the XVIII century (Tula is considered to be the birthplace of the unit in Russia, but Suksun also fights for this title) But since then, the samovar has become so widespread throughout the country that it has become considered a domestic invention. Factories, which produced a variety of samovars, there were also a great many. Each enterprise produced its own, with something special, unique devices.
Forgotten Traditions
Previously, the samovar was in almost every more or less affluent family. Serving tea from a samovar was considered a good form, a sign of respect for the guest - because for the sake of it the hosts and coals did not spare, and they spent their time. But gradually the traditions of tea drinking began to yield to convenience and mobility. Gas and then electric kettles, so convenient and comfortable to use, replaced the overall unit from the tables of Russians. The collection of forgotten, and therefore rare, samovars has become relevant. In the collections of antique dealers, the number of copies became so great that they decided not to hide the ancient beauty and began to arrange temporary exhibitions first, and then organize whole museums of samovars.
History of the museum
One of the most famous museums of this kind is the Gorodets Museum of Samovars. His exposition is based on the private collection of the antiquary Nikolai Fedorovich Polyakov, who was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Nizhny Novgorod and Gorodets land for his contribution to the life and development of the city.
The first exhibit in the largest collection of samovars in Russia is the family samovar, which Polyakov inherited from his grandfather. Now the collection is represented by about 500 copies.
The museum opened its doors to visitors in 2007. And since then, it has been pleasing tourists with its constantly replenishing collection of unique exhibits.
How to find?
The museum is located in the best possible way - in the building of an old merchant’s estate in the very center of the city, so it’s not difficult to find the “Samovar Tower”. The exact address of the museum is Embankment of the Revolution, house number 11.
The elegant architecture of the building precedes the contents of the museum - even the decoration of the house outside attracts the eye (so you definitely can’t pass by). The bright blue facade of the tower is abundantly decorated with graceful wooden carvings, like lace, the same carved, patterned platbands flaunt on the windows like girl's kokoshniks.
Excursion programs
If you want to not only see the exposition, but also get interesting information about the exhibits, find out the history of the samovar, then the museum staff will give you an exciting tour. They also offer interactive programs for a variety of visitors. The smallest tourists will fall here in the fun fairytale “Once upon a time there was a samovar”, adults will enjoy an informative trip during the popularity of the device “Samovar puffs - tells everyone to have fun”, even a special program for foreign guests has been prepared - on the excursion “Samovar is a gift of friendship” they will tell about traditional Russian hospitality, the customs of tea drinking.
The Samovar Museum in the city of masters Gorodets reviews has the most positive feedback, because every visitor feels like a welcome guest here.
