The Old and The New Russian Ways For Table Setting
Khokhloma, Gzhel, imperial porcelain, crystal... Here is an explanation what kind of tableware was used to set up the Russian table, and what is used to this day.
National crafts by Proximity RussiaFederal Agency for Tourism
The history of Russian banquets is inseparable from the history of culture. To this day, Russia has preserved traditional tableware designs and painting techniques. Wood and pottery came into use in the 10th and 12th centuries followed by the first painting techniques in the 14th century. The most famous of the latter, notably Gzhel and Khokhloma, are still in use today.
Gzhel by Gzhel porcelain factoryFederal Agency for Tourism
Let's take a look at the history of Russian crafts to discover Khokhloma and Gzhel pottery, imperial porcelain and the ways to set up the table in ancient Russia and in our time.
Wooden Tableware by LumberWoodFederal Agency for Tourism
Wooden Kitchenware
Wood has been a popular material for kitchenware since time immemorial. The right sort of wood was very important.
Wooden Kitchenware
Wood has been a popular material for kitchenware since time immemorial. The right sort of wood was very important.
Wooden pot by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
It was believed that each had its own properties: linden protected against inflammation, willow made people more perspicacious, while elder shunned enemies away.
Wooden Kitchenware
It was believed that each had its own properties: linden protected against inflammation, willow made people more perspicacious, while elder shunned enemies away.
Wooden dishes by Mikola LunovFederal Agency for Tourism
Shchi, ukha and vzvar — a fruit and berry beverage — were served in stavtsy, or small cups with lids. They were silver for tsars and boyars; these dishes were also used to serve sweet meals.
Salt cellar by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Bread was kept in wicker bread baskets.
Salt cellar by Alyona GudzFederal Agency for Tourism
In the North, some kitchenware was made from birch bark which had no smell and was therefore ideal for storing food. Some of those were shaped as cylindrical vessels with a lid that kept cereals, flour, salt, milk and kvass fresh.
Wood work by LumberWoodFederal Agency for Tourism
Wooden Tableware Nowadays
Modern artisan companies such as Lumber wood and Woodeez make wooden kitchenware from plates to cutting boards.
Each product is handmade and unique.
Wooden goods (21st Century) by tm agencyFederal Agency for Tourism
Wood can be seen in modern interior decorations, while wooden tableware is used at prominent restaurants and bars.
Clay kitchenware by Alyona GudzFederal Agency for Tourism
Earthenware
Clay and pottery kitchenware has been in use since ancient times. Initially, the whole moulding was done manually, but the potter's wheel was invented in Mesopotamia as early as 4,000 BC.
In Russia, people cooked food in pots, water was carried in jugs, while wine, beer and honey were served at feasts in yendovas, or wide bowls.
Clay kitchenware by Leonid EremeychukFederal Agency for Tourism
Milk was kept in a krynka, a tall clay jug without a handle. Since moisture could evaporate through the unglazed walls, the milk was cooled and stored for 3-4 days.
Clay kitchenware by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Meat and poultry were baked in casseroles – thick-walled oval moulds with a lid that retained heat for long. Salads, pickles and seasonings were kept in small ceramic bowls called cherepushkas, or skullcaps.
Clay kitchenware would be put in the stove to stew soups, gruel, roasted meat or pelmeni dumplings. Ceramics is good for health and improves the taste, since food is stewed in its own juice.
Clay kitchenware by Chamotte BakeryFederal Agency for Tourism
Today, ceramics is a popular trend, and some small businesses have picked up on it. Famous restaurants, such as Voronezh, Ugolyuok and Severyane, serve dishes in ceramics.
Clay kitchenware by Chamotte BakeryFederal Agency for Tourism
Ceramic shops all over the country offer handmade products and a chance to experiment with various clay modelling styles.
Clay kitchenware by Agami CeramicsFederal Agency for Tourism
Dymov Keramica was one of the first factories to produce kitchenware to classic Russian designs and teach pottery to kids and adults.
Dymov Keramica was one of the first factories to produce kitchenware to classic Russian designs and teach pottery to kids and adults.
Clay kitchenware by Agami CeramicsFederal Agency for Tourism
It was followed by Agami Ceramics and Chamotte Bakery in Moscow and Basa Space in St. Petersburg: they all make modern minimalist kitchen products.
Clay work by Agami CeramicsFederal Agency for Tourism
Porcelain by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Russian Porcelain
Any house of a Russian nobleman would have porcelain among kitchenware without fail. The most famous porcelain manufactory in Russia is the Imperial Porcelain Factory founded in St. Petersburg in 1744. Chemist and inventor Dmitry Vinogradov developed the right porcelain composition and became one of the first manufacturers of Russian porcelain. One of the factory's major works was the ceremonial dinner set for Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Peter the Great's youngest daughter.
Francis Gardner, an Englishman, founded the Gardner Porcelain Factory in the village of Verbilki near Moscow. For over two centuries, it has been producing porcelain masterpieces with magnificent table and tea sets shipped to the palaces in Russia and Europe.
Porcelain by cottonbro at PexelsFederal Agency for Tourism
Known as the Dmitrov Porcelain Factory today, it continues the traditions established by Gadner to make superior ceramics.
Porcelain is now produced in several Russian regions from the village of Dulyov outside of Moscow to Krasnodar Territory to Bashkortostan. Some keep with Soviet traditions, others follow new trends for a minimalist approach.
Porcelain by RustourismFederal Agency for Tourism
Khokhloma by Pavel AdashkevichFederal Agency for Tourism
Khokhloma
The Khokhloma ornaments are diverse. There are “gingerbreads”, or patterned geometric shapes, “grass”, or herbal designs, painted with jerky strokes, and fancy gold leaves, flowers and curls on a dark background called “berry painting” or “curls”.
The Khokhloma ornaments are diverse. There are “gingerbreads”, or patterned geometric shapes, “grass”, or herbal designs, painted with jerky strokes, and fancy gold leaves, flowers and curls on a dark background called “berry painting” or “curls”.
Khokhloma by Marina BuntarskayaFederal Agency for Tourism
Khokhloma dishes are made in several stages. First, a wooden workpiece called “belyo” is carved and then primed with liquid clay. Then it is dried and coated with linseed oil. When the linseed dries, aluminium powder is rubbed into it.
Khokhloma by Valentina DashkovaFederal Agency for Tourism
The dish is now ready to be painted on in oil. Only thick, squirrel fur brushes that can draw very fine lines are fit for the purpose.
Khokhloma by Dmitry MedvedevFederal Agency for Tourism
One of the main centers of production, the Khokhloma Painting plant, is located in the town of Semyonov, an hour's drive from Nizhny Novgorod.
Salver by Andrey XFederal Agency for Tourism
Today, Khokhloma is a symbol of Russian tradition, and an inspiration for artists, interior designers, and the fashion industry.
Denis Simach, a prominent dress designer, used both Khokhloma and Gzhel patterns, and even included Soviet symbols in his line of clothing that is a provocative mix of the traditional and the modern.
Salver by Andrey XFederal Agency for Tourism
The kitchenware shop HALF&HALF released a Khokhloma-painted collection reimagined in minimalist style.
Gzhel by Daria TeplovaFederal Agency for Tourism
Gzhel
"The Gzhel bush" is what Russians call the 27 villages near Moscow, where one of the most famous Russian folk crafts emerged in the 18th century. The village of Gzhel has always been famous for its high-quality clay. It was used to make apothecary ware, and the blue paint was pragmatically picked as a match for the glaze.
Color painting was popular at first, but Dutch influence, itself inspired by Chinese porcelain, meant that blue became the color of choice.
Gzhel by Gzhel porcelain factoryFederal Agency for Tourism
Gzhel was not always a success story. Local production entered decline in the 20th century before a revival effort in the 1950s brought back the nearly lost painting and ceramic production techniques.
Gzhel pottery, like Khokhloma, was originally for home use. In the 18th century, Gzhel patterns were used for plates and vessels, while Khokhoma was for utensils such as spoons. The second half of the 19th century ushered in lavishly patterned and ornate items for decoration. During the Soviet period, they became the default souvenir item for tourist collections.
Gzhel by Gzhel porcelain factoryFederal Agency for Tourism
Present-day designers draw from Gzhel for inspiration combining the traditional blue flowers with geometric patterns, ears of wheat and other shapes.
SalversFederal Agency for Tourism
Zhostovo Painting
This type of tin tray painting originates in the village of Zhostovo near Moscow. First appearing in the first half of the 19th century, this style draws on the bouquet motif with large garden and smaller field flowers scattered along a dark background.
SalversFederal Agency for Tourism
The artists used oil paint diluted with linseed oil, and squirrel fur brushes of different sizes.
Salver by UG-art home designFederal Agency for Tourism
Bright Zhostovo trays come in a variety of shapes: round, oval, rectangular, and octagonal.
Salver by Andrey XFederal Agency for Tourism
Some of them are used for household purposes, like a samovar stand or a food dish.
Others are decorative items.
Сhief Сonsultant — Ekaterina Drozdova, restaurateur, gastronomic entrepreneur, food and social activist, Contributors — Proximity Russia, tm agency, Denis Yershov, Anna Zaykina
