Masterpieces of the Imperial Glass Factory are presented in Tula

"I sing praises before you in delight

Not expensive stones, nor gold, but Glass".

(Mikhail Lomonosov)

Glass cannot be called a common material in Russian art. The first high achievements in the field of domestic glassmaking are associated primarily with the name of the outstanding scientist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov. He admired the possibilities of this unusual material and, as a result of experiments, was able to paint it in different shades.

In 1777, Prince Grigory Potemkin received from Empress Catherine II “the glass factories of Elmsel into eternal possession” and transferred them to his estate near St. Petersburg. After the death of the prince, in 1792 the plant again became state-owned and since then was called the Imperial.

By the beginning of the 19th century, Russian glass came out into the world. Masterpieces created by the masters of the Imperial Glass Factory cause delight at national and world exhibitions. A significant part of the creations is of a monumental nature. Not only artists, but also architects, physicists, and chemists worked on glass compositions.

By the middle of the 19th century, the plant had its own laboratory for the preparation of dyes of almost any color. Uranium glass, ruby glass, cobalt glass, milk glass, opal glass appeared... More than 20,000 shades were listed in the register.

Products from the Imperial Glass Factory were a sign of the highest status. Glass was used both as serving items and for interior decoration. But only aristocrats could afford it.

A fascinating story is revealed at the exhibition “Masterpieces of the Imperial Glass Factory of the 19th – early 20th centuries. from the collection of the Historical Museum" in the Tula branch of the State Historical Museum. Previously, this luxury adorned numerous palaces of members of the Russian Imperial House. With the fall of the empire, fragile production also ceased to exist.

Source: https://brandrussia.online/