Private Collection of Mikhail Borschev
The exposition of samovars from Mikhail Borschev's private collection is located at the main building of the park-hotel "Grumant" in Shchekinsky district of Tula region. To "Walk" around the museum of samovars is possible on the webpage «The Exposition of samovars from Mikhail Borschev's private collection».
The collection presents interesting samples of the most well-known Tula factories of the second half of XIX-th century: brothers Alexey and Vasily Batashev, brothers Shemarin’s, Tejle’s family, Vorontsov’s, Malikov’s, Kapyrzin’s. You can also find samovars, teapots-samovars, samovars-kitchens, samovars-coffee pots, traveler's samovars, samovars of small volume — samovars "Egoists", or "Tete-a-tete", souvenir samovars, — all these variations are presented at the collection, starting from the fine samples of traveller's samovar, produced by Pelagei Gudkovoj’s factory to the original model of the kerosene samovar produced by Polosatov, which combines option to use it as a kerosene lamp.
The collection also includes some outstanding samples of English (John Taylor, Read and Barton's companies, Vilkoks) and American bouillottes (Sterling, Tafts), and other objects that are not heating devices, but serve for other purposes: fountains, trays of different forms and sizes, slop basins, brewing teapots and original appliances, for example, as bouillottes for cooking eggs and the device for the preparation of mulled wines. The section of the website, entitled "Helpful information" tells the reader the history of birth of the samovar, the history of origin and development of samovar manufacturing and some other interesting information. The articles from "Useful advice" will explain to those, who are interested, what to pay attention to when purchasing the samovar and the way to make tea in the proper way and to clean the fire chamber of the samovar if necessary.
The exhibits of the collection are made of different materials, first of all, from copper and its alloys —brass and tombac, from nickel silver and its variations — white metal and German silver; with plated silver and galvanic silvering.
Mikhail Borschev's private collection has very special value because it represents not only the vast geography of the samovar manufacturing in Russia, but also rare samples of arts and crafts of other countries in the field of decorative processing of metals.
