How does a samovar work on coals. Forms of flame samovars

03.03.2020

The design of the samovar seems to be extremely simple. A body with handles, or a body, inside is a flame tube on a massive but hollow base. Burning charcoal is placed in the pipe, and it continues to burn at the bottom on the grate in the air stream that enters the holes in the base. The air heats up and, rising up in the flame tube, gives off heat to the water in the samovar (Fig. 1).

Coal will burn steadily, or rather burn out, if there is traction. It appears when the air flow at one end of the pipe heats up, and at the other it cools, which is what happens in the samovar. Thrust is also facilitated by the narrowing of the outlet end, which simultaneously reduces heat loss. The modern scientific discipline - gas dynamics calls such methods of accelerating the air flow the effect of thermal and geometric nozzles (Fig. 2).

a) Straight pipe: O + - heat input, Q - - heat removal, P - pressure, V - air velocity.
b) Pipe with narrowing: F 1 - narrowed pipe section, F 2 - normal pipe section. The narrowing of the pipe leads to a more vigorous rise in speed (thrust) and a decrease in pressure.

In order for air to flow in the samovar pipe, it must be “shifted”, giving some initial speed, blowing the pipe down near the grate (the coals are kindled from above with a boot). So in modern ramjet engines, thrust appears when the air flow accelerates to more than twice the speed of sound (the theory of jet engines by the word "thrust" means a force that moves aircraft in space).

The samovar pipe narrowed at the top is called a jug. Due to the pitcher shape (the narrowing of the top of the pipe increases the frequency of its natural vibrations), the samovar pipe managed to avoid significant "buzz", which would mean the proximity of rather dangerous vibrations such as flutter.

The inner diameter of the pipe, in the wide e part, is the main samovar measure. According to this diameter, all dimensions of the samovar, its height and width, even the required amount of coal were determined.

The other main part of the samovar is the body, or body for water (Fig. 3). In the first Russian samovars, it looked like a bowl (hemisphere). Over time, more suitable forms of the bucket-like body emerged - an inverted truncated cone, as well as a more complex combination - the upper part of the cone conjugated with the torus. In samovars with such a body, the water is first heated at the bottom, then it receives heat from the pipe throughout the volume.

Rice. 3. Changes in the shape of the body.

A serious design problem was the connection of the body with the pipe. When the samovar is heated, the jug becomes red-hot, and the temperature of the body does not exceed the boiling point of water. Russian samovar makers, given such different mode heating the body and pipe, connected them hermetically only in one place. Thus, the pipe and the body began to behave independently, avoiding thermal stresses, and hence cyclic warping, which usually leads to destruction.

At the same time, the body and pipe, connected in one place, acted as a console - a structure fixed on one side and very vulnerable due to its low rigidity. In 1825, professor of medicine Ephraim Mukhin proposed a new version of the samovar in order to obtain water vapor together with boiling water, which is needed for field hospitals (Fig. 4). In the upper part of the samovar, bread was baked for the wounded in the manner of today's miracle stoves. It was planned to additionally connect the pipe and the body at the top, which gave the samovar structure additional rigidity. However, due to periodic temperature changes, the upper connection of the body with the pipe quickly unsoldered, and the steam escaped.

For a century and a half, samovars have been an integral part of Russian life. They are a device for boiling water and making tea. Initially, the water in them was heated by an internal firebox, which was a high tube filled with charcoal. A little later, kerosene, electric and other types of samovars appeared. At present, they are almost universally replaced by teapots.

Vintage samovars: a bit of history

Today, these ancient devices with exquisite decoration popular among collectors and just true connoisseurs.

As you know, tea drinking traditions came to Russia from the East, where there were special utensils for making tea drinks. But it was Russian craftsmen who invented the samovar in the form of a familiar device for all of us.

It is difficult to give an exact date for the appearance of such products, but the 19th century is considered the peak of their popularity. At this time, many factories were opened throughout the country, producing such products. But among them, it was the masters of Tula who became especially famous. Manufacturers such as the Lisitsyns, Kapyrzins, Lomovs, Shemarins, Gornins, Vorontsovs, Batashevs, Teile and many others were known both in Russia and in Europe.

The first manufacturers of samovars in Tula were the Lisitsyn brothers, who opened a samovar establishment at the end of the 18th century. Their products were famous for their exquisite forms. Also well known are the old Tula samovars of the Lomovs, who at that time produced about 1000 items a year.

As a rule, the whole family was engaged in the production of products, and their experience and tools were inherited. That is why there could be several hallmarks of masters on one product. Tula samovars were made not only directly in Tula itself, but also in its environs, but this did not prevent us from calling all samovars from these places Tula.

Initially, copper was used for manufacturing (more precisely, an alloy of copper and zinc). But since it was customary to polish these products to a shine, the copper samovar broke down very quickly. After some time, the craftsmen began to use brass and cupronickel.

Types of structures

According to the method of heating water, old samovars are divided into:

Zharovye (coal, wood), from which the history of samovar business actually began. Almost any wood combustible materials (coal, wood, cones, etc.) can be used to heat water.
Electrical. Water is heated by a heating element. The main advantage is the absence of smoke and soot.
Combined, combining two types of water heating - from electricity and from the heat of burning fuel.

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, new types of samovars began to be produced: kerosene, Parichko products and Chernikovs' copper appliances with a side pipe.

Also, ancient samovars differ in shape. Banks are considered the cheapest, then, in ascending order of price, a glass, a ball, and then a vase, an egg.

Volume of samovars

These devices vary in volume.

The most popular old samovars are coal-fired from 3 to 7 liters. Items smaller than 3 liters are usually more expensive than their larger counterparts because they are more difficult to manufacture and less common.

Electric samovars are from 1.5 to 3 liters. Larger sizes are quite rare.

Material for manufacturing

Samovars are made from different materials. The most common are brass products, as well as copper, cupronickel and tombak.

Copper samovars were considered festive, so they are the most expensive. Now sold mainly brass with copper plated products, but you can also find an old copper samovar. On sale, most often there are gold-colored brass devices (they look very elegant, but need careful care for their surface) and nickel-plated brass devices (they have a silver color, they also look beautiful, but do not require special care).

Painted brass samovars are also widespread.

Flame samovars

From the point of view of antique value, coal-fired samovars, where the main fuel is coal, have the greatest attraction. Since in those days coal was far from affordable for everyone, firewood was often used for the firebox, which was laid in the inner pipe.

Among antique dealers, antique wood-fired samovars are no less in demand. Visually, they differ little from their coal counterparts. But true connoisseurs of antiquity will distinguish them instantly.

The most valuable are authentic products of the 17th - early 19th centuries, each of which is unique in its own way and is a work of art. The mark of the master is considered the standard of the highest quality of an old samovar.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood-burning samovars

These are real old samovars, which means that you can touch the real Russian tradition of tea drinking, which is almost two hundred years old. Plus frying products - the heated water in them cools down more slowly.

Among the disadvantages are:

1) Old flame samovars (their prices are very different) need to be heated when they are completely filled with water. If this rule is not observed, they can be soldered. Therefore, if it is necessary to heat the water in a cooled device, it is imperative to add liquid, and only then reheat it. However, it is not easy to melt an extinct samovar, therefore, most likely, you will have to drain the water, remove the old fuel, pour water and melt it again.

2) It is possible to melt coal samovars only in open spaces, or insert the pipe into a special hood.

3) Flame samovars are much more expensive than similar electric ones.

Electric samovars

These products replaced their flame counterparts already in the era of developed socialism. By their design, they are much simpler and do not have the traditional sophistication of forms and elements. That is why electric samovars have the least collectible value.

Advantages and disadvantages of electric samovars

Electric options are more convenient to heat up, and with any volume of water (if only the heating element is covered). They can be used indoors. Most electric samovars have a thermal switch.

The main disadvantage of an electric samovar is that it is not a samovar, but rather a non-standard electric kettle. Here you can not smell the cones or apple twigs. After heating, it will cool faster than the flame one, since there are no slowly cooling coals inside it. They cannot be used in nature, as there is no electricity.

Combined vintage samovars

Since progress does not stand still, the purchase of a combined samovar will be a very successful acquisition, combining the advantages of flame and electric counterparts. You can melt such a device with firewood, and when the water cools down, heat it up with electricity. It can be used both outdoors and indoors.

The only disadvantage of combined samovars is their cost, which is higher than both wood-burning and electric version similar size and shape.

How much does an old samovar cost?

Those who wish to have an old samovar in their home without any problems can purchase it at the antique market, which very successfully supplies everyone with such products that differ appearance, quality, artistic merit, production time, volume and price. It is quite difficult for ordinary buyers, unlike collectors, to understand all the subtleties, although sometimes even collectors do not know how to evaluate a particular product. After all, for example, only one Tula factory of V.S. Batashev produced more than 50 shapes and sizes of various samovars, and if you take into account other manufacturers, it becomes not so easy to determine the price of this popular product.

As we have already said, the cost of vintage samovars can be very different, depending on many factors. And first of all, it is the age of the product that is important here (the older it is, the more valuable). For example, a device that was released in tsarist times is several times more expensive than Soviet counterparts.

Equally important is the uniqueness of the samovar. Exclusive items handwork have always been highly valued, and if the age of the product is also solid, then this is, without a doubt, antiques. The same can be said about the form.

Another criterion that affects the price of a samovar is the popularity of the manufacturer, the presence of a manufacturer's stamp or brand of the manufacturer. So, for example, an old samovar with medals is much more expensive. In addition, the preservation and artistic value of decorative elements is important.

All samovars can be conditionally divided into 3 categories:

Samovars are old (their prices are very different). They are made, as a rule, at the highest artistic level and made of expensive material. On the antique market, such copies are rare, and the price here is determined, as a rule, by the seller. The buyer is left to either purchase at this price, or look for another price. The cost of such goods reaches several tens of thousands of dollars.
This category includes products that have a good artistic elaboration, non-standard shape, covered with silver. There are many more such samovars on the market, so the seller and the buyer can agree on a price. The price range fluctuates within 10 thousand dollars.
This category includes mass-produced products, ordinary and purely functional. The price for such goods is usually offered by the buyer. Such samovars can cost approximately $500.

in Kolomna. The private collection of the Burov family, presented in the museum, consists of more than 400 samovars. Former military Burovs have been collecting samovars all over Russia for many years. Huge restoration work has been done. About 100 more models of samovars are awaiting restoration.

All photos below were taken at the Samovar House in Kolomna.

A samovar is a water-heating device that was very convenient in everyday life. Water could be heated on any open fire, for example, put a kettle in the stove. But it is obvious that the stove was not heated all day, because it would take too much fuel. In Russia, the stove was heated only once a day, and in cold times in the morning and in the evening, that is, twice a day. Therefore, when boiling water was needed, a samovar was used.

The samovar requires very little fuel. He boils quickly. It is believed that with proper ignition, a liter of water boils in one minute. Accordingly, 10-liter samovars boiled in 10 minutes. The same volume of electric samovars boils much longer.

Is the samovar a Russian invention?

From this article you will learn:

History says that the samovar is not a Russian invention. There were also water heaters in other countries, in particular, in China, and apparently this is a borrowing from China, which was already adapted by Russian craftsmen to our conditions.

Tea came to Russia in the 17th century, or rather in the middle of the 17th century under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (as you know, this is the father of Peter I). During his reign, merchants began to visit Central Asia. Craftsmen also saw these water heaters, because the history of Chinese appliances that heat water by that time was already about 1700 years old. They were very much in demand in society.

Composition in Russian style

Samovars were also produced in Europe. For example, in France. These are the so-called "fountain" samovars. In such samovars, fire was never lit. A flask was built into them, into which broken ice was poured to cool the contents of the samovar, to heat the liquid. Then they took a special cast-iron weight, heated it in an oven, and then put it into the same flask. In such samovars, as a rule, they made.

Samovars were also made in England. Basically, these were simple copper samovars. In Germany, most often they made coffee pots heated at the bottom with alcohol.

The first mention of the samovar

The first mention of a samovar occurs in Russia in the 1740s. This is the era immediately following Peter I, who died in 1725. And then, in the Urals, in the village of Suksun, at the Suksun copper smelters, somewhere in the inventories, the word "samovar" is mentioned. At the same time, the word "samovar" is found in one of the inventories of the property of the old discharge monastery. In those days, samovars were of a rather primitive design. Today, the very first samovars are almost nowhere to be found. Basically, samovars of the 19th century, or the end of the 18th century, have been preserved.

Samovar price

Samovars, as a trade item, were very expensive. In the middle of the 19th century, during the time of Gogol, or the reign of Nicholas I, an average samovar cost 5-7 rubles, which at that time meant the price of a cow.

Materials for the manufacture of a samovar

At hand made, the samovar is an extremely difficult product to manufacture, and this is the reason for its high cost.

Throughout the 19th century, samovars were made of copper or brass. Classic brass has a straw yellow color, like 999 gold. When there was more than 80% copper in brass, it had a characteristic reddish color, such an alloy is called tompak. The samovar is accordingly tompakovy. Such samovars were more expensive and heavier than the rest. In the common people, all this was called "samovar" or "gypsy gold." Gypsies could buy one copy in a camp, cut it into the necessary parts and make fakes out of them. jewelry, which can be sold as gold. Although it is known that brass and copper oxidize if you regularly boil water in them. When heated to 100 degrees, they come into contact with oxygen, which is in the air, and then the so-called. "patina".

Composition in the Samovar House

Types of samovar coatings

Nickel plating (as a samovar coating) became possible only at the end of the 19th century with the advent of electricity and the invention of galvanic baths in chemistry. The metal was dissolved in a solution, electricity was supplied to the galvanic baths, products were immersed there, and then they were covered with a thin layer of nickel. Nickel was good, tk. this metal is strong and hard. When they covered the samovar, it no longer scratched, was more wear-resistant and durable. In addition, nickel almost does not tarnish, so it did not need to be polished so often. But if the samovars are brass or copper, then with constant boiling, literally a month after cleaning, they were covered with a large patina.

Samovars artificially coated with a special coating are also known. This was done in order to deliberately age their appearance.

Samovar cleaning methods

In general, samovars were cleaned with fine sand with a small addition of water. The mixture was applied to a cloth and thus cleaned. In addition, samovars were cleaned with ashes, which remained from the burning of wood. They also polished it with grated brick, for this it was ground into powder, i.e. cleaned with abrasive materials.

It was very difficult to clean the samovar. The hostess spent a lot of time on it, so they polished it only on major holidays.

Forms (styles) of samovars

The simplest and most common form of a samovar is the so-called "bank".

The style of the samovar "bank"

In general, there are dozens of forms of samovars or, as the people used to say, “styles”. The “glass” style is also very popular, when the samovar is narrowed to the bottom. A glass could be “faceted”, “three columns”, “herringbone column”, “twisted column”, “oval glass edge”, “smooth glass” and so on.

The style of the samovar "glass"

The forms and styles were strict, however, various details, some decorative elements could flow from one style to another. Sometimes, when you look at a samovar, it is very difficult to accurately determine the shape or style.

In general, samovars could have the most bizarre shapes. For example, a samovar in the form of a “gun” (similar to the muzzle of an old cannon), “bullets” (rounded to the bottom), “watermelon” (absolutely round), “pears”, “pumpkins”, “nuts”, “vases” (she the same “turnip”, “lobed vases”, “vases with medallions”), in the form of “boots” (large and small), “queen”, silver-plated and many others were produced.

Samovars style "watermelon"

Samovars could be of various sizes. The small samovar is called « egoist» . It is designed for one cup of drink. Samovar « tet-a-tet» designed for two cups, etc.

Small samovar

Large-volume samovars, the so-called "four-bucket" or "tavern" samovars. Russian-made samovars were very solid, thick-walled, and it was believed that how many liters of water are included in a samovar, how much it weighs empty in kilograms. They were very bulky and unportable. They were placed in taverns, markets and other public places.

Below are photos of some of them.

Festive samovars

Collection exhibit

Kerosene samovars were also produced. At the bottom of such a samovar there was a flask into which kerosene was poured, there was also a wick and a flame regulator. There was also an "alcohol" samovar. Alcohol is poured into the flask, which, when burned, heated the water. Due to the complexity of the design, kerosene and alcohol samovars were very expensive and were not in great demand.

Road samovars. They differ from standard samovars mainly only in volume and obligatory removable legs for better transportation. They were taken on long journeys.

Army field samovar. Basically, it was intended for officers. Such a samovar has removable legs, taps on 3 sides for quick water dispensing, handles were on 4 sides for ease of carrying.

Festive Easter samovar. This samovar looked like Easter egg. Such samovars were exhibited only once, on Easter week, and on other days they used ordinary samovars. If there were several samovars in the house, this house was considered rich or prosperous.

A festive samovar is known, in the form of a lantern or the so-called “faceted jar”. It is very thick-walled because the patterns on it were made with acid. There are brass samovars painted in Khokhloma and Zhostovo painting.

The main parts of the samovar

With the exception of small details, the samovar consists of two large parts: the “body” and the “firebox” (it is also a jug). Both parts were covered from the inside with food tin, and the soldering of the entire samovar was tin. Tin, as you know, is a fusible metal, it melts at three hundred degrees. The temperature in the firebox of a samovar could reach 450 degrees if it was fired with wood torches, and more if it was charcoal. So, if the samovar is not filled to the end, but, for example, only half and a fire is made in it, the parts in it are soldered and the samovar becomes unusable.

The internal structure of the samovar

Besides, design feature is that the two main elements (the body and the firebox) must be connected in such a way that a single whole is obtained. You need to solder the firebox on purpose, only at the bottom of the product. This complexity of manufacturing and causes its high price. Therefore, even in the 19th century, such a household appliance was far from affordable for everyone. For example, in the peasant environment, there were practically no samovars. They were among the aristocracy, among the merchants, in the prosperous urban environment among the philistines, and only under Alexandra III and Nicholas II, the samovar began to more or less enter the peasant environment.

Samovar production

By the end of the 18th century, the production of samovars in Russia began to be concentrated mainly in Tula. Although there were other places of their production, for example, the firms of Alenchikov-Zimin produced samovars in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The production of samovars in Tula is easily explained by the fact that master gunsmiths worked there, who knew how to handle metal well. Some of them retrained and began to produce samovars. The selling price of the samovar was almost as good as that of weapons, and therefore they were made with pleasure by former gunsmiths. During the 19th century, there were about 70 artels in Tula that were engaged in the manufacture of various samovars after the revolution of 1917, only two factories remained, the first was called the “cartridge factory”, the second was called the “Stamp factory”, which, by the way, is still working produce samovars (though in very small quantities).

Part of the exposition

The main famous craftsmen who worked in Tula: the Lomov brothers, Batashovs, Shimarins, Vorontsovs, Berta Genrikhovna Teile, who inherited the company from her husband and others.

Samovars were also made in the Polish kingdom at the end of the 19th century by Frazhe. The Fraget firm is known for the fact that they invented the method of deep silvering. Their samovars were very elegant and very openwork, basically the samovar was copper with brass elements, the tray with legs was brass, the blower, the faucet handles were also brass.

Samovars today

Nowadays, samovars are most often used for interior decoration, to create an interior in the "Russian" style. Both traditional wood-burning models and electric samovars are on sale. The main manufacturer is still the Tula plant "Stamp". The emphasis in manufacturing is shifted to design, because. these days, a samovar is more of a decorative item than a necessity.

Most often, modern buyers use the samovar in country house, in the country, in the bath.

We hope that after reading this article you will have a desire to visit the Samovar House Museum in Kolomna, or maybe someone will decide to purchase a samovar. In this case, we can safely recommend the Senor Porcelain online store to you. Also in the Senor Porcelain store you can buy porcelain dishes and other serving items.

Share your favorite tea recipe with our website readers!

Samovar for almost three centuries it has been considered a primordially Russian symbol of hospitality and an integral part of life Slavic people. But, no matter how strange it may sound now, the history of this ancient device goes back several millennia. And the samovar appeared not at all in Russia, as is commonly believed throughout the world.

But be that as it may, Russian word"samovar" migrated to many countries and this device is called - "samovar" and the British, and French, and Spaniards, and Italians, and, by the way, the Turks call it - "semaver".

Antique samovar of ancient Rome

Similar devices have been known since prehistoric times. For example, ancient people, wanting to warm the liquid, threw a red-hot large stone into a container of water, as a result of which the water boiled almost instantly.

Later, during antiquity, a design resembling a samovar appeared in Ancient Rome - the auteps. It was a tall jug, inside which was placed a brazier for hot coals that warmed the water. In the same device, it was also possible to cool drinks on hot days, and for this, ice was used instead of coal. Autepsa had the great advantage that she did not need an external fire, since the heating came from within.

Chinese samovar "Ho-Go"

A similar ancient device exists in China. A deep bowl with a built-in pipe and blower - this is what the famous Chinese prototype of the samovar called "Ho-Go" is. They are made of metal and porcelain, and are usually served with soup or boiling broth.

There is a high probability that it was along with tea that “Ho-Go” came to Russia from China in the 16th century. But no one really knows for sure right now. After all, the history of the origin of the Russian samovar is very confusing and contradictory.

When did the first samovar appear in Russia

According to one of the legends, the samovar first appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter the Great. Since the emperor often visited European countries and from where he brought a lot of ideas and interesting objects, it was rumored that it was he who brought this outlandish device from Holland.

However, if you believe the historical chronicles, then the samovar appeared in Russia after the death of Peter. And for the first time it was created not in Tula, as is commonly believed, but in the Urals in 1740. And historians found the first mention of the Tula samovar only six years later. With the advent of samovars in Russia in the 16th century, tea also appeared, which became a very popular drink by the beginning of the 19th century.

Mass production in Russia of a miracle device

But be that as it may, it was Peter's reforms that led to the development of the metallurgical industry in Russia, and already in the first half of the 18th century they began to mass-produce copper teapots with a handle. Then cauldrons with pipes and blowers, called "sbitenniks", which later became the prototype of the Russian samovar.

The very same production of samovars is a delicate and labor-intensive business. IN different years they were made from different metals. The very first were copper and cupronickel, and later brass. But in museums there are samovars made of precious metals - gold, silver and even pure quartz.

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For the children of Emperor Nicholas II in 1909, Tula craftsmen made five small samovars with a volume of one glass. "Each had its own form: in the form of a vase, in the form of a glass, in the form of an antique vessel, in the form of a ball, a Greek amphora." All of them are preserved in the museum and are in working condition.

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Samovars with a volume of 3-8 liters were widely distributed, although larger ones were also produced - 12-15 liters. Due to the harsh climate in Russia, such samovars quickly became fashionable, since you can not only drink boiling water from them, but also heat your home. Therefore, the samovar has become so popular among the Russian people, despite the considerable cost. And interestingly, the price of this unique device was determined by its weight. The heavier the samovar, the more expensive.

Samovar - the soul of every home

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The samovar made it so easy to brew tea that it became indispensable assistant in the economy. Now there was no longer any need to heat the stove to heat the boiling water. And it didn't take much time at all. And the heated water in the samovar did not cool down for a long time.

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This kind fat"друг" был вне всяких сословий, он был в почете и у простого крестьянина, и у царя-батюшки. Под "пыхтение" самовара слагали стихи, пели песни, водили хороводы и решали дела государственной значимости. Медный блестящий самовар и по сей день живет в !} literary works Pushkin, Blok, Gorky and Gogol. And also on the canvases of Russian classical artists.

A measured rumble, bagels on the table, cups and saucers and the most delicious tea from a samovar - all this is so close to the heart, it gives so much warmth and comfort to the hearth. And under the beating of hearts, warmed by the heat of the Tula samovar, the poetry of the soul, national Russian poetry is born ... For a Russian person, the samovar evokes memories of childhood, mother's dear and caring hands, wind chants, snow blizzard outside the window, friendly festivities, family feasts.

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Wherever you are during the day, at night -
It's like being at home next to him.
He buzzes in the forest hut,
In the cities, among the steppes...
From it often Pushkin
He treated his friends to tea.
Commander, Prince Suvorov
He took him with him.

A samovar is a device for boiling water. It can rightly be considered a truly Russian invention. The place of this valuable item in the national culture is equated to nesting dolls and balalaikas.

The device of samovars

All samovars are built according to the same principle, despite their diversity. Each samovar has a wall. This is the basis of the device. Water is poured here to be boiled. On top of the wall there is a fused ring - a circle.

A plate - repeek is attached to the wall of the device. It starts with a crane. A faucet handle is called a branch. This is one of the decorations of the samovar, as the branch is made in unusual shapes.

Inside the samovar there is a tube called a jug. It puts fuel in it. The jar has a cap with which it is closed. The lower part of the device is called the neck. The base is a pallet. You will also see handles for each samovar.

The steamer (a small hole in the lid) releases steam during the boil. There is also a burner on top. It is needed to install a teapot. A current of air flows through the closed burner.

Kinds

By the shape of the samovar, you can determine the period"жизни" изделия. Рельефная и граненая форма говорит о прочном, крепком каркасе. Такой самовар прослужит лет десять и будет долго радовать вас своим неизменным видом.!}

Smooth and round devices cannot boast of longevity. Such samovars are subject to mechanical damage: dents and scratches. Therefore, spherical devices are not very popular. Few of these copies have survived to this day.

There are three types of samovars:

The fire samovar is a classic Russian device. To heat water, fuel of wood origin is used: charcoal, dry chips, cones. A fire samovar must necessarily have a tube inside. The volume and shape of such devices are different.
An electric samovar is the most convenient to use today. It works from the mains. The forms of these devices are also different. The maximum volume reaches 45 liters.
The combined samovar is golden mean. The device combines electric and flame (coal) samovars.

Etymology

Historians are still arguing about the origin of the word "samovar". This device was called differently in Russia: in Kursk it was called "samokipets", in Yaroslavl - "samogar", in - "self-heating". However, the idea is observed to be the same - "it cooks itself".

Some researchers believe that the word is borrowed from Tatar. In this language, "teapot" sounds like "snabar". However, the first version of supporters is still much more.

The first samovars

The history of the samovar is almost unknown. The invention of this device was attributed to the ancient Romans, and Russia, and even China. In China, there really is a similar device called "Ho-Go". It is made of metal or porcelain. In China, soups are served in ho-go.

The legend says that Peter the Great brought the samovar to Russia. And he bought this outlandish device in Holland. According to another version, the samovar was created by the blacksmith Demidov. He himself was, but he made the apparatus while in the Urals.

According to the documents, the following is known: in the city of Tula in 1778, the first production of devices for boiling water began. The manufacturers were the Lisitsyn brothers. Thereby historical fact Tula is considered the birthplace of samovars. However, back in 1740, a samovar was found at Demidov's! It turns out that at first the devices were used in the Urals, then in Tula, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In the middle of the 19th century, 30 samovar factories opened in Russia. 100 thousand devices were produced per year in Russia different sizes, shapes and coloring pages. Over time, they changed, but did not go out of fashion. Even today, people continue to buy these devices. And not only electric, but also generally accepted Tula flame samovars.

Traditional samovar: device and work

A wood-burning samovar is considered a classic. It is also called scorching. Tea from such an apparatus acquires a smoky aroma. For this property, he is valued. How does a fire samovar work? Smoldering charcoal or firewood is placed in the pipe. Due to the flow of air, coal flares up. When heated, the air rises and heats the water in the wall.

As soon as the water begins to boil, they put it on top. As a result, the air draft decreases, and the boiling of water slows down. The kettle gradually boils, and the tea is brewed.

Pros and cons of a fire samovar

Advantages of the classic model:

tribute to tradition. A fire samovar is a symbol of Russia. This is the option that our ancestors used.
High thermal insulation. Water in a coal samovar stays hot longer.
The taste of tea. The drink acquires the taste and aroma of smoke.

Cons of a coal samovar:

Price. The coal device is more expensive than the electric one. Although if you love antiques, then the price will not be a hindrance.
Limitation of places of use. Such an apparatus is ignited only on outdoors or indoors with a hood.
Difficulties in the process. If the device goes out, light it up again - headache. You will have to pour out the water, remove the coals, pour water again and only then start melting again.

If you decide to buy a wood-burning samovar, then you need to remember the following recommendations:

Check all components of the product, especially the pipe.
Choose a product with a jug made of thick iron. Unsuitable metal will not withstand long exposure to high temperatures. This will lead to the fact that the device will quickly deteriorate, and you will have to repair it.
Give preference to relief forms of the product. Spherical structures are easily damaged. They won't last long.

The price of goods depends on three indicators: material, shape and volume. When choosing a wood-fired fire samovar, you must remember that they are cheaper than devices of the same shape, but made from other materials. Nickel-plated are more expensive, as they are easy to maintain and use. Even more expensive are designs made of tombac (double brass).

For vintage items up to 3 liters, you will have to pay more than for items from 3 to 8 liters. This is because the output of small samovars was smaller than the output of their voluminous counterparts. Now you know everything about samovars and how they differ. Follow the guidelines and you can't go wrong.