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Exhibition “In the Country of Porcelain and Faience”

On November 2, 2018, the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov presents an exhibition “In the Country of Porcelain and Faience” telling about an interesting collection of china and earthenware tableware.

In this collection, especially interesting is ceramic tableware made in Kuznetsov manufactures in the late XIX– early XX centuries. It was brought to the Don region from numerous military campaigns, from the military service in Saint-Petersburg and was brought by merchants for sale in shops. Usually “Kuznetsov” tableware was exposed in the cupboards in Cossack kurens (houses) and was used in special cases.

“The Company of Kuznetsov Porcelain and Earthenware Manufacture” was founded in 1889, though this history began much earlier. In 1812, Yakov Vasilyevich Kuznetsov, a great grandfather of Matvey Kuznetsov, founded a porcelain manufacture in Gzhel, near Moscow. Subsequently, he handed down his mastery and skills to his sons, and they, in turn, – to their sons.

During the XIX century, the Kuznetsovs dynasty founded and bought out a number of porcelain factories and manufactures of different trends in assortment and technology. But all they worked for the good of Russia delighting customers with their beautiful dishes and interesting interior items.

In 1832, Terenty Kuznetsov (Yakov’s son) transferred the manufacture from Gzhel to Dulyovo wasteland (now Likino-Dulyovo of the Moscow Region), which later became one of the outstanding companies for manufacturing high quality, artistic porcelain known at present as Dulyovsky. Sidor Kuznetsov (Terenty’s son) in 1841, founded the Riga porcelain and earthenware factory. After his grandfather and father died, those enterprises came under the control of Matvey Sidorovich Kuznetsov. Two years before his father’s death in 1870, the young industrialist himself bought out the factory from entrepreneur Auerbach, who had been engaged in porcelain production since 1809, and had had his practice. But M.S.Kuznetsov did not stop there. In 1887, the industrialist opened a faience factory in Budy Village of the Kharkov Region. In 1893, his company was joined by Gardner’s factory located in Verbilki Village near Moscow. And within several years, a number of small factories (Slavyanskaya, Pesochnaya, Maltsev’s) joined the company under his direction. They all became the property of the industrialist.

In the early XX century, Kuznetsov owned a whole ”holding” which included eighteen factories and manufactures for ceramics production.

The products of “The Company of M.S.Kuznetsov” were varied. The factories produced crockery which could “enter” any house. For peasants they made plain dishes. For citizens they decorated faience with noble paintings, but no expensive paints were used. For wealthy houses there were dishes even “golden inside”. The inside of such cups and plates was covered with a thin layer of gold.

The exhibition shows tableware manufactured at the factories of M.S. and I.E.Kuznetsov.

As well, there are displayed glass objects, faience and porcelain figurines very popular in Soviet times.

The tableware was bought or received as gifts from individuals and organizations, was brought from the expeditions through the northern districts of the Rostov and Volgograd regions, which previously were the territories of the Don Army Region.

The exhibition “In the Country of Porcelain and Faience” will run in the excursion and exhibition centre “People’s House” until April 1, 2019.

Irina Koveshnikova