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Russian porcelain

A Russian porcelain article is also a good Russian souvenir, especially if you visit Russia's Northern Capital, the site of the famous Saint Petersburg porcelain factory.

The Imperial Porcelain Factory (from 1925, the M.V. Lomonosov State Porcelain Factory) was established in Saint Petersburg in 1744 under the patronage of the daughter of Peter I the Great, the empress Elizabeth. The factory's prime was reached when Catherine II the Great became empress in 1762. She provided annual subsidies, as well as able directors and foreign artists, whose skills were passed on to Russian workers in the reigns of her successors. The porcelain of Catherine II's reign is Neoclassical, and the objects produced are typified by large, imposing services (such as the 'Arabesque,' with 1,000 pieces for 60 settings) and biscuit figure groups.

The best samples of the Russian porcelain, including the famous painted Easter eggs, are displayed in the Hermitage museum and in the palaces of St.Petersburg's suburbs: Pushkin, Pavlovsk and Peterhoff. These days, the Lomonosov State Porcelain Factory produces nearly 4000 various porcelain objects: tea and coffee services, diverse souvenirs, animal figures etc.

Last update: 01.01.1970