Hafiza, tell us how you became a collector?
I acquired my first samovar completely by accident — I hadn't even thought about it. And the cause was... war films. My father loved old movies and he got me interested in them too. 'Watch carefully what’s in the film now and remember it well,' he used to say. And since I was a girl, I paid more attention not to the plot but to the interior: tablecloths, floor lamps, ruffles, curtains, dishes... that is, to antique objects. Gradually I began to collect them, and it seems I soaked up this beauty for the rest of my life. At that time I worked a lot with people: I was a kindergarten teacher. People in Norilsk, where our family lived, knew about my hobby and began to give different antiques. And once some local man, a native of the Arctic region, unexpectedly handed me a samovar. Just like that. He called and asked, 'Do you need a thing like this?' and gave my address. I remember it like it was now: I'm standing in the staircase by the elevator, and in my hands is a nickel-plated samovar made in Samara called 'Volzhanin'. I simply fell in love with this unexpected gift! A shiny round machine, a carved crown for the teapot, a turning piece above the spigot that looked like a lacy little twig… For the first time in my life I touched such a curiosity, hugged it and couldn't let go — I liked it so much.
Photo: newslab.ru
How did the idea of creating the Samovar Museum come about?
Our museum acts as a 'conduit' and a link between the samovar and our visitors. I am convinced that samovars should not stand behind glass like classic museum exhibits. People need to interact with them: touch them, hold them in their hands. Only through touch can children and adults get to know this tea machine and understand and feel how it works. Through tactile contact with samovars we learn about our history, preserve and pass on Russian and foreign tea-drinking traditions. With the older generation we remember, preserve and cherish the warmth that surrounded a person throughout life. Conversations around a common table with a samovar were always an important ritual for strengthening family and friendly ties — all of this takes place in our museum.
How do new exhibits arrive at the museum and how many are on display at the moment?
Until a certain point exhibits arrived thanks to people and various platforms. When the collection grew to 50 samovars, finding new samovars became more difficult, so I began to cooperate with fellow collectors from other cities on the basis of exchange or purchase/sale. Today the collection numbers 75 exhibits. And this is only the beginning!
Photo: newslab.ru
Can you single out a few items from the collection that are of special value to you?
My favorite samovar is a beauty from Iran.
Hafiza's favorite samovar from Iran. Photo: Nastya Rozenberg
Hafiza's favorite samovar from Iran. Photo: Nastya Rozenberg
What tour programs do you offer?
Many events take place within the Museum's walls: daily tours, tea parties; group tour programs; family tea parties; master classes; birthday parties. We also organize photo shoots. In addition, we have several other popular activities — buying/selling samovars, samovar rental and restoration.
Photo: Nastya Rozenberg
Share the museum's plans for the future?
In the near future I plan to find a new premises for the museum. Thanks to cooperation with travel agencies, schools and kindergartens our museum is popular. For example, for Maslenitsa we expect about 200 guests and this creates difficulties because our main problem is lack of space. I understand that it is time to expand and I send a thought out to the Universe about a separate building with its own entrance. I dream that everyone who wishes could visit our museum and that it would be accessible to people with various types of disabilities.
