Artistic and Stylistic Features of Yusupov Glassworks in Arkhangelskoye

The article deals with the main periods, the history of the emergence of Yusupov glassworks in the Arkhangelskoye estate and its importance in the development of Russian glass art. Yusupov glass-making in Arkhangelskoye was developing under the influence of European trends in shaping and decoration in synthesis with the Russian tradition and the specifics of Russian materials, raw material bases and national perspective on the wide range of techniques and technologies. The author pays special attention to the artistic, stylistic and technological features of the manufactured products, as well as to the decor specifics of cut glass technique. Author divided the history of the Yusupov factory into two main stages. The first one lasted from 1811 to 1820. During this time the enterprise was operating as a full-scale production and the process of manufacturing crystalware or glassware was going through all stages: from the preparation of the mixture and the cooking of “crystal material” to the decorative processing of finished objects. Although in fact such a cycle was fully followed only three times in the period of 1814-1816. However, the institution was regarded as a factory from 1811 until 1820, and only after the fire, the idea of reviving the production was finally rejected. During the second stage, from 1820 to early 1827, the factory was turned into a lapidary workshop, where the craftsmen were engaged in decorative processing of the purchased unfinished glassware. The identification of stylistic features and characteristic techniques of processing the products made in the estate factory and their evolution at different periods of the production history makes it possible to attribute the tableware of N. Yusupov’s enterprise in the collections of other museums. Moreover, the results could provide the basis for the re-emergence of the lapidary workshop in the modern Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum where craftsmen could reproduce the decorative techniques typical of the Yusupov factory based on the finished unprocessed glassware.