Pushkin’s Tales: Six Stories Engraved in Silver

An oak by the curved shore of the sea, on it a golden chain, and a learned cat belongs there too: with this prologue, called “Lukomorye”, the door opens into Pushkin’s world of storytelling. Do you know the stories behind it? Here we retell six of them briefly and show which scenes the manufactory SevChern from Veliky Ustyug has brought into niello silver.

Pushkin’s tales – where they come from

Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837) grew up with the stories of his nurse Arina Rodionovna, who told him Russian folk tales. Later he poured these materials into verse: between 1830 and 1834 five verse tales were written. The verse epic “Ruslan and Ludmila” had preceded them as early as 1820, and Pushkin added the Lukomorye prologue in 1828. The verses are still read today, in Russian as in translation.

Six stories and their scenes in silver

On every cutlery set and every pair of cups of the series, a cartouche with lyre, laurel and the poet’s name carries the tale’s title in Cyrillic script. The scenes themselves are drawn in black niello.

The Fisherman and the Fish

An old fisherman catches a golden fish and lets it go, but his wife demands more and more until everything is lost again. Anyone who knows the story thinks of the Grimm tale “The Fisherman and His Wife”, to which it is related. On the silver cutlery the tablespoon carries the old man and the old woman, and on the handle a large scaly fish swims; the silver knife handle (the blade is stainless steel) shows waves and the fisherman. The pair of cups shows on one cup the woman in splendid robes with her servants, on the other the fisherman at the sea.

The Dead Princess and the Seven Knights

The tale of the dead princess and the seven knights (Сказка о мёртвой царевне и о семи богатырях) is reminiscent of Snow White: a tsarina asks her magic mirror who is the fairest in the land, and plots against the life of her stepdaughter, who finds refuge with seven knights. On the cutlery the tsarina holds the mirror, the fork shows mirror and apple. On the pair of cups, on one cup a rider races through the storm, on the other the knights in helmets stand around the tsar’s daughter. The charki, small vodka cups, show her with apple and headdress and the tsarina with a crown.

Tsar Saltan

A tsar takes the youngest of three sisters as his wife, and the envious set her and her son in a barrel on the sea. On an island the boy rescues a swan from a bird of prey, and the swan lets a town arise for him in thanks. In 1900 Rimsky-Korsakov made the material into the opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (Сказка о царе Салтане) with the famous “Flight of the Bumblebee”. The cutlery shows the swan princess, the prince with the barrel at the sea, and swan and bird of prey on the fork. On the pair of cups knights in armour rise from the waves, on the second swan and bird of prey fight, with an archer nearby.

The Golden Cockerel

An astrologer gives the tsar a golden cockerel that warns of every danger, and the tsar promises him a wish for it. When the astrologer demands the Queen of Shemakha, the tsar breaks his word. The source is Washington Irving’s “Legend of the Arabian Astrologer”; Anna Akhmatova discovered the connection. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Golden Cockerel” followed in 1909. On the cutlery the cockerel sits on a tower, spoons show scenes at the tsar’s court. The pair of cups shows a female figure in a tent, a crowned man standing before her; on the second cup the cockerel hovers above the bearded tsar.

Ruslan and Ludmila

A sorcerer abducts the bride, and Ruslan sets out to bring her back. It is a verse epic, which Glinka set as an opera in 1842. On the cutlery the bearded sorcerer Chernomor appears in the clouds, on the teaspoon Ludmila with a headdress and on the handle a knight with a helmet. The pair of cups shows a giant head with a helmet and Ruslan on horseback.

The Priest and Balda

The workman Balda hires himself out to a priest who wants to save money, and outwits him with cunning. Pushkin wrote the tale in 1830; Zhukovsky published it only in 1840 and, because of censorship, put a merchant in the place of the priest. A satire for adults. On the cutlery Balda stands at the sea, and little devils with horns peek out at the handles. The pair of cups places Balda before the priest and, on the second, with the little devil at the sea.

How a scene gets into the silver

First the scene is engraved into the 925 silver; on the cups you can see how finely waves, helmets and robes are drawn. Then comes niello, a dark alloy that is fused into the lines and remains part of the metal. After polishing, the dark drawing stands against the bright surface; cutlery and cups are gold-plated inside or on the bowls. You will find more on the technique in our article on the Russian niello tradition, how a workshop works is shown in the workshop report, and what niello actually is, this guide explains.

For whom and for which occasion

The pieces suit people who love literature and Russian culture, and occasions where stories are told at the table. For Christmas, someone who likes to read aloud gets a place setting that carries the story along. A couple at a silver wedding anniversary or a host at a milestone anniversary will enjoy two cups to toast with. For a large table there is the case with 24 pieces for six people. More choice is offered by silver cutlery sets, silver drinking vessels and shot cups; collectors look in at the collector’s pieces. They are not occasions for children; the series is aimed at adults.

Frequently asked questions

Which is a well-known Russian tale?
Among the best known are Pushkin’s verse tales, above all the one about Tsar Saltan and the one about the fisherman and the fish. Which scenes from them stand in the silver, you can read above in the six stories.

What should one have read by Pushkin?
A good start is the verse epic “Ruslan and Ludmila”, then a verse tale, for example the one about Tsar Saltan. Pushkin’s stories and his verse novel “Eugene Onegin” are also worthwhile.

Are Pushkin’s tales available in English and other languages?
Yes, the verse tales have been translated into many languages, including English and German, often also as bilingual editions. Anyone who would rather look at the scenes in silver will find them in the Pushkin Series.

How do I care for niello silver?
Rinse by hand, dry immediately, never in the dishwasher. Aluminium foil and baking soda stay off limits, they attack the black drawing. The dark drawing is part of the metal and cannot be polished away, more in the guide.

Can I add a dedication?
Of course. You order the engraving via the engraving flat fee; for SevChern pieces we clarify, after checking with the manufacturer, where and how it is possible; if it is not, we refund the flat fee. On request we also include a SilberVerse card, 15 × 10 cm, free of charge: the verse is created individually for the occasion and name.