Silver Cutlery “Ruslan and Ludmila” – Pushkin Series, 4-Piece, 925 Silver Gold-Plated with Niello

A verse epic with a sorcerer, a giant head and an abducted bride, which belongs to the canon in Russia and which has moved into silver here. The cutlery for one person shows Ludmila, the sorcerer Chernomor, a knight and the giant head on the backs of the four pieces. It suits people who like to keep literature in view even at the table.

Figures to recognise

On the tablespoon a bearded sorcerer floats in clouds, Chernomor, and in the handle below sits an old man. The teaspoon carries Ludmila with a headdress, and in the handle stands a knight with a helmet. The fork handle shows an enormous head. In this way figures of the story are spread over a few square centimetres. At the front of each handle lies the cartouche: lyre, laurel, Pushkin’s name and the title, all in Cyrillic script. The knife has a handle engraved all around, and on the spoon handles a rope pattern runs along.

An epic, not a fairy tale

Strictly speaking, “Ruslan and Ludmila” is a verse epic. On her wedding day Ludmila is abducted by the sorcerer Chernomor, and Ruslan sets out to find her. On the way he meets a giant head guarding a sword and finally fights the sorcerer. At the end he wakes the enchanted Ludmila from her sleep. Glinka made the material into an opera.

Lines that stay

Imagine niello as a tattoo on silver: the dark mass does not sit on top but is fired into the cut lines. Its home is Veliky Ustyug, documented there since 1683, and here we describe the graver with which every line is made. Paris, 1937: gold for tableware that the Artel Severnaya Chern had designed after motifs from Pushkin’s tales.

For whom and when

A place setting made of literature suits an anniversary, a wedding and the milestone birthday of a reader. At Christmas it becomes a family piece, as a business gift a sign of education. For a silver wedding anniversary the material of fidelity and finding each other fits especially well. Collectors of the series get an epic among all the tales.

Questions about the Ruslan and Ludmila cutlery

How can I tell whether something is gold-plated?
On bowls, tines and handles the place setting gleams golden, while the backs show bright silver with dark lines. All pieces are hallmarked.

Is it spelled Ludmila or Ludmilla?
Both forms are in use. We write “Ludmila”; the strict transliteration from Russian is “Lyudmila”, and “Ludmilla” also appears, for example in opera guides.

Is the epic also available as cups?
Yes, as the pair of cups Ruslan and Ludmila. For six place settings there is the silver cutlery case with 24 pieces.

How do I care for it properly?
Wash by hand only and dry at once; keep dishwasher and silver dips away. Aluminium foil and baking soda destroy the drawing, more in the niello guide.

Is a dedication on the place setting possible?
Yes, with the engraving service. It is ordered with the cutlery, and for the wording there is the “order note at checkout”. Afterwards SevChern checks with us how the engraving can be executed, and if it is not possible, we transfer the flat fee back to you. A dedication without engraving becomes a SilberVerse, created to fit the occasion and name, free on request.