In Russia, the professional holiday of glass industry workers is celebrated since 2000 on November 19. The day was chosen for a good reason – it is the birthday of the eminent Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765) that developed chemical production of glaze, glass and porcelain. He elaborated the technology and coloured glass (smalto*) recipe and used it to create mosaic images. He invented the porcelain mixture composition as well.

For the first time ever glass was created over five thousand years ago. The earliest glass items that have come up to our days were discovered in the excavations of Egyptian cities.
Various glass artworks (mosaics, dishes, jewellery) were produced in Russia in the early 11^th century. Glass manufacturing technology was adopted from the Byzantines, and already in the times of Yaroslav the Wise, Kiev artisans produced lead-silica glass. Lomonosov laid the foundation of the classical scientific approach to glass production in Russia in the middle of the 18^th century.
Despite such old history, glass production became widespread only by the end of the 19^th century due to invention of the Siemens-Martin furnace and industrial manufacturing of sodium carbonate.

For the professional holiday of glassmakers and manufacturers of art glass, we have posted a review article about the basic technologies of art glass production.

The history of the Maltsovs dynasty that created the phenomenon called ‘Maltsov glass empire’ is in the ‘Audio Stories’ column.

The Maltsovs family made a huge contribution to the development of Russian glass production, the pinnacle of which were coloured glass and crystal items produced by the family enterprises. Museum Collection exposition features a number art items created by the Maltsovs' factories. The museum Collection exposition and website section ‘Russian Glass Art and Ceramics’ feature items created with the highest skill and artisanship.

*smalto – pieces of a homogeneous opaque mixture of glass and metal oxides