Porcelain, earthenware, ceramics

Porcelain Factory

The Dulevo Porcelain Factory was founded in 1832 by Terenty Kuznetsov, a native of Gzhel, who set out to establish mass production of porcelain. Within just 20 years, he had made the factory a leading enterprise in Russia. The factory's porcelain was distinguished by its noble simplicity—dazzling whiteness combined with magnificent gilding and a uniform, rich gloss of the glaze. However, for successful sales, a different painting style was needed—brighter and more eye-catching.

Therefore, the focus was placed on originality, folk art, national characteristics, and traditions, resulting in the creation of the unique Dulevo style—"agashki." All Dulevo designs originated from these simple agashki and rozans, from folk painting on ceramics; in them lies the soul of the Dulevo Porcelain Factory. The factory saw its greatest development under the management of Matvey Kuznetsov, who established the Partnership for the Production of Porcelain and Faience Products. The factory's workshops were equipped with new equipment from France.

In 1918, the factory was nationalized. In the early years of Soviet power, all efforts were directed toward restoring and further developing production capacities. But peaceful, creative labor was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War, during which all work was carried out for the front and for Victory. In the postwar period, by 1950, the factory's production volume had reached prewar levels. In addition to mass-produced porcelain, masterpieces of Russian porcelain were created at the factory.

During this era, such renowned artists as Pyotr Vasilyevich Leonov, Ivan Grigoryevich Konkov, A.I. Prokhorov, F.F. Maslov, Vladimir Klimentyevich Yasnetsov, S.G. Anikin, S.E. Medvedev, sculptors Alexey Georgievich Sotnikov, Pavel Mikhailovich Kozhin, Asta Davydovna Brzhezitskaya, Olga Mikhailovna Bogdanova, Nina Alexandrovna Malysheva, Galina Dmitrievna Chechulina, and Evgenia Ilyinichna Gatilova worked in the factory's unique art laboratory workshop. The works of the factory's sculptors and artists adorn museums and art galleries across the country and are in demand among collectors worldwide. The factory masters' creations have received numerous prizes and awards. The sculpture "Falcon" by A.G. Sotnikov, which won the "Grand Prix" medal at the 1958 World Exhibition in Brussels, became the symbol of the Dulevo Porcelain Factory, and its graphic image became the company's trademark. In 1976, for outstanding achievements in the development of the porcelain industry, the factory was awarded the Order of Lenin.

Marks from the early period of the Dulevo Porcelain Factory (1918—1962)