Samovars were produced in the Urals, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and Archangel, but most famous was Tula, an old centre of metalworking. Skilful Tula blacksmiths and armourers could easily master the new trade for the metal-working skills and habits of art work descended down from fathers to sons. The first Tula samovar workshop was opened in 1778 by the Lisitsyns, but as early as the beginning of the next century other producers appeared. As rule, such shops included two or three roomsin wooden house. Tula samovars were famed highly on the inner market and abroad.
Russian samovars vary in interior construction and exterior decoration and purpose.
They were made of different metals-copper, iron, silver plating on copper, steal, cast iron, and their decoration testifies to different stylistic art trends echoing the general tendencies in the artistic tastes of the period. The earliest samovars resembled English tea urns or tea vessels. Eighteenth-century samovars often imitated the traditional Russian cups and bratinas made of copper. Later, at the end of the century, samovars began resembling vases and antique urns. The main principles of artistic decor in the genre have been established, and richly ornamented samovars, though an inalienable household object, became works of decorative art and were rightfully included in the interior decoration and table layout.