The mugs “Lake Ilmen” were made at the Bronnitsky porcelain factory “Vozrozhdenie” since the 1960s. They were intended to be beer mugs but in everyday life, they were used to drink all kinds of drinks: water, tea, and coffee. In the center of the mug, there is a fisherman in a bright orange suit fishing with a cast net. He is flanked by patterned ornaments. There were two color variations of this mug in the series: blue and beige. Both of them are on display in the museum.

The fisherman represents one of the oldest trades in Novgorod — fishing on Lake Ilmen. The archaeological research confirmed that residents had been fishing for thousands of years: scientists found hooks, harpoons, and lures at Neolithic sites on the lakeshore, in the nearby pagan burial grounds, and the cultural layers of the medieval Novgorod.

In Novgorod, people from all walks of life — from the nobility to the peasants — used to fish. For some it was entertainment and for others, it was a source of food and earnings. The researchers found out that on many occasions fishing saved the citizens of Novgorod from famine, when the harvest was poor and the food from neighboring regions was not supplied.

The fisherman depicted on the mug fishes in spring — it was the only time of the year, when nets were used on Lake Ilmen. In fall, seines were deployed to catch fish. In addition, in summer there was almost no time for fishing — the locals worked in the fields. At any time of the year, the fishermen used special gear: rods, hooks, special traps like a hoop net, and a spear (a special pitchfork for fishing at night). The fishing on Lake Ilmen was often compared to hard work because of the changeable weather. It always required patience, endurance, wit, and knowledge.

To withstand the weather conditions and use the heavy fishing gear, the fishermen gathered together in fishing teams and later in the artels (professional groups, where each participant was given a share of the whole catch.) The artels varied in size from five or six to several dozen fishermen. Most often, they first determined what kind of fish they were going to catch and then, depending on the size of the forthcoming work, decided how many people were needed. The artels had a chief fisherman — vataman. The vataman was chosen depending on his experience, knowledge of the area, and luck. During Soviet times, the state controlled the fishing on Lake Ilmen. At that time, most artels did not have the right to fish — it was done by the fishing kolkhoz (collective farm).