A flytrap is a glass vessel for killing flies. The first flycatchers were made at Russian glass-blowing factories in the 17th century, and they were available only to notable people. Later, glass flytraps appeared in many houses, as well as in taverns and restaurants, where they remained in use until the middle of the 20th century.

There were two types of glass flytraps: two-piece and solid ones. The former had a detachable cap to cover the main vessel, and the solid one was a spherical vessel on three legs and with two holes. The top hole was a low opening with a glass stopper, and the lower one was a wide funnel in the center of the bottom.

The book for housewives by Elena Molokhovets, published in 1895, describes the principle of the trap, “Glass flycatchers are devices, under which a piece of rye bread sprinkled with sugar, or just fine sugar, is placed, and into which soap or tea water is poured. Flies are enticed by the sugar, they fly up and fall into the poured liquid, from which they can no longer get out.”

It is especially noteworthy how the brochure “Destroy the Flies!” ends, “The key to the fight against flies is the activity, self-initiated activity of the population itself, its common people. Mothers, citizens! A fly brings death and illness to your children. The question of their destruction, the complete extermination of flies depends on your activities. Get to work, comrades! Death to the flies!”