Great Mstyora craftsmen, who mastered various jewelry techniques, were highly skilled in artistic metalworking. They minted covers for icons and decorated them with engravings, filigree and enamel. In Soviet times, high-quality jewelry and metal items were produced in Mstyora, including cutlery, silver jewelry with colored glass inserts, unique interior items made of melchior (nickel silver) and souvenirs.

Vladimir Grigoryevich Shchadrin (1917–1989) began his career as a coiner. After the Great Patriotic War, as part of a group of artists and craftsmen, he helped reestablish workshops and jewelry production in Mstyora and engaged in jewelry restoration. In addition to coining, the master was well versed in filigree metalwork. Vladimir Shchadrin created filigree products using gilding, silvering and oxidizing (antiquing) techniques. In the 1970s, he worked as the chief artist at the Mstyora factory of artistic products “Jeweler”. He designed many unique products that were often awarded prizes.

In the 1960s, Vladimir Shchadrin completed the displayed stationery set consisting of several items. It is dedicated to the flight of the Earth’s first artificial satellite, launched on October 4, 1957. At that time, the theme of space exploration inspired many artists and was reflected in the work of Mstyora jewelers, artists and embroiderers.

The writing set is made of gilded nickel silver. Lush sprawling branches made in the filigree technique form delicate “shirts” on all the items in this set. On a rectangular stand with legs there is an openwork cup for writing utensils. It slightly flares at the top and has a medallion in the middle. On the medallion is a minted image of the first Earth’s satellite. To the left and right of the cup are small inkwells. Their lids are crowned with elongated cones.

The set also includes a blotting paper holder and a paper knife. A blotting paper holder is a special device for removing excess ink. Blotting paper is glued to the lower part of the holder of a semi-oval shape. The upper part is made in the shape of a rectangle, with an overlay silver-plated filigree ornament and a mushroom-shaped knob in the middle.