This writing set originates from a simple inkwell and a quill pen. Such elements of everyday life could be found only on the tables of famous and high-ranking people, so they were often decorated richly. By the 19th century, writing sets had become more concise and accessible to a wider population.

The item, which is presented in the collection, belonged to Vera Vasilyevna Kashkadamova, a teacher, public figure, Hero of Labor.

At the age of 16, Vera Kashkadamova graduated with honors from the Simbirsk Mariinsky Gymnasium. Then she studied at the Higher Women’s Courses in Kazan. Upon her return, Vera Vasilyevna Kashkadamova aspired to work at school and decided to contact the director of public schools Ilya Nikolaevich Ulyanov, the father of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Ilya Nikolaevich became Vera Vasilyevna’s mentor. From then on, Vera Vasilyevna Kashkadamova and the Ulyanov family maintained a warm friendship. She kept in touch with Anna Ilyinichna Elizarova-Ulyanova, the elder sister of Vladimir Lenin, even after the revolution.

Kashkadamova made a significant contribution to education in the Simbirsk province. In 1911, she founded the 2nd Women’s Gymnasium in Simbirsk.

In 1958, the centenary of Vera Vasilyevna’s birth was marked by installation of a commemorative plaque on the house where she lived. School No. 7 of the city of Ulyanovsk, formerly Simbirsk, is named after her.