Electric lighting was introduced in Siberia as a whole and in Tomsk in particular in the late 19th century. At the time, it could be afforded only by the wealthier segments of the population, which is why it was only available in private residences of merchants and prominent officials, to large public and state institutions, such as the City Duma. Before that, houses were lit with candles, as well as oil and kerosene lamps. Sometimes, these could be found in the same household: for example, if its bedrooms and study were illuminated with candles, while the dining and drawing room had oil or kerosene lamps.

Candlesticks were very widespread in the 19th century. In Russia, special holders for candles and rushlights first appeared quite a long time ago. The first device of this kind was called ‘svetets’ and resembled a miniature iron trident, allowing to secure a rushlight between its prongs. Some time later, a type of candle holder called ‘svechnik’ was introduced. Initially, candlesticks were used only as ‘holders’, but with time, people began to attach great importance to their aesthetic value.

After European culture began to enter Russian everyday life, so did the word ‘candelabrum’, which is how they called richly decorated holders for multiple candles. They were initially custom made, but in the second half of the 19th century, they began to be produced in factories. These items were brought to Tomsk for trade from other Russian cities and from Europe. Candelabra could be cast from metal or made of wood, they were decorated with carvings, elegant pendalogues, intricate floral designs, and even with miniature sculptural compositions secured at the base. In drawing rooms, candlesticks were usually placed on the mantelpiece, shelves, or musical instruments: for example, on a grand, upright or player piano, as is the case in our merchant’s drawing room. They also came with accessories: for example, a special cap that allowed to extinguish candles more easily.

The Tomsk History Museum has several candlesticks on display. Our exhibit has a simple, yet elegant design. It was cast from metal in the Russian Empire, the factory print indicates its manufacturer as the Chebotaryov Brothers company. Russia had many enterprises similar to this one at the turn of the 20th century.