The Historical and Memorial Museum of the Demidovs presents a metal snuffbox with an embossed ornament and engraving, made by Tula craftsmen.

Tobacco appeared in Russia during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. At first, neither the tsar nor the clergy took notice of its spread. However by the time Mikhail Fyodorovich came to power, smokers and tobacco snorters found themselves in disgrace, as the tsar considered addiction to tobacco a sign of depravity. The Russian Orthodox Church supported the sovereign, declaring the overseas substance “a devilish and blasphemous herb”. Tobacco merchants or those who were caught in possession of tobacco were flogged, tortured and even executed, but still people sold tobacco from under the table, using nicknames such as “apple” or “beet leaf”.

In 1646, the new tsar, Alexei Mikhailovich, tried to soften the law, but encountered opposition from the church. The patriarch forbade the use of recreational drugs, threatening: 

According to the church, anyone who used tobacco was deprived of God’s blessing and was linked with “evil spirits” — hence they deserved severe punishment.

In spite of all the prohibitions and punishments established by tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich in 1634 and set out in more detail in the Council Code of 1649, adopted under Alexei Mikhailovich, tobacco was secretly supplied, sold, bought and consumed. In February 1697, Peter I issued a decree, by which the selling and consumption of the overseas product were legalized in the country for the first time. This was done not for the sake of Europeanization of his subjects, but to gain profit for the treasury with taxes from the product, which has long been illegally imported from Little Russia and overseas countries.

The widespread use of tobacco has generated a demand for related accessories, among which snuffboxes were given special attention. One of the most striking peculiarities of this trend was the fascination with multicolored semi-precious and decorative stones. Having snuffboxes at hand became fashionable. The lid resembled a kind of miniature collection of gems. The use of these stones paid tribute to the lofty spirit of the time. By arranging these stones in a certain way, one could, for example, create an elegant rebus, the key to which was known only by the owner of the snuffbox. Particularly expressive and clear images were achieved when working with niello. Lush floral patterns, characteristic of the Baroque and Rococo styles, were favored by customers and masters of the 19th century.