Wine Bottle Cooler with the Views of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island in St Petersburg and the Gates "To My Gentle Colleagues" at Tsarskoye Selo

Originally, this ensemble was called the Service with Depiction of Russian Costumes or just the Russian Service. From 1824 a second name came into use – the Guryev Service, after Count Dmitry Guryev who was in charge of the factory. Work on the service was directed by the Russian sculptor Stepan Pimenov. The national theme acquired particular significance in the art of Alexander I’s time after Russia’s victory over Napoleon following the 1812 invasion. The paintings on the Guryev Service capture the look of Russia in the early 19th century, the different ethnic groups inhabiting the empire, views of the imperial capital and its suburbs. Pimenov’s designs included a set of bowls for serving desserts on sculpted bases incorporating figures of Russian peasants. The ensemble stands out for its exquisite colour scheme – a combination of reddish brown and gold backgrounds invests it with especial grandeur. The service for fifty persons was intended for the Winter Palace, but in 1848 it was transferred to Peterhof.