It was a short trip to the Gzhel factory .


Gzhel is a region about 60 kilometers south east of Moscow, and is the area where the famous blue and white pottery of the same name is produced. Gzhel pottery was first mentioned in a decree made by the Moscow Prince Ivan Kalita in 1339 which is considered to be the official date of the craft's birth.
Gzhel majolica is the first page in the history of Russian ornamented folk ceramics. At that time nearly the whole population of the 30 villages in the Gzhel region was engaged in the production of majolica.
Today the Gzhel factory produces mostly a kind of ceramic, in blue and white. The combination of the white background with the blue design, decorated mostly with a floral pattern, is a distinctive feature of Gzhel pottery. The craftsmen of today try to retain the features and basic patterns characteristic of the famous majolica produced in the eighteenth century. Each piece is hand painted , and any piece of Gzhel will never be exactly like anyone else's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gzhel