Gus-Khrustalny

Gus-Khrustalny is a town located on the Gus River (an offshoot of the Oka River) 63 km south of Vladimir. Gus-Khrustalny was founded in the mid-18th century with the construction of a crystal plant. It was granted town status in 1931. The name of the town may be explained as "crystal goose", for it is known as one of the oldest centres of glass industry in Russia and stands on the Gus (Goose) River.

The town of Gus-Khrustalny is situated not far from Moscow, in the picturesque countryside between the old cities of Vladimir and Riazan. The name of Gus-Khrustalny is associated in Russia with the production of artistic glass in the same way as are Murano in Italy and Baccarat in France.

The Gus Crystal Factory was founded in 1756. Towards the middle of the 19th century the factory received acclaim all over the country thanks to the high artistic standard and wide assortiment of its glassware.

In 1892-1903, the Cathedral of St.George was built in the town after the design of Leonty Benois. The interiors of the cathedral were decorated with wall paintings by Victor Vasnetsov and mosaics by Vladimir Frolov. Recently, the Museum of Artistic Glass ( a branch of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum of History, Architecture and Art ) has been opened there. Today, tourists travelling by the route known as the Golden Ring and encompassing old Russian towns can see the uniqu collection of the museum. It contains the best samples of the past and the present. They demonstrate a keen interest in the traditional styles and shapes of Gus-Khrustalny glassware while developing new decorative techniques, forms and motifs.