Tula (Ту́ла) Samovars and Accordians.
This industrial city in the European part of Russia is almost directly south of Moscow by 193 km, on the river Upa. The population is around 476,000 and Tula is the administrative center of Tula Oblast. Tula has existed since at least the 14th century however some historians believe that Tula should be identified with Taidula, an obscure locality mentioned in a chronicle under the year 1146.
Tula Kremlin walls.
Tula Kremlin map.
In 1712, Tula was visited by Peter the Great, who commissioned the Demidov blacksmiths to build the first armament factory in Russia. Several decades later, Tula was turned by the Demidovs into the greatest ironworking centre of Eastern Europe. The oldest museum in the city, showcasing the history of weapons, was inaugurated by the Demidovs in 1724. The first factory to produce samovars industrially was also established there in the course of the 18th century.
Museum of weapons.
Weapons factory.
A musical instrument, the Tula accordion, is named for the city, which is a center of manufacture for such instruments sold throughout Russia and the world. Tula is also renowned for traditional Russian pryaniki, cookies made with honey and gingerbread. In the West, Tula is perhaps best-known as the center of samovar production: the Russian equivalent of "coals to Newcastle" is "You don't take a samovar to Tula."
Famous for samovars.
A museum founded in 1724 displays a history of weapons. Yasnaya Polyana, the home of the writer Leo Tolstoy, is located 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Tula.
Tolstoy home.
Dining room.
Several USA companies see Tula as an excellent test market for Western Products. Proctor & Gamble has made major inroads into Russian homes and Tula is often where the initial marketing will start. Still, P&G must adapt to the realities of a market where cash is scarce and the customer is skeptical. The keys: control production and distribution costs and keep prices at rock bottom. Consider:
• A box of Tide detergent that might cost $5 or $6 in the States costs 35 rubles, slightly more than $1.
• Shamtu shampoo, a lower-price brand created especially for the Russian market, costs 52 rubles, or about $1.50.
• A pack of 70 Pampers, imported from a P&G plant in Poland, costs 400 rubles, or about $13. In the United States, a similar package can sell for nearly $40.
P&G well represented in Tula supermarket.
Interesting trivia: Tula is older than Moscow by almost 100 years.