The Tsar-Anvil in the Moscow Region

Its weight is 1001 kilograms, before that the largest one found in Germany was considered – 450 kilograms.

Everyone knows about the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell. And not so long ago, Russian blacksmiths had their own subject of pride – the Tsar-Anvil.

The anvil appeared by accident. Sergei Stepanov, a 17-year-old blacksmith from the Klyazma near Moscow, came across an advertisement for the sale of an anvil. It was submerged in the ground near St. Petersburg in the former industrial zone. The weight was unknown, but the view seemed imposing. And Stepanov decided to buy it.

History of the Tsar-Anvil

The anvil was dug up and brought to a forge near Moscow. Measured, weighed on electronic scales. One thousand and one kilograms. Sergey realized that he and his comrades became the owners of a unique thing – the world’s largest anvil.

Stepanov already had a solid collection of anvils: small, large, ancient and unusual, stationary and field gypsy. But he made the right decision, adding another exhibit to the collection.

The news instantly spread across the blacksmithing world. Before that, the largest anvil was found in Germany – weighing 450 kg. But the Russian anvil is twice as large as it is. Also, a fake anvil-monument from the USA claims the championship. But inside it is hollow and cannot compete with the Russian real heroic anvil. Blacksmiths are going to record the superiority of their anvils in the books of records in Russia and the world.

The origin of the artifact is shrouded in mystery. There is no stamp on the product. The shape of the anvil is not similar to either the English, or the German, or the Russian. Why bother creating such a whopper? Probably to forge bulky items such as anchors. Large items are now made in automatic forges.

Blacksmiths

The blacksmiths from the workshop on the Klyazma are proud not only of their miraculous anvil. The main thing for them is creativity and skill. Their heroic strength, embodied in beautiful products, they regularly demonstrate at the main festival venues – on the City Day in Moscow and at various blacksmithing festivals in Kazan, Chelyabinsk, Tomsk, Solikamsk. Blacksmiths from all over the country gather here – they communicate, share their work experience and compete in skill. They come up with tasks themselves. For example, to make a product on one topic, and the blacksmiths themselves choose the winners.

Alexander Vikht became the champion of Russia in artistic forging in the “Flowers” nomination thanks to his special technique. Everyone forges roses from separate fragments – petals, leaves and twigs. Alexander made a rose from a solid 80 mm pipe without a single cut and added metal fragments. Compressed, narrowed, bent. It is even difficult to imagine such a thing until you see alive what the blacksmith has created.

His other creation is the sun. Made from screws. Using an unusual technology, he pressed the screws by the blacksmith method. The sun is like a fan, reminiscent of a sieve with the smallest holes. Beauty! Eye-catching!

Another blacksmith, Alexander Belyaev, loves a variety of new shapes and work with hot metal. He can make a good sword in a week. In the Middle Ages, it took many times longer to create such weapons. Now modern technologies and tools, ready-made good steel make work easier. The gas furnace allows you to quickly heat up the metal for forging. But the workshop did not refuse to work in the old way, on coals, where the metal is white-hot. In such an environment, the blacksmith takes up the hammer and feels like a real master.

Blacksmithing skill

Now blacksmithing is a thing of the past. Manual labor is being replaced by modern tools and technologies. The most popular order for today is a handrail for the stairs to the house. Blacksmiths try to apply creativity in everything, including such annoying orders.

It is interesting that the blacksmiths on the Klyazma are still trying to keep their way. They have a common work for everyone, help each other, and divide the money equally. Now that our blacksmiths have their own talisman, the Anvil-Tsar, they are sure that their profession will live on for a long time.