Glass-making came to Russia, apparently, from Byzantium. In Russia already in XI-XII centuries glass was applied to manufacturing of utensils and creation of mosaics on buildings; workshops were settled down in many cities. Interstine wars of princes and the Tatar-Mongolian yoke braked the development of Russian glass-making - only in the southwest lands glass manufacture was possible.

Ukrainian masters of XVII century were the keepers of traditions of old russian glass-making and passed on the baton to the Russian masters of XVII century working at the first glass factories located near Moscow.

The first Russian factory making glass, was Dukhanin`s factory, based by the Swede Koiet in 1635 near Moscow. The first state glass factory was founded in 1668 in the village of Izmailovo; then in 1770s two more factories are under construction: in Voskresenskoye village and in Moscow. In the beginning of XVIII century under Peter`s I order the state glass factory on Vorobiyevy Gory was founded. Russian government gave foreigners the sanction to build the glass enterprises with an obligatory condition: they should train Russian masters. Production of Russian glass factories of XVII century has been preserved in a small amount. It was basically only utensils though on Izmailovsky factory they were already able to manufacture crystal. The majority of products of Russian glass factories of XVII century is marked by the influence the Ukrainian or West-European glass. National features were designated in this art later - in XVIII century.

XVIII century was critical epoch in the history of the Russian state. At this time Russia became one of the leading powers of the world, quickly developed the economy and culture, military science and industry. In the first half of XVIII century numerous factories, plants, workshops were founded. In the end of XVII and the first quarter of XVIII century about half of all constructed industrial enterprises were founded on means of state treasury or with its help. In the beginning of XVIII century there were state glass factories in northwest of the country in the suburbs of the new capital - Saint Petersburg. In Moscow and near Moscow instead of the closed state factories some private glass enterprises appeared. In 1719 in Dmitrovsky district, A.Minter`s factory was based. In 1723 there appeared T.Levkin and S.Aksenov`s factories in Mozhaisk district, and I.Komarov`s - in the Vladimir district. In 1724 - Gavrilov and Loginov`s factory in the Moscow district, in 1725 - I.Mokeev`s factory in Volokolamsk district. These factories, apparently, existed not so long as their destiny was adversely reflected in 1724 by the creation in Mozhaisk district of merchant V.Maltsev`s factory products of which further became well-known.

In the second decade of XVIII century in hundred twenty kilometers from St. Petersburg, in the city of Yamburg and its suburbs the first in this new industrial region state glass factories were founded. They produced glass with carved and engraved ornamentation; their basic consumer was the court and aristocracy of the capital. For a less solvent consumer factories situated near Moscow worked. Their production basically was painted with enamels in the spirit of Russian folk art. Neither baroque, nor classicism attracted it and the ornamentation changed just a little during all XVIII century.

Glass was painted with rich soft enamels of brown-red, dark blue, yellow and white colors. The basic plots - animals, birds, grass; occasionally - bible plots, and frequently characters are dressed in Russian costumes of the end XVII - the beginning of XVIII century.

At Yamburg and Zhabino factories they did not make painted glass. Situated near Moscow merchant factories produced such glass, apparently, all XVIII century; in the domestic life the merchant class did not break off with traditions of folk art. Examples of a similar painted glass are a jug made from colourless glass in 1724 on which three scenes from the bible history of Adam and Eve are written with enamel (fall; exile from paradise; work on the land), and a keg of 1730, with grass painted. By style, inscriptions and dates, one of them belongs to production of Minter`s factory, and another - Maltsev`s factory.

In the end of 1730s in St. Petersburg the Petersburg state glass factory was based. Masters were transferred from Yamburg, (and then returned back when manufacture was adjusted). The central and biggest building of the factory was carved and grinding workshop. The factory remained in St. Petersburg to the beginning of 1770s, and then the manufacture was liquidated.

There were some more glass-making factories in Russia of that time. All of them, undoubtedly, produced art glass.