In XIX century technical designing of lighting devices was the basic driving force of their development. Old ways had become worthless. Though in the middle of the century stearin candles were invented, and they cost so cheaply, that each house could afford them, illumination by the lamps working on mineral oils, and then - on kerosene, superseded them, having left only as auxiliary means. Even the Parisian theatres began to use gas-burners. But new forms of lighting devices were required, people sometimes borrowed old receptions of decorative form and hid new light sources so skilfully, that not always it was possible to guess, what was used. Forms of the past were idealized and people spent lots of money on them. In Russia, in different parts of the country and in the life of people of different prosperity the most progressive and most ancient lighting devices simultaneously functioned. Gas illumination suffered from the most severe competition on behalf of new, much more practical and cheap electric illumination.

Though oil lamps found wide use in Russia, up to the end of XIX century the role of candle lighting devices remained one of the main. In the first third of XIX century heavy empire lusters from bronze with gilding, almost deprived of crystal decoration enjoyed a special popularity. Fashionable lusters from gilded bronze in the first half of XIX century were very expensive. Imitations from papier-mache, carved wood or mouldings painted for gilded bronze therefore were widely distributed. Empire lusters from papier-mache were produced in Moscow and provincial centres. The most known masters on their manufacture were muscovites A.Zeinlein and V.Voronov.

Epoch of historicism brought unknown variety of creation and decoration of lighting devices. Since 30s of XIX century in Russia there were lusters in all styles - from Pompean and Renaissance, up to rococo and Lui XVI. In 1830-40s, during a period of malachite hand-made articles, in Russia they created candelabrums and candlesticks with malachite columns. For example, on drawing of architect A.I.Stakensneider in 1836 bronze floor lamps with malachite inserts for the Malachite hall of the Winter palace were made. In the second half of XIX century at the Imperial porcelain factory they made floor lamps as huge porcelain vase with the bronze ramified top and polychrome painting. At this time the technique of manufacturing of porcelain was mastered in Russia up to perfection.

Except gilded bronze, porcelain and Ural semi-precious stones, popularity again won crystal, but not the old one, with a lilac shade, as in Elizabethan epoch, but the English leaden crystal - absolutely transparent, colourless, decomposing light on colors of the spectrum. It especially impressed public in the middle of XIX century. In England the new type of the luster - `cascade`, with long prism suspension brackets appeared. Crystal decration of candle lusters, for some time forgotten in lusters of the empire style, again became fashionable in Russia in the second quarter of XIX century. In comparison with crystal decoration Russian lighting devices of the second half of XVIII century were not not so light and air, but frequently massive and heavy. In the bottom part of these fixtures large, densely connected crystal suspension brackets which form a hemisphere were located. From the same suspension brackets the extended top was created. These years the bronze design again disappeared under continuous crystal decoration. To the ceiling a luster was suspended on a long iron cable which was draped with a fabric. Crystal lusters in XIX century were in great demand and, at last, had absolutely superseded bronze ones. At the Imperial glass factory the special workshop on manufacture of crystal suspension brackets was founded. At this time the factory made for the Winter palace and suburban palaces of St. Petersburg crystal candelabrums and floor lamps with bronze details. The height of floor lamps reached sometimes 5 meters, and magnificent designs assimilated to crones of fantastic trees. Sizable lighting devices for this time are quite justified - they intended for illumination of big premises.