A samovar does not brew tea
A samovar needs a teapot. They work together to serve tea at "tea time," a centuries-old tradition in Russia, not unlike the wellknown English tradition. The samovar is simply a water-boiler.* The boiled water from a samovar, standing proudly on a table, is used to brew zavarka (заварка), a strong concentrated tea, in a teapot. The zavarka is diluted with hot water from the samovar "to taste" in each teacup.
Tea was introduced to Russia in the 1600s. Ambassadors from Mongol camps brought with them packets of tea. It instantly was praised for its medicinal powers and ability to refresh and purify the blood. By the beginning of the 18th century tea had become the national drink and asking one to partake in tea was a traditional sign of hospitality. The samovar began appearing at this time in a great variety of shapes and sizes. A traditional samovar has a metal pipe running vertically through the middle of a container that holds water. A solid fuel, wood, charcoal, etc. is burned in the pipe to heat the water surrounding it. A spigot controls the hot water.
A samovar and teapot create a coziness at the table and tea time participants generally declare the tea to be tastier.
* A samovar (Russian: самовар, Russian pronunciation: [səmɐˈvar]) literally "self-boiler."