|
|
RUSSIA "Russian Tea Ceremony Tradition"
Russian interest in tea began as early as 1618 when the Chinese embassy presented the Russian Czar Alexis with a chest of tea. By 1689, the Trade Treaty of Newchinsk established a common border between Russia and China allowing caravans to cross back and forth freely. However, the 11,000 mile long journey took over sixteen months to complete. Therefore, tea was very costly and initially available only to the wealthy. Tea became fashionable among the Russian aristocracy. By the time Catherine the Great died in 1796, the price of tea had dropped and tea was spreading throughout Russian society. Tea was ideal for Russian life: hearty, warm and sustaining! Prior to tea, a drink called "sbiten" was the beverage of choice. Sbiten was a blend of hot water, honey and herbs. Today, tea is the national non-alcoholic drink of Russia. Over the course of the last two centuries, Russian tea drinking has become one of the most well know Russian cultural traditions. Russians drink tea throughout the day, and most people own a water boiling device called a "samovar". A samovar is a kettle type of device used to boil water. A common error is to believe that a samovar is used to brew tea, when it is actually only used to boil the water. This decorative urn is a Chinese invention and it is presumed to have evolved from the Tibetan hot pot. However, the samovar has become identified with Russian tea drinking. The samovar is the main symbol of the Russian Tea Ceremony Tradition.  To prepare tea, one fills a samovar with water, puts charcoal in the pipe center of a samovar (unless it is a modern electric samovar) and then lights the charcoal to heat the water. The samovar has a place for a teapot to sit on top. Loose black tea is put into the teapot and hot water from the samovar is poured into the teapot thus heating and creating a strong brew of tea called "zavarka". Zavarka can be served in a tea glass (similar to a Turkish tea glass) or "stakan s podstakanni kom" (glass with metal holder). This special silver or pewter holder is called "podstakannik" (literally means "thing under the glass"). The tea is brewed strong and poured halfway into a porcelain teacup or podstakannik & glass. To balance the strength of the tea for each person, hot water from the samovar is added to each cup based on the person's taste. Black Indian tea (like a Lapsang Souchong) or Chinese black teas are commonly used. It is customary for Russians to add something sweet to their tea, such as 1 - 3 teaspoons of sugar per cup) or a spoonful of jam, or honey. It is also common to squeeze a lemon slice into the tea. It is not customary to add milk or cream to tea, like the British or Irish, because the Russians feel that the milk changes the flavor of the tea. It is also a practice to hold a sugar cube between the teeth and sip the tea through it! Try it! A classical Russian Tea Ceremony does not include formal rituals and procedures, in fact, each host/hostess will serve tea in their own unique style. However, tea drinking has become such a vital part of Russian life that a "tea service" is often called a tea ceremony. A traditional tea ceremony will include folk music and the tea menu will include a variety of Russian foods. Some examples of Russian tea foods could be "pirozhki" (patties with cowberries, apples, or blackberries), "sushki" (dry bread-rings), "pastila" (pressed apple paste), gingerbreads, bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, an assortment of jam, honey, lemon, and sugar. Russian chocolates are also a decadent addition to a tea service.  It is an old tradition to serve tea with a samovar after supper. After cleaning the supper table, the samovar is put in the center of the table and the whole family gathers around for tea and conversation. Due to the popularity of the traditions and customs revolving around Russian tea drinking "chaepitie", a whole tea accesories industry has evolved. Unique styles of teapots, teacups, caddies, cozies, samovars have been designed to feature typical Russian images of daily life. Most popular are animals and scenes from folk stories. Ghzel porcelain is used anc glazed with a variety of vibrant cobalt blue, white, and gold. Gzhel craftsmen like to say that there is no blue like the cobalt blue sky of their Mother Russia. So the idea came to them to transfer this blue onto white porcelain. This distincitive cobalt blue, white and gold patterns have come symbolize Russian tea sets. The Lomonosov Porcelain Factory has created a variety of beautiful patterns and designs that have helped to distinguish the Russian tea pots from others around the world. Matroyshka Russian wooden dolls nesting within smaller dolls are called Matryoshka. The first Russian Matryoshk doll appeared in the 19th Century and quickly became a symbol of Russian folk art.  Before the Russian Revolution, the name Matryona or Matryosha was a very popular female name. It was derived from the Latin root word "mater" which means "mother". This name was associated with the image of a mother of a big family who had a "very healthy or portly" figure. Subsequently, Matryoska became a symbolic name used to describe brighly painted wooden dolls made to hold other smaller dolls fitting (or nesting) inside one another. Even now Matryoshka is considered to be a symbol of motherhood and fertility. A mother doll with numerous doll-children expresses the oldest symbol of human culture. The basic techinque of making matroyshka dolls remains unchanged from the 19th century. These dolls are typically made from lime, birch, alder or aspen wood and then painted. Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs Russian decorated eggs are calle pysanka (also spelled pisanki). One of the most important feasts of the Russian Orthodox Church calendar is Easter. Pysanky eggs are often exchanged along with three kisses. Pysanky egg decorating is an ancient form of folk art from the Ukraine. The word Pisanki means "written". Many of the delicate and intricate designs used in decorating the eggs have historic and religious symbolism. Pysanky eggs are carefully decorated using mixtures of beeswax and colorful natural dyes. Traditionally, this art form is most popular duing the springtime around Easter. The color and symbols used in pysanki egg decorating have special meaning to signify an event or state of being. Russian "Faberge" Eggs The famous Faberge eggs began in 1884 with Peter Carl Faberge (his original name was Carl Gustavovich Faberge). Faberge was a Russian jeweler. He was commissioned by Czar Alexander III to make a jeweled Easter Egg for his wife, Czarina Maria Fyodorovna. Czarina Maria was so thrilled with the gift, that Faberge was commissioned to make these jeweled Easter Eggs every year. It was agreed that the Faberge Easter eggs would always have an egg shape and contain a surprise inside. (Youth at the Russian Tea event decorated faux Faberge eggs!) Faberge continued to make these jeweled Easter Eggs for the next 11 years, until Alexander III died. However, their son Nicholas II, continued the tradition. He had Faberge make jeweled eggs for his wife Alexandra as well as for his widowed mother, Czarina Maria. Faberge made a total of 68 jeweled eggs between the years of 1885 and 1917 for either the Russian Czars or private collectors. The eggs were made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gemstones. The term "Faberge Egg" has become synonomous with luxury and the eggs are regarded as masterpieces of the jeweler's art. |
|
|