Podstakannik
The podstakannik (Russian: подстаканник, literally "thing under the glass"), or tea glass holder, is a holder with a handle, most commonly made of metal that holds a drinking glass. The primary purpose of podstakanniki (the plural of podstakannik) is to be able to hold a very hot glass of tea, which is usually consumed right after it is brewed. It is a traditional way of serving and drinking tea in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other post-Soviet states. [1]
Podstakanniki appeared in Russian tea culture in the late 18th century, when drinking tea became common in Russia. Very soon podstakanniki became not just practical utensils, but also works of art, just like samovars that were used for boiling water. Expensive podstakanniki for the rich and the elite were made of silver, however they were not very practical, since they would get quite hot very quickly due to the high thermal conductivity of silver.
By the 20th century podstakanniki became very widespread. In the Soviet Union they were made mostly from nickel silver, cupronickel, and other alloys with nickel, silver, or gold plating. Though in modern times, simple tea cups or mugs are typically used by Russians at home, podstakanniki continue to be widely used for serving tea on the Russian Railways, since they provide more safety while drinking or carrying tea on a moving train.
Most Russian tea glass holders have been produced by a plant located in Kolchugino, Vladimir Oblast, which continues to be the main glass holder producer to this day.[1] Some podstakanniki depict architecture, famous people, famous dates in history, cities of USSR, etc., giving a good general survey of Russian and Soviet history.
-
Russian Kolchugino Glass Holder (made of sterling silver).
-
Russian Kolchugino Glass Holder (silver-plated).
-
A depiction of Sputnik on 1950s podstakannik.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Podstakannik |
- All about podstakanniks at podstakannik.ru (Russian)
- Tea Cultural References
 |
This tea-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This Soviet Union–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
