Already fragrant tea ran. it was getting dark

What do you know about the old
Russian, Tula samovar?
It once burned steam,
In the golden, pot-bellied side
Boiling water beat dully...
What is tea without a samovar,
Without fragrant brew,
No boiling water
Without carbon monoxide?
S. Mikhalkov.
From the poem "Samovar".

What is a samovar? The Dictionary of the Russian Language says: "A samovar is a metal appliance for boiling water with a firebox inside, filled with coals." In the Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language V.I. Dahl says: "A samovar is a water-heating vessel for tea, mostly copper with a pipe and a brazier inside."

Deaf longing for no reason
And doom is a haunting frenzy.
Let's prick the splinter -
Let's inflate our samovar!
For loyalty to the old order,
To live slowly!
Perhaps, and steam out the torment
Soul sipping tea!

What is the attractive power of the samovar, why it has remained the most stable attribute of home comfort, can only be understood by understanding the peculiarities of the Russian tradition - tea drinking.

It is well known that tea came to Russia from the East. This does not mean that before that Russia drank only vodka. Strong drinks were held in high esteem in Russia, its inhabitants brewed mash, sbiten. Tea also had its own: from leaves, fruits, herb roots, in a huge assortment of collected, dried and harvested for various purposes - medicinal and tonic.

For example, Ivan-tea inflorescences, cherry, mint, currant leaves, etc. were used as tea leaves.

But, most importantly, the new thing that came from the East along with tea as tea leaves is a special ritual action, a kind of holiday. The introduction and distribution of tea in Russia took place on prepared soil, and the main feature, the reason for the popularity of tea, was in the ceremony itself, however, adapted to the psychology of a Russian person.

DRINK A CHEA - YOU WILL FORGET LONGING.

The oriental tea ceremony is basically aimed at the very deepening of a person, communication with his inner world. She seems to pull him out of the everyday hustle and bustle. The methods of brewing tea itself and serving it to the table are preparing the ground for removing everything vain.

The Russian tea ceremony is aimed at obtaining an absolutely opposite effect - uniting the spiritual world of people gathered at the table, revealing each individual soul to society, family, friends, and gaining new knowledge. Tea drinking creates the conditions for intimate conversation.

GLEB SAVINOV

THE SAMOVAR IS BOILING - IT DOES NOT ALLOW TO LEAVE.
A frank conversation directly with the interlocutor, and even more so with several interlocutors, is always psychologically difficult. This is aggravated by the fact that, as a rule, there are several age groups at the table - from children to great-grandparents. Children are restrained by the tradition of respect for adults, their parents - by honoring their parents. A careless remark, a clash of two opinions, sometimes destroys the confidence of the conversation, and the speaker falls silent and withdraws into himself. To create the spirit of democracy, a certain "silent interlocutor" was needed, looking at which, and turning to which, one could express the most intimate, without fear of being misunderstood. This role is assigned to the samovar in Russian tea drinking.

DRINK TEA - DO NOT CHOP FIREWOOD.

It was getting dark. On the table, shining
The evening samovar hissed,
heating chinese teapot
A light steam swirled under him ...
(A. Pushkin)

Such an item on the table was necessary for the Russian tea ceremony. And it was invented at the turn of the 18th century by Russian masters. The samovar entered every house. The samovar has become a symbol of kindness and home comfort. Children received knowledge, absorbed traditions, learned to speak and listen at the samovar. This subject entered the classics of Russian literature and art as an indispensable attribute of family peace. He himself became an object of artistic interest, and a number of masters of arts and crafts took part in the creation of his decorative decoration.

His device is simple, like all ingenious. It consists of a seamless thin-walled vessel. It is vertically pierced by a pipe starting from the bottom of the firebox and ending with a burner. The latter serves both to install a teapot on it for tea leaves, and to carry out air flow when the burner is closed with a lid.

From other devices for boiling water, known long before the appearance of the samovar and which people use now, the samovar differs primarily in that it combines all the practical experience of mankind in saving energy.

All the heat rising through the pipe is given off to the surrounding water. The large pipe surface quickly brings water to a boil and maintains the temperature. The natural current of warm air upwards creates ideal draft in a fire chamber. The firebox is attached from below to the vessel (body) of the samovar at the required distance from the surface of the table on which the samovar is placed. This distance is adjusted by the legs of the samovar, which give it stability and fire safety.

The pipe, being a structural core, serves as the basis for the cover of the vessel put on it, the burner, the cover of the pipe itself. Fuel is poured through the pipe and the samovar is ignited. Pine cones, branches, wood chips serve as fuel. Their consumption is minimal.

To pour water, the lid of the vessel is removed. To fill the glass there is a convenient tap with ground surfaces. The tap is located at a certain distance from the bottom of the samovar, which makes it possible not to get suspended matter into the cups.

Elements such as a tap (branch), a handle for carrying a samovar, legs on which it stands are made using casting and soldered to the vessel. These elements have a variety of shapes and decorative ornaments. Their remoteness from the heat source keeps soldering for centuries. Samovars were used both for making tea and for making soup, porridge, and sbitnya. In such samovars, the vessels were divided into two or three compartments and the dishes were cooked at the same time.

Even a child can use the samovar - water is poured, fuel is put in and a piece of wood on fire is lowered into the pipe. In wet weather or with raw fuel, the samovar needs to be inflated. This is done either through holes in the walls of the furnace, or in a "peasant" way - with the help of a boot put on the pipe, which performs the function of fur in a blacksmith's forge. When water boils, a teapot, ceramic or porcelain, is installed on the burner, depending on the taste, habit or viability of the brewer. The draft slows down, and the samovar slowly brings the water to a boil, brewing tea with high quality. Tea from a samovar is usually drunk as a bite, that is, sugar is served separately.

DRINK TEA - YOU WILL LIVE UP TO A HUNDRED YEARS.

The samovar is always in the center of the table. He is kind - in his image, in roundness of forms. He puffs good-naturedly on smoke and gurgles with boiling water. It reflects in its sides the people around it and nature, giving some unreality to what is happening.



FOR TEA - WE DO NOT MISS.

Emperor of white cups
Chainikov Archimandrite,
Your deep murmur is heavy
Those who give evil to the world.
(N. Zabolotsky)

How did our great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers drink tea?

It is known that tea was first brought to Europe by the Dutch in 1610, it came to England in 1644, and in Russia it was used from the middle of the 18th century, initially as a medicine.

"The samovar is boiling - it does not order to leave." “The samovar is like the Solovetsky Sea, they drink from it for valiant health” - these and many other humorous proverbs
ts reflected the respectful and kind attitude towards the samovar, which he deserved for several centuries. The ever-increasing interest in the history of the samovar as an original example of Russian arts and crafts and Russian life, the extraordinary popularity of the samovar in our country for almost two hundred and fifty years is explained by the fact that this metal unit for heating water has found a living “soul”, becoming the material embodiment of hospitality and cordiality, friendly communication, intimate conversations, home peace and comfort

Originally from Holland

The question is: how did the word "samovar" appear? Some philologists claim that it has Turkic roots, and it came from "sanabar", which means "teapot". It may be so, but it is quite possible that everything is simpler - this is a purely Russian combination like “steamboat” or “airplane”, since in Russia they cooked not only food, but also water.

Interestingly, the device that has become a symbol of Russia is not a national invention. It, along with other curiosities, was brought from Holland by Peter I.

Peter I

Classic dutch samovar
The cold climate played a significant role in the fact that the samovar took root in Russia. To keep warm, people drank 15-20 cups of tea a day! In addition, the samovar, by heating the water, also warmed the room.

Like most other things, the samovar has predecessors. These are Chinese hogo, which had a pipe, but no taps, because they served to serve soups and broths.

Hogo

As well as appliances that were used in ancient Rome to heat water and cook food.




Roman food warmers (autheps and caedas)

They also had Russian relatives, for example, devices for preparing sbitnya - a hot drink with honey and herbs.

Sbitnik

It's all about the pipe
The first Russian samovars, both outside and inside, resembled English vessels for boiling water and were in use in the middle of the 18th century. By the end of the century, the samovar acquired its design and functional features, which have been preserved for many years. In addition to the pipe placed inside the tank and surrounded on all sides by water, the craftsmen came up with an attached pipe that was put on top and supplied the samovar with traction. At the same time, the entire device retained a spherical shape for a long time and was rather squat.




Samovar ball 1760s



Samovar Late XIX - early XX century. Tula
A samovar is not just a boiler. It is a real chemical reactor in which water is softened, which is important, because tea brewed in hard water is simply tasteless. Water boils, scale forms, which is deposited on the walls of the pipe and body, the main one settles to the bottom. Therefore, real masters of their craft never placed a crane at the bottom of the unit.
In order for the samovar to start heating water, it must be lit. And this is a whole art. Having poured quite a bit of water into a special container (only so that the metal would not melt), smoldering embers were placed in the burner, and then they were stuffed with chips or cones. They put a pipe on top and fanned the coals. Water was poured into the melted samovar, and the process began. When boiling, the samovar “sang” at the first stage, it made noise at the second stage, and it bubbled at the third stage.

The first manufacturers of samovars in Russia were Ural craftsmen. Then there were workshops in Yaroslavl, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda, Kostroma. The leader among them was Tula, which rightfully received the status of the “capital of the samovar”.

The first samovar workshop was created by the gunsmith Fyodor Lisitsyn, and in 1778 his sons made the first samovar. In 1803 the workshop turned into a factory.



Samovar Lisitsyn.
The Lisitsyns produced very interesting products with chasing and engraving, with intricate figured taps (for example, in the form of a dolphin), with twisted and loop-shaped handles, square and oval, barrels and in the form of vases.




Lisitsyn's samovars.



Samovar Ivan Lisitsyn 1810 is on display at the Bukhara State Historical and Architectural Museum.

Elegant samovar with loop handles Nazar Lisitsyna adorns the collection of the Kaluga Museum of Local Lore.
Initially, samovars were made of red copper, brass and tombac (an alloy of copper with a very small addition of zinc). Sometimes they were silvered, gilded, and sometimes they were made of silver and cupronickel. The form of samovars was the most diverse - in Tula alone, about 150 types were produced. Sketches of these products were drawn by famous artists and sculptors, hence the real works of art in the Rococo, Empire, Art Nouveau styles.



Vorontsov's samovar (tompak)

Samovar "Vase", 5 l. - brass, nickel, 19th century Tula
The samovar entered and firmly established itself in all layers of Russian society - from the royal court to the peasant hut. He became not only the personification of the Russian way of life, but also a certain expression of material wealth. So, among the peasants, the samovar was considered a luxury, because not only metal products were quite expensive, but tea itself was not cheap.

In the cities, however, the picture was quite different. Samovars were placed in taverns and inns, where they were used not only for boiling water, but also for cooking and keeping it hot. And from the beginning of the 19th century, coffee began to be brewed in samovars.

Tavern samovar

Samovar-"kitchen".

Many "kitchen" samovars could prepare a full meal. From the inside, they were divided into compartments by walls, each compartment had a separate lid, a tap was attached to one of the compartments, and two dishes were cooked at the same time, plus boiling water for tea. Of course, they used such wonderful stoves only on the road, when they didn’t pay much attention to the sophistication of the dinner.
At post stations and in roadside taverns, one could also find similar cuisines.



Coffee samovar.
The difference between a coffee samovar and an ordinary one was only in its external form - a slightly flattened cylinder of the body and flat handles parallel to the body. A frame with a loop was attached to the coffee samovar, in which a bag for pre-ground coffee beans was hung.

By the first half of the 19th century, a certain ritual had already formed in Russia, according to which tea from a samovar was poured by the mistress of the house or the eldest daughter. The samovar stood either on the table or on a special table nearby. If a lot of people gathered at the table, the servants poured tea in the next room and served it to the guests. Samovars made of silver or cupronickel were supposed to have appropriate dishes - a teapot, a milk jug, and a gargle, a strainer, sugar tongs and teaspoons. Women drank tea from cups, men from glasses in glass holders.

Coaster (2nd half of the 19th century - before 1908)

Underglaze blue stamp"WITH". 1820s - 1830s.
Porcelain factory Safronov.
It is not surprising that the samovar became one of the subjects of genre scenes depicted on the canvases of famous painters, and deserved many poetic lines and descriptions in Russian literature.

By the end of the 19th century, especially valuable Batashev samovars appeared on the market, the best in quality and finish, without which not a single exhibition, both in Russia and abroad, could do. Speaking of exhibitions. Those wishing to participate had to present several samples of their products, supply samovars with factory marks. Manufacturers received awards for the best products, and then, satisfying the vanity of manufacturers, samples of medals were branded on samovars.

Samovar "faceted vase"

Stamp "Heirs of Vasily Stepanovich Batashev". With medals.
Antique coal samovar of a rare shape "Vase".

Has two medals

The inscription "by special order".
Exhibition copies, along with those made to individual orders, were incredibly valued. They left commemorative inscriptions, dedications, decorated with monograms and monograms.

Giants and Lilliputians

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, a new type of samovar appeared - kerosene.

Kerosene samovar



Kerosene samovar
And after the events of 1917, the samovar industry practically ceased to exist.
With the New Economic Policy there was a new flowering of the production of Tula samovars. And then there was a lull until the end of World War II. In the 1950s, all samovar enterprises in Tula were merged into one plant "Stamp", where samovars are still being made. Products - 28 types of products with a capacity of one and a half, two, three, five, seven and nine liters.
The largest samovar can give tea to 2,500 people. On March 2, 2004, craftsmen from the locksmith and mechanical workshop of A.A. Pashkov (TM "Zaporozhye samovar") manufactured the largest operating samovar that runs on wood and coal. This samovar was consecrated, and received No. 1 and the name "Cathedral". Eight craftsmen worked on it for three weeks. The height of the samovar is 1.75 m, weight - 250 kg, volume - 24 state-owned buckets (295 liters). In one hour and forty minutes, 1475 people can drink from its four taps. This samovar has already received several awards at exhibitions and competitions.



Tula samovar from the Moscow "left-hander" Nikolai Aldunin. 12 details. Nearby is a grain of sugar.
The smallest samovar was made by Vasily Vasyurenko, a mechanic at the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In a working samovar 3.5 mm high, you can boil ... one drop of water.
There are buffets - giants of 45 liters - and miniature, souvenir ones, for example, Yasnaya Polyana - a 56-fold reduced copy of Leo Tolstoy's samovar. Its capacity is only 125 milliliters, and its height is 13 centimeters.
In Soviet times, such interesting examples were made for exhibitions as the Friendship of Peoples samovar, made in the form of a vase with handles in the form of grape leaves and a convex image of the coats of arms of the Union republics on the wall. Or "Hut on chicken legs" with dragon-brackets. The samovar "Forest Story" depicts a fighting hunter and a bear, and the model dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kulikovo depicts squads of Russian soldiers.
The funds of the Tula Museum of Samovars have a large collection of samovars from the factory of S.F. Batashev and his heirs. Among them is the "Florentine Vase", a collection of souvenir samovars made for the children of Nicholas II. These are small items (capacity 200 ml), skillfully made in the form of a Greek vase, in the Rococo style, a mirror and Byzantine glass, a smooth ball.

By the way, today in Russia the fashion for samovars, especially old ones, has revived again. They are restored, put in order, collect collections or used for their intended purpose.

There are also state museums of samovars. In addition to the most famous Tula, similar ones have recently opened in Minsk, Gorodets, and Vladivostok. The Simferopol Ethnographic Museum hosted an exhibition that included more than a hundred unique items from private collections, and last December Russia hosted the 5th Petersburg Samovar World Festival.

The design of the samovar.
Inside there is a brazier in the form of a pipe - a "jug". Below, under the "jug", a blower is made to enhance traction. The tank of the samovar-vase is equipped with a rim at the top, on which the lid rests with a ring. Two "bumps" are made on the lid - grips and steamers - these are small swivel caps on the holes for steam to escape.

The body vase rests on a pallet or legs. The "jug" (brazier) is closed with a cap on top and is equipped with a burner for installing a teapot. A faucet with a wrench is used to drain the water. Screws are made in various shapes, some of them are very intricate and difficult to perform.

The profiles of curly holes (fistons) on blowers and burners are very diverse. The most important decorative elements of the whole composition were repeek, handles and legs. The legs were made spherical, in the form of lion's paws, bird's legs, etc.

The great advantage of the samovar was that in it the flame tube was placed inside the reservoir and surrounded on all sides by water. Therefore, heat losses are small, and the efficiency is very high.

Samovar craftsmen came up with an attached pipe that can be put on top of the furnace pipe. At first, teapots appeared that retained the shape of spherical, squat tableware and kitchen utensils, then they were equipped with a blower and a furnace pipe, without changing their former shape.

Thanks to its resonance-enhancing shape, the samovar has the ability to make sounds that accurately convey the state of boiling water: at the first stage, the samovar "sings", at the second stage it "makes noise", at the third stage it "boils". Since the samovar warms up slowly, it is very convenient to catch the fleeting second stage of boiling by sound.

Moreover, a samovar is not just a boiler. It is also a chemical reactor - a hard water softener, which is very important, since tea brewed in hard water is tasteless. When boiling, the hardness decreases, since the formed insoluble carbonates (scale) are deposited on the walls of the pipe and the body (body), and the main part of them settles to the bottom. True, over time, the reaction efficiency decreases because of this, so the scale must be removed.

It is noteworthy that the samovar masters never make the tap at the very bottom, but always a little higher, so that the settled scale does not get into the drink being prepared.

Nikolai Pimonenko Girl with a samovar. Orel Art Gallery.

Proverbs and sayings about the samovar

The samovar boils, does not order to leave.

Come, we'll put the samovar, and when you leave, we'll have a cup of tea.

With a samovar-buyan, tea is more important, conversation is more fun.

Samovar, that the Solovetsky sea. We drink from it for good health.

Dispersed like a cold samovar

Our samovar has a cousin candlestick
THANK YOU! for "plus" +++!

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Sayings, phrases, aphorisms, quotes, creativity, poems of famous people about tea

WITH flickered, shining on the table
The evening samovar hissed,
heating chinese teapot
A light steam swirled beneath him.
Spilled by Olga's hand,
In cups with a dark stream
Already fragrant tea ran,
And the boy served the cream ...
Pushkin A.S., Russian poet

Z take a neighbor to the samovar,
And Dunya pours tea,
They whisper to her: “Dunya, note!”
Pushkin A.S., Russian poet

G stupid longing for no reason
And doom is a haunting frenzy.
Let's prick the torch -
Let's inflate our samovar!
For loyalty to the old order,
To live slowly!
Perhaps, and steam out the torment
Soul sipping tea!
A. Blok, Russian poet

Z ima! What should we do in the village? I meet a servant who brings me
morning cup of tea
Pushkin A.S., Russian poet

I I had to drink a lot of tea, because without it I could not work. Tea releases those possibilities that lie dormant in the depths of my soul.
Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer

IN happy guests should be given wine. Sad guests - ordinary tea. Sincere friends - make the best tea and enjoy the conversation.
Xu Ze Shu

H ah can replace wine. And wine will not replace tea. Poetry can replace prose. And prose will not replace poetry.
Zhang Chao, Chinese intellectual

H ai gives a person determination, increases the ability to process impressions, disposes to concentrated thinking.
Jakob Moleschott, German physiologist

H A real tea bouquet is like an expensive wine, it cannot be repeated, the secrets of its preparation are available only to the author.
Caitlin Turner, American actress

A The aroma of tea and the taste of tea spread widely, widely, strengthen the relationship between people.
Jin Zhang Zaiw, ancient Chinese poet

P The first cup moisturizes my lips and throat, the second destroys loneliness, the third explores my insides, the fourth causes a slight perspiration, all the sorrows of life go through the mountains, with the fifth cup I feel cleansed, the sixth lifts me into the realm of immortality, the seventh ... But I am already more I can not. I feel only the breath of a cool wind that rises in my hands.
Ancient Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty

G de tea, there is hope.
Sir Arthur Pinero, English playwright

E If it's cold, tea will warm you up. If you are hot, it will cool you down. If you are in a depressed mood, he will cheer you up; if you are excited, he will calm you down.
Sir William Gladstone, 19th century British minister

H a man who has not drunk tea is at odds with the universe.
Japanese proverb

Phrases, aphorisms, quotes, poems about the tea drinking of such celebrities:

R Is it possible to feel something if you have not drunk strong fragrant tea? Tea is the flight of the soul!
V.A. Milashevsky, Russian painter of the 19th century

"H ouch! Empty drink! And if the Chinese don't give it to us, more turmoil could come out!"
M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, Russian writer

« H ai is my favorite drink. I don't recognize others.
Sh. Muslimov, long-liver - 120 years

« X irrigating tea thing, very good! The more tea people drink, the less they will reach for a rifle - this is an important matter.
V. Peskov, Russian writer

« I in general, a big teapot, I have had it since the war years. Wherever I had to visit - in Siberia, in the Far North, in the hot south. In the cold, tea warms me, in the heat it refreshes, gives vigor and efficiency ... "
A. Rodimtsev - Colonel General, twice Hero of the Soviet Union

Z and light conversations fade away with tea.
Percy Bysshe Shelley, English poet

IN there are few hours in a man's life that would be more pleasant than the time devoted to evening tea.
Henry James, American writer

ABOUT experience convinced me: tea is better than brandy. For the past six months I have been replacing brandy with tea, even when I was sick.
Theodore Roosevelt, US President

IN We should never refuse a cup of tea under the following circumstances: if it is hot outside; if it is cold outside; if you are tired; if someone thinks you are tired; if you feel uneasy; before leaving the house; if you are not at home; if you have just come home; if you want a seagull; if you do not really want a seagull, but you could; if you have not drunk tea for a long time; if you have just intercepted a cup.
George Mikes (Hungarian journalist)
"How to be British"

H ai raises muscle tone, making the body strong. It helps with headaches and dizziness, improves mood and drives away spleen. Tea cleanses the kidneys of stones and sand, if taken with honey instead of sugar, it makes breathing easier for colds. This drink helps improve eyesight. Tea relieves fatigue, making a person cheerful.
Thomas Harvey, owner of England's first tea house

Sayings, phrases, aphorisms, quotes, creativity, poems about tea from folk wisdom:

H disbelief that TEA is the best
a cure for mental wounds, leads to banal drunkenness.

L love is the locomotive of life.
TEA is the locomotive of health.

H a man is full of tea alone.

IN Have a cup of tea - you will forget longing.

Z and we don’t miss tea - we drink seven cups each.

H oh don’t drink, so don’t live in the world.

WITH the amovar is boiling, he won't let you go.

WITH put the granny samovar, we will listen to Manowar!

H ah drink - do not chop wood.

H ah not intoxicated - will not understand.

I I sit, I drink tea - and you come in, drink tea!

H ah should be like a woman's kiss - strong, hot and sweet!

H if you don't drink, where do you get the strength from?

G where there is tea, there is paradise under the spruce.

WITH tea dashing does not happen!

H don’t be lazy, but distinguish where the straw is, and where the tea is!

H ahem in Rus', no one choked!

H ah we have Chinese, master's sugar.

H ah stronger if it is shared with a good friend.

H even a drunkard does not ask for vodka, but everything for tea.

WITH amovar, that the Solovetsky sea. We drink from it for good health.

P Come to tea - I treat you with pies.

H ah do not drink - what strength? Drinking tea is another matter.

H oh no vodka - you won't drink much

"Tea! Empty drink! And if the Chinese don’t give it to us, more turmoil could come out!”
M. E. Saltykov Shchedrin

The tradition of drinking tea is inextricably linked with the life of people, with the events taking place in it. It is part of their universe. And she did not go unnoticed by Russian classics, who sang the tea drink in their works.

Favorite Russian tradition of tea drinking Russian writers could not ignore. After reading some works, we can find out how they drank tea in old times.

Tea on the pages of Pushkin's works

The most striking example are the works of the great Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The famous novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" takes us to the era of the nobility. The poet vividly and accurately describes the life that the main characters lead, and, of course, what role he plays in it. tea tradition .

It was getting dark; shining on the table
The evening samovar hissed,
Chinese kettle heating;
Light steam swirled beneath him.
Spilled by Olga's hand,
In cups with a dark stream
Already fragrant tea ran,
And the boy served the cream.

Evening tea, as we see, was not alien to the nobility, who lived in his estate in the village. Tea served with sweets, cream in a cozy family atmosphere. This moment is noted by researchers of tea traditions.

With tea, Pushkin begins his other work - "The Stationmaster". The story is told from the perspective of a passing stranger who stops at the station. Tea filed by the caretaker's daughter Dunya. Together they enjoy a drink and have a leisurely conversation. Tea, as if by the hand, leads us into the world of the main characters.

Tea from a samovar they also drank at the Metel. He served as a charge of vivacity in the early morning at the landlords.

Pushkin contributed tea traditions very skillfully, emphasizing with a couple of lines the realities of life of that era.

Tea at Gogol's

Gogol makes it clear that tea party It was quite an expensive pleasure, and not everyone could afford it. The protagonist of the story "The Overcoat" Akaki, turning to economical spending, first of all denied himself tea. Petty officials of St. Petersburg could only afford cheap crackers as an accompanying treat.

Ladies in Madman's Notes add cream to tea.

Tea is an important part of the lifestyle of the characters in Dead Souls. That Chichikov, drinking tea with the Box, independently pours "fruit" into a tea cup, emphasizes his attitude towards the hostess. He goes on the offensive and there will be no ceremonies in the conversation.

Tea lover F.M. Dostoevsky

Fyodor Mikhailovich's contemporaries noted his addiction to a tea drink. The writer preferred strong brewed tea and definitely sweet. Perhaps that is why tea drinking is often found on the pages of his works. Especially in The Brothers Karamazov. Tea, as it were, prepares us for what will happen next. Alyosha and Ivan meet in a tavern. Ivan had already had dinner and was finishing his meal with a cup of tea. Together with Alyosha they drinking tea with jam.

In subsequent episodes, tea is the connecting link in the communication of the characters.

Tea in the works of Lermontov

In the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time", the narrator calls tea and a cast-iron teapot "the only consolation in traveling around the Caucasus."

The heroes of L.N. constantly drink tea. Tolstoy, A.P. Chekhov.

Rereading the pages of your favorite Russian novels, you understand how firmly tea drinking has entered the life of the Russian people, becoming an indispensable attribute of every day.

Such a kind theme was also reflected in the canvases of Russian painters.

“To give tea to a person - to show respect!”
folk wisdom

CHAPTER THREE

Elle etait fille, elle etait amoureuse.

Malfilatre

She was a girl, she was in love.

Malfilatr(French)

"Where? These are the poets for me!”
- Farewell, Onegin, I have to go.
"I do not hold you; but where are you
Do you spend your evenings?
- At the Larins. - “This is wonderful.
Have mercy! and it's not hard for you
There every evening to kill?
- Nothing. - "I can't understand.
From there I see what it is:
First (listen, am I right?),
Simple, Russian family,
Great zeal for guests
Jam, eternal conversation
About the rain, about the flax, about the barnyard…”

I still don't see a problem here.
"Yes, boredom, that's the trouble, my friend."
- I hate your fashionable light;
Dearer to me is the home circle,
Where can I ... - “Again eclogue!
Come on, honey, for God's sake.
Well? you're going: very sorry.
Ah, listen, Lensky; yes you can't
To see me this Phyllida,
The subject of both thoughts and pen,
And tears, and rhymes et cetera?..
Imagine me. - You're joking. - "No."
- I'm glad. - "When?" - Right now.
They will gladly accept us.

Let's go.-
Others jumped
Appeared; im lavished
Sometimes difficult services
Hospitable antiquity.
Rite famous treats:
They carry jam on saucers,
On the table put waxed
Pitcher with lingonberry water.
………………………………
………………………………
………………………………

They are the dearest of the shortest
They fly home at full speed.
Now let's eavesdrop
Heroes of our conversation:
- Well, Onegin? you are yawning.-
“A habit, Lensky.” - But you miss
You're somehow more. - "No, it's the same.
However, it is already dark in the field;
Hurry! go, go, Andryushka!
What stupid places!
And by the way: Larina is simple,
But a very sweet old lady;
I'm afraid: lingonberry water
I wouldn't do any harm.

Say: which Tatiana?
- Yes, the one that is sad
And silent, like Svetlana,
She came in and sat by the window.-
"Are you in love with a smaller one?"
- And what? - "I would choose another,
When I was like you, a poet.
Olga has no life in features.
Exactly the same in the Vandykova Madona:
She is round, red-faced,
Like that stupid moon
In this stupid sky."
Vladimir dryly answered
And then he was silent the whole way.

Meanwhile, Onegin's appearance
The Larins produced
Everyone is very impressed
And all the neighbors were entertained.
Guess after guess.
Everyone began to interpret furtively,
Joking, judging is not without sin,
Tatyana to read the groom;
Others even claimed
That the wedding is perfectly coordinated,
But then stopped
That they didn’t get fashionable rings.
About Lensky's wedding for a long time
They've already decided.

Tatyana listened with annoyance
Such gossip; but secretly
With inexplicable joy
I involuntarily thought about it;
And in the heart the thought was planted;
The time has come, she fell in love.
So the fallen grain into the ground
Springs are animated by fire.
For a long time her imagination
Burning with grief and longing,
Alkalo fatal food;
Long hearted languor
It pressed her young breast;
The soul was waiting ... for someone,

And waited ... Eyes opened;
She said it's him!
Alas! now days and nights
And a hot lonely dream
Everything is full of them; all the maiden is cute
Incessantly magical power
Says about him. Boring her
And the sounds of affectionate speeches,
And the gaze of a caring servant.
Immersed in sadness
She does not listen to guests
And curses their leisure,
Their unexpected arrival
And a long stretch.

Now with what attention is she
Reading a sweet novel
With what lively charm
Drinking seductive deception!
Happy power of dreaming
soulful creatures,
Lover of Julia Wolmar,
Malek-Adel and de Linard,
And Werther, the rebellious martyr,
And incomparable Grandison,
which brings us to sleep,
Everything for a gentle dreamer
Clothed in a single image,
In one Onegin merged.

imagining a heroine
Your beloved creators
Clarice, Julia, Delphine,
Tatiana in the silence of the forests
One with a dangerous book wanders,
She seeks and finds in her
Your secret heat, your dreams
The fruits of heart fullness,
Sighs and, appropriating
Someone else's delight, someone else's sadness,
In oblivion whispers by heart
A letter for a cute hero...
But our hero, whoever he is,
Certainly not Grandison.

Your syllable in an important way of mood,
It used to be a fiery creator
He showed us his hero
Like a perfect example.
He gave a beloved object,
Always unjustly persecuted,
Sensitive soul, mind
And an attractive face.
Feeding the heat of the purest passion,
Always enthusiastic naked
I was ready to sacrifice myself
And at the end of the last part
Vice was always punished
The wreath was worthy of kindness.

And now all minds are in a fog,
Morality pas induces sleep,
Vice is kind - and in the novel,
And there the op triumphs.
British muse of fiction
The maiden's dream is disturbing,
And now her idol has become
Or a brooding Vampire
Or Melmoth, the gloomy vagabond,
Or the Eternal Jew, or the Corsair,
Or the mysterious Sbogar.
Lord Byron by a lucky whim
Cloaked in dull romanticism
And hopeless selfishness.

My friends, what's the point of this?
Perhaps, by the will of heaven,
I will stop being a poet
A new demon will take over me
And, Phoebe's defying threats,
I will stoop to humble prose;
Then romance in the old way
Will take my cheerful sunset.
Do not torment secret villainy
I will portray menacingly in it,
But I'll just tell you
Traditions of the Russian family,
Love captivating dreams
Yes, the customs of our antiquity.

I will retell simple speeches
Father or old uncle,
Children's appointments
By the old lindens, by the brook;
Unfortunate jealousy of torment,
Separation, tears of reconciliation,
I'll quarrel again, and finally
I will lead them down the aisle...
I will remember the speeches of passionate bliss,
Words of yearning love
Which in days gone by
At the feet of a beautiful mistress
They came to my tongue
From which I now weaned.

Tatiana, dear Tatiana!
With you now I shed tears;
You are in the hands of a fashion tyrant
I have given up my fate.
You will die, dear; but before
You are blindingly hopeful
You call the dark bliss,
You will know the bliss of life
You drink the magical poison of desire
Dreams haunt you
Everywhere you imagine
Happy date shelters;
Everywhere, everywhere in front of you
Your tempter is fatal.

The longing of love drives Tatyana,
And she goes to the garden to be sad,
And suddenly motionless eyes tends,
And she's too lazy to go further.
Raised chest, cheeks
Covered in instantaneous flame,
Breath stopped in the mouth
And in hearing the noise, and the sparkle in the eyes ...
The night will come; the moon goes around
Watch the distant vault of heaven,
And the nightingale in the darkness
Sounding tunes turns on.
Tatyana does not sleep in the dark
And quietly with the nanny says:

“I can’t sleep, nanny: it’s so stuffy here!
Open the window and sit next to me."
- What, Tanya, what's the matter with you? -
"I'm bored,
Let's talk about old times.
- About what, Tanya? I used to
Stored in memory a lot
Ancient stories, fables
About evil spirits and girls;
And now everything is dark for me, Tanya:
What I knew, I forgot. Yes,
The bad line has arrived!
Zashiblo ... - "Tell me, nanny,
About your old years:
Were you in love then?

And yes, Tanya! In these summers
We haven't heard of love;
And then I would drive from the world
My dead mother-in-law. -
“But how did you get married, nanny?”
Yes, it looks like God ordered it. My Vanya
- He was younger than me, my light,
And I was thirteen years old.
For two weeks the matchmaker went
To my family, and finally
Father blessed me.
I cried bitterly from fear
They untwisted my braid with weeping
Yes, with singing they led to the church.

And then they introduced someone else into the family ...
You don't listen to me...
"Ah, nanny, nanny, I yearn,
I'm sick, my dear
I'm ready to cry, I'm ready to cry! .. "
- My child, you are unwell;
Lord have mercy and save!
What do you want, ask...
Let me sprinkle with holy water
You're on fire ... - "I'm not sick:
I… you know, nanny… am in love.”
- My child, the Lord is with you! -
And babysit the girl with a plea
Baptized with a decrepit hand.

"I'm in love" - ​​whispered again
She is sad to the old woman.
- Dear friend, you are unwell.
"Leave me, I'm in love."
And meanwhile the moon shone
And lit up with a languid light
Tatyana pale beauty,
And loose hair
And drops of tears, and on the bench
Before the young heroine
With a scarf on his gray head,
An old woman in a long jacket;
And everything slumbered in silence
With an inspiring moon.

And my heart rushed far
Tatyana looking at the moon...
Suddenly a thought popped into her mind...
“Come on, leave me alone.
Give me, nanny, a pen, paper,
Yes, move the table; I will go to bed soon;
Sorry". And here she is alone.
Everything is quiet. The moon shines on her.
Lean on, Tatyana writes,
And all Eugene is on my mind,
And in a thoughtless letter
The love of an innocent maiden breathes.
The letter is ready, folded ...
Tatiana! for whom is it?

I knew inaccessible beauties,
Cold, pure as winter
Relentless, incorruptible,
Incomprehensible to the mind;
I marveled at their fashionable arrogance,
Their natural virtues
And, I confess, I fled from them,
And, I think, I read with horror
Above their eyebrows is the inscription of hell:
Abandon hope forever.
It's hard for them to inspire love,
To scare people is a joy to them.
Perhaps on the banks of the Neva
You have seen such ladies.

Among the obedient admirers
I saw other freaks,
proudly indifferent
For passionate sighs and praise.
And what did I find with amazement?
They, harsh behavior
Frightening timid love
They were able to attract her again
At least sorry
At least the sound of speeches
Seemed sometimes more tender
And with a gullible blindness
Again a young lover
Ran after a sweet fuss.

Why is Tatyana more guilty?
For the fact that in sweet simplicity
She knows no lies
And believes the chosen dream?
For what loves without art,
Obedient to the attraction of feelings,
How trusting she is
What is gifted from heaven
rebellious imagination,
Mind and will alive,
And wayward head
And with a fiery and tender heart?
Don't forgive her
Are you frivolous passions?

The coquette judges in cold blood,
Tatyana loves not jokingly
And surrender unconditionally
Love like a sweet child.
She does not say: postpone -
We will multiply the price of love,
Rather, we will start the network;
First, vanity with a stake
Hope, there is bewilderment
We'll torment the heart, and then
Jealous revive fire;
And then, bored with pleasure,
Slave cunning of shackles
Always ready to break out.

I foresee more problems:
Saving the honor of the native land,
I have to, no doubt
Translate Tatyana's letter.
She didn't know Russian very well.
Didn't read our magazines
And expressed with difficulty
In your own language,
So, writing in French...
What to do! I repeat again:
To this day a lady's love
Didn't speak Russian
Until now, our proud language
I'm not used to postal prose.

I know they want to force the ladies
Read in Russian. Right fear!
Can I imagine them
With "Good-meaning" in hand!
I refer to you, my poets;
Isn't it true: lovely things,
Who, for their sins,
You secretly wrote poems
To whom the heart was dedicated
Isn't it all, in Russian
Possessing weakly and with difficulty,
He was so cutely distorted
And in their mouths a foreign language
Didn't he turn to his native?

God forbid I get together at the ball
Ile when driving on the porch
With a seminarian in a yellow chalet
Or with an academician in a cap!
Like ruddy lips without a smile,
No grammatical error
I do not like Russian speech.
Perhaps, to my misfortune, -
Beauties of the new generation,
Journals heeding a pleading voice,
Grammar will teach us;
Poems will be put into use;
But I… what do I care?
I will be faithful to the old days.

Wrong, careless babble
Inaccurate pronunciation of speeches
Still a heartbeat
Will produce in my chest;
I don't have the strength to repent
Gallicisms will be nice to me,
Like the sins of past youth
Like Bogdanovich's poetry.
But full. It's time for me to get busy
A letter from my beauty;
I gave my word, so what? oh-oh
Now I'm ready to give up.
I know: gentle Guys
Feather is out of fashion these days.

Singer of feasts and languid sadness,
Whenever you were with me
I would become an indiscreet request
To disturb you, my dear:
To magical tunes
You shifted the passionate maiden
Foreign words.
Where are you? come: your rights
I give you my regards...
But in the midst of sad rocks,
Weaned from the heart of praise,
Alone, under the Finnish sky,
He wanders, and his soul
He does not hear my grief.

Tatyana's letter is in front of me;
I keep it holy
I read with secret anguish
And I can't read.
Who inspired her with this tenderness,
And words of kind negligence?
Who inspired her touching nonsense,
Crazy heart conversation
Both fascinating and harmful?
I can not understand. But here
Incomplete, weak translation,
From a living picture, the list is pale
Or played out Freishitz
Through the fingers of timid students:

TATIANA'S LETTER TO ONEGIN

I am writing to you - what more?
What else can I say?
Now I know in your will
Punish me with contempt.
But you, to my unfortunate lot
Though a drop of pity keeping,
You won't leave me.
At first I wanted to be silent;
Believe me: my shame
You would never know
When I had hope
Rarely, at least once a week
To see you in our village
Just to hear your words
You say a word, and then
All think, think of one
And day and night until a new meeting.
But, they say, you are unsociable;
In the wilderness, in the village, everything is boring for you,
And we ... we do not shine with anything,
Even though you are welcome.

Why did you visit us?
In the wilderness of a forgotten village
I would never know you
I would not know bitter torment.
Souls of inexperienced excitement
Reconciled with time (who knows?),
By heart I would find a friend,
Would be a faithful wife
And a good mother.

Another! .. No, no one in the world
I wouldn't give my heart!
That is the predestined council in the highest ...
That is the will of heaven: I am yours;
My whole life has been a pledge
Faithful goodbye to you;
I know you were sent to me by God
Until the grave you are my keeper ...
You appeared to me in dreams
Invisible, you were already sweet to me,
Your wonderful look tormented me,
Your voice resounded in my soul
For a long time ... no, it was not a dream!
You just entered, I instantly found out
All numb, blazed
And in her thoughts she said: here he is!
Isn't it true? I heard you
You spoke to me in silence
When I helped the poor
Or comforted by prayer
The anguish of an agitated soul?
And at this very moment,
Aren't you, sweet vision,
In the transparent darkness flashed, ‘
Crouched quietly to the headboard?
Is it not you, with joy and love,
Whispered words of hope to me?
Who are you, my guardian angel
Or an insidious tempter:
Resolve my doubts.
Maybe it's all empty
Deception of an inexperienced soul!
And something completely different is destined ...
But so be it! my fate
From now on, I give you
I shed tears in front of you
I beg your protection...
Imagine I'm here alone
Nobody understands me,
My mind is failing
And I must die silently.
I'm waiting for you: with a single look
Revive the hopes of the heart
Or break a heavy dream,
Alas, a well-deserved reproach!

I'm cumming! Scary to read...
I freeze with shame and fear ...
But your honor is my guarantee,
And I boldly entrust myself to her ...

Tatyana now sighs, then gasps;
The letter trembles in her hand;
The pink wafer dries
Inflamed tongue.
She bowed her head to her shoulder.
The shirt is easy to go down
From her lovely shoulder...
But now the moonbeam
The glow fades. There's a valley
Clear through the steam. There's a flow
Silvered; there is a horn
The shepherd wakes up the villager.
Here is the morning: everyone got up a long time ago,
My Tatiana doesn't care.

She does not notice the dawn
Sitting with a drooping head
And does not press on the letter
Cut out your seal.
But, as I slowly open the door,
Already her Filipyevna gray-haired
Brings tea on a tray.
"It's time, my child, get up:
Yes, you, beauty, are ready!
Oh my early bird!
Evening, how I was afraid!
Yes, thank God you are healthy!
Longing night and no trace,
Your face is like a poppy flower."

Oh! nanny, do me a favor.-
"Please, dear, order."
- Do not think ... right ... suspicion.
But you see... ah! do not refuse.-
"My friend, God bless you."
- So, let's go quietly grandson
With this note to O ... to that ...
To a neighbor ... yes tell him,
That he didn't say a word
So that he does not call me ... -
"To whom, my dear?
I've become clueless today.
There are many neighbors around;
Where can I read them?

How stupid you are, nanny! -
“My dear friend, I am already old,
Stara; the mind grows dull, Tanya;
And then, it happened, I'm awake,
It happened, the word of the master's will ... "
- Oh, nanny, nanny! before that?
What do I need in your mind?
You see, it's about the letter
To Onegin. - “Well, business, business.
Do not be angry, my soul,
You know I don't understand...
Why are you turning pale again?"
- So, nanny, right nothing.
Send your grandson.

But the day has passed, and there is no answer.
Another has come: all is not as not.
Pale as a shadow, dressed in the morning,
Tatyana is waiting: when is the answer?
Holguin's adorer has arrived.
“Tell me, where is your friend?
He had a question from the hostess.
He completely forgot us."
Tatyana flared up and trembled.
- Today he promised to be, -
Lensky answered the old woman, -
Yes, apparently, the mail delayed.-
Tatyana lowered her gaze,
As if hearing an evil reproach.

It was getting dark; on the table, shining,
The evening samovar hissed,
Chinese kettle heating;
Light steam swirled beneath him.
Spilled by Olga's hand,
In cups with a dark stream
Already fragrant tea ran,
And the boy served the cream;
Tatyana stood before the window,
Breathing on cold glass
Thinking my soul
Written with a lovely finger
On foggy glass
Treasured monogram Oh yes E.

And meanwhile her soul ached,
And tears were full of languid eyes.
Suddenly, a clatter!.. Her blood froze.
Here is closer! jumping ... and into the yard
Eugene! "Oh!" - and lighter shade
Tatyana jumped into another hallway,
From the porch to the yard, and straight to the garden,
Flying, flying; look back
Don't dare; immediately ran around
Curtains, bridges, meadow,
Alley to the lake, forest,
I broke the bushes of sirens,
Flying through the flower beds to the stream.
And, out of breath, on the bench

Fell...
“Here he is! Eugene is here!
Oh my God! what did he think!
She has a heart full of pain
A dark dream keeps hope;
She trembles and glows with heat,
And he waits: will he not? But he doesn't hear.
In the maid's garden, on the ridges,
Gathered berries in the bushes
And they sang in chorus
(A command based on
So that the master's berry secretly
Evil lips do not eat
And they were busy singing:
Rural witticism!)

SONG GIRLS

Girls, beauties,
Darlings, girlfriends,
Play around, girls
Take a walk, darlings!

Put on a song
cherished song,
Lure the fellow
To our round dance.

How do we lure the young man
As we see from afar,
Run away, darlings
Throw cherries,
Cherries, raspberries,
Redcurrant.

Don't go eavesdrop
cherished songs,
Don't go look
Our girls' games.

They sing and, carelessly
Listening to their sonorous voice,
Tatyana waited impatiently,
So that the trembling of the heart in her subsides,
For the blaze to pass.
But in the Persians the same trembling,
And the heat does not go away,
But brighter, brighter only burns ...
So the poor moth shines
And beats with a rainbow wing,
Captivated by the school naughty;
So the bunny in winter trembles,
Seeing suddenly from afar
In the bushes of the fallen shooter.

But at last she sighed
And she got up from her bench;
Went but only turned back
In the alley, right in front of her
Shining eyes, Eugene
It stands like a formidable shadow,
And, as burned by fire,
She stopped.
But the consequences of an unexpected meeting
Today, dear friends,
I am unable to retell;
I must after a long speech
And take a walk and relax:
I'll finish it somehow.

Chapters of the novel "Eugene Onegin":

Pushkin began writing chapter 3 of "Eugene Onegin" in February 1824 in Odessa, and finished in October of the same year. It appeared in print in 1827.

It was getting dark; shining on the table
The evening samovar hissed,
Chinese kettle heating;
A light steam swirled beneath him.
Spilled by Olga's hand,
In cups with a dark stream
Already fragrant tea ran,
And the boy served the cream...

A drink for all ailments...

Actually, what's with the tea? Yes, despite the fact that drinking tea is the most troublesome and most pleasant way to improve the body. Tea contains 300(!) chemical substances and compounds: essential oils, organic acids, pectins and almost all vitamins found in nature. There are more than 2,000 types of tea and the same number of ways to prepare it in the world. Each nation has its own rituals of tea drinking, customs, traditions, habits and eccentricities. And these habits, so respected by some, seem like quirks to others who are uninitiated or unable to understand "such eccentricities." We can talk about Japanese, English, Russian culture of tea drinking. But did you know that tea is widely used not only as a drink. For example, fresh leaf juice, extract, dry tea powder are used as a remedy for burns, external and internal ulcers, and to stop vomiting. In the pharmaceutical industry, tea serves as a raw material for obtaining caffeine, and vitamin P is extracted from a coarse tea leaf. Especially severe cases of hemorrhages and radiation sickness are treated with a sterile preparation of vitamin P from tea. Tea extracts are used in pharmacology as a sedative and analgesic that replaces morphine, but does not cause side effects.

Basic conditions for making tea...

Water for tea should be boiled in a container used only for this purpose.
- Chlorinated water should stand for 12-20 hours in a separate bowl.
- In no case should tea be boiled, otherwise it will lose its smell and taste.
- Tea leaves are always prepared only once. On average, 20 g of dry tea is taken for brewing one liter of boiled water.
- To brew tea, use a faience, porcelain or glass teapot.
- Tea is poured into a moist, warm teapot, left there for a few minutes to swell, then poured with boiling water, covered with a lid and allowed to brew.

tea table

It is covered similarly to coffee, the difference is only in the choice of dishes and individual props. Tea is served in tea cups or in glasses with glass holders, which are placed on saucers. Both of them are placed in such a way that the handles are to the right of the person sitting, the teaspoon is also placed on the saucer with the handle to the right. Dishes for tea are placed in the same way as for coffee, only next to the tea cup behind the plate under the cake is a socket for jam. Pour tea into cups, do not fill them to the brim. The tea level should be one and a half centimeters below the rim of the cup. Lump sugar is served with tea (granulated sugar is served with tea with lemon), jam or honey, sandwiches, pies, muffins, cakes and pastries.

From the history of tea...

Did you know that tea is almost 5000 years old. An ancient Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty said this about tea: "The first cup moistens my lips and throat, the second destroys loneliness, the third explores my insides, the fourth causes a slight perspiration, all the sorrows of life go through the mountains, with the fifth cup I feel purified, the sixth takes me to the realm of immortality, the seventh ... But I can't take it anymore. All I can feel is the breath of a cool wind rising in my hands."(meaning tea brewed in small, small Chinese cups). People tasted the first cup of tea in 2737 BC. When the Chinese emperor Chen Nun was boiling water for drinking, several dry leaves from a bush standing next to the hearth fell into the cauldron. One of the courtiers tried the yellowed water and was delighted with its taste: this is how people got acquainted with tea. The news of an unusual drink with a stimulating effect first appeared in Europe in the 16th century. But then people were not yet very well acquainted with the methods of its preparation. It is no coincidence that at a dinner at an English duke a salad of tea leaves was served. He, of course, was terribly bitter. Eminent guests grimaced, but, for reasons of etiquette, they ate ... And then many began to have a heartbeat. The tea was nearly penalized. Many more years passed before the Europeans learned to drink diluted tea infusion. Three hundred years ago, tea appeared in Rus'. It was brought to Russia by the boyar son Vasily Starkov as a gift from the Altyn Khan to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.

Tea evening in English...

The English tea ceremony is widely known. Tea in England is usually drunk at 5 pm. After lunch tea drinking at a strictly defined time among Europeans is a traditional form of family and friendly meetings.
English tea traditions
In England, the culture of tea drinking plays about the same role as the code of the samurai in Japan. Tea accompanies an Englishman throughout his life, he is invariably present in every English home and office. Wherever you find yourself - in a restaurant or at a serious business meeting - you will always be offered several varieties of tea to choose from. This is a mandatory rule, consecrated by tradition, because in British society the daily routine is built from tea drinking to tea drinking, and for any time, any mood there is a tea variety. And the British are very attentive to the mood of their business partners and will never allow themselves to make a choice for you. It is hard to imagine that there was a time when the English did not know the taste of tea. Ever since the merchants of the East India Company presented King Charles II with two pounds of dry "Chinese leaf" as a gift in 1664, the British have fully appreciated its tart taste, pleasant aroma and universal healing properties. Sir William Gladstone, known for his exact aphorisms, once noted: "If it's cold, tea will warm you. If you're hot, it will cool you. If you are in a depressed mood, it will cheer you up; But the main secret of the success of the "Chinese leaf", which conquered England, lies in the character of the British themselves. This neat business nation, prone to calm regularity of life, quickly discovered that the new drink has another wonderful property: it can be used to clearly organize and plan every day. The ancient drink has become part of the daily routine, according to which the good old England lives from morning to evening. The British themselves joke: "It's easier to imagine Britain without the Queen than without tea", and this joke is not such a big exaggeration. The average Englishman drinks at least six cups of tea a day. Morning, the earliest tea, is drunk around six o'clock in the morning, sometimes right in bed. Tea is then served around eight, during the first light breakfast. The British prefer at this time a drink that is called "English Breakfast" - "English Breakfast". It is dominated by twisted "broken" leaves, giving an excellently strong, invigorating infusion that can awaken even the most sleepy person. A little later, at eleven or twelve, it's time for "lunch" - the "second", more hearty breakfast, which, of course, is not complete without tea. The fourth time the British drink tea is already in the middle of the working day, taking a short break, which is called "tea break" ("tea break"). Whatever happens, at five o'clock in the evening, on the famous "five-o" clock, millions of Britons from a humble employee to the Queen herself drink tea "English Afternoon" ("English afternoon tea"), generously flavoring it with milk or cream. work is the time for "high tea" ("high tea"), a thick and fragrant aristocratic drink, such as "Earl Grey". It brings comfort and good mood to the house. But there is a classic tea that can be drunk at any time of the day This is "English Tea No. 1", according to the unanimous opinion of experts, an almost perfectly balanced tea blend.It contains more than a dozen of the best varieties of tea leaves from Ceylon, India and Kenya: twisted "broken" leaves, giving strength, delicate upper leaves "orange peko" for rich color and taste and a light aroma of bergamot oils. It is bergamot that makes "English Tea No. 1" both strong and soft. It is best to drink tea freshly brewed, since the substances that give the drink a wonderful aroma and color are very volatile and heating evaporate. So only those who are used to drinking it immediately after brewing will know the true taste of the drink. It is terrible to imagine how difficult it would be for a modern business person with his eternal lack of time if the problem had not been solved already a century ago. Once an American businessman Thomas Sullivan began to send his customers tea in silk bags in order to save on tin cans, which were always in short supply. And one of the sellers suddenly came up with the idea of ​​brewing tea directly in bags. Thus began the history of "tea bags" - tea bags, without which it is impossible to imagine a modern office.

Moscow tea party

The ancient Moscow tradition of tea drinking is so rooted that it has become part of the proverbs and sayings: "There is no dashing thing with tea", "Do not drink tea, you will not live in the world", "Drink some tea, you will forget longing" and many others. Muscovites were even teased with tea-leaves. Unlike stiff St. Petersburg, where they “drank coffee”, in Moscow they “made tea” from morning to evening. Tea has become a truly Moscow drink. In 1896 on Myasnitskaya by order of a wealthy merchant-tea merchant S.V. Perlov, a shop "Tea-coffee" was built. Muscovites called this beautiful, Chinese-style house "Perlov's House" and came here from all over the capital especially for their favorite sort of tea, and even now they go there. Real tea, according to Muscovites, should be very hot, of good quality and always strong, thick, it should run "in a cup with a dark stream." And it is better to drink tea not overlay, but in a bite, so as not to interrupt its real taste with sugar. Warmth and simplicity are a characteristic feature of Moscow tea drinking. It was considered indecent if, having invited a guest to the house, they would not give him tea.

tea invitation

In 1881 the book "Good tone" was published, where there is a special section on tea. It describes in detail how to organize a tea party. Tea, as they say in it, is an open tea party with the invitation of guests. Moreover, there should be less than 25 guests, otherwise it will already be called evening. Well-known people are invited to tea, who will enjoy spending time in each other's company. It is not necessary, going to tea, to dress like a ball. Toilets put on weekends, but modest. The tea table is served in advance with baskets with different types of cookies, plates with sandwiches, sweet pies and cakes. Lemons, cut into thin slices, are placed all over the table. The guest set includes small plates and napkins. Decanters with rum cognac are placed next to the owner's plate. And, of course, there should be a samovar on the tea table. It is placed at the end of the table, where the hostess will sit. A tray with cups and glasses is placed nearby. The hostess or her eldest daughter pours tea. It is the responsibility of the hostess to offer guests cream, cookies and more. Guests are not supposed to be capricious - to demand tea stronger or sweeter. Pouring tea into a saucer or blowing on it to make it cool is positively indecent. After tea, sweets and fruits are served.