Russian Samovar
The Russian Samovar is used to serve Russian Tea. It is also used in Russian Tea Ceremonies and is a beautiful item.
Today, many people collect Samovars and they add grace to any tea party table.
History of the Samovar
There is some dispute to the creation of the Samovar. Some say it originated from Russia, and others say it was created in China. Regardless, it is embedded in Russian culture.
The first Samovars date back to the late 18th century and were made from metal in the City of Tula, South of Russia. The reason for metal, is a portion of the samovar was filled with coal to keep the water and tea hot.
By the mid 19th century their were four shapes of samovars that had become traditional:
- Cylindric Shaped
- Barrel Shaped
- Spherical Shaped
- Ornate Urn Shaped
By the 1950's electric Samovars were being introduced.
How the Samovar Works
The traditional Samovar had three compartments within it. Samovars were traditionally a large metal container with a spout at the bottom and a metal pipe running vertically through the middle of the container. The pipe was filled with coal to heat the water. A third compartment or unit went atop filled with strong concentrated tea that was also kept warm.
Tea is served from the Samovar by taking 1 part concentrate and diluting it with about 10 parts of water from the spout.
The Samovar and the Russian Tea Ceremony
The Samovar is the most well known symbol of the Russian Tea Ceremony. The entire ceremony centered around the Samovar and its ability to 'serve tea' to large numbers of people.
The Russian expression "to have a sit by samovar" means to have a talk while drinking tea.
Return from Russian Samovar to Russian Tea
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