Events
Russian Tea
When: 3:30 pm the first three Thursdays of the block
Where: the Russian House, 1128 North Cascade.
For more information call or email the Cultural Program Coordinator, Andrey Kononov,
at 389-6296 or AKononov@Coloradocollege.edu.
February 7, 2008
Tirso Peguero will make a presentation on the Battle of Stalingrad
January 31, 2008
Mark Henkel will discuss Leo Tolstoy- War and Peace in Historical Context
December 6, 2007
Putin or Rasputin? Professor Alexei Pavlenko and visiting professor of Russian Tatian Nikolskaya invite you to a discussion about Russia and the upcoming Russian parliamentary elections
November 11, 2007
Professor Alexei Pavlenko will discuss Russian Constructivists
November 1, 2007
Ever wonder what it's like in Siberia? Ever wanted to volunteer at an orphanage?Michelle "Masha" Olson will share her volunteer experience in Siberia.
September 21, 2007
Economics and Business: Open World Forum & the Russian House presents "Business & Civic Engagement in Contemporary Russia" Come meet Russian Delegates.
September 20, 2007
Join us for a showing of the "Best Russian movie of the last 15 years" Dust, with English subtitles. Thursday at 7:30 pm in the WES room.
February 28, 2008
"The Competing Logics of Missile Defense in Central Europe" - US missile defense system in Europe. Presentation by Professor John Gould.
March 6, 2008
Maslenitsa (pancake week) is a Russian religious and folk holiday. It is a celebration of the end of winter. Come and join in the festivities!
April 10, 2008
Presidential Election in Russia. Join Associate Professors Alexei Pavlenko and John Gould for an open discussion about the Russian presidential election.
May 1, 2008
The Stork's Nest (Life and Love in the Russian Countryside). Conserving Russia's Wilderness. Please join us for a slide show and presentation on adventures from Russia's most remote places. Author Laura Williams speaks from 14 years of conservation experience in some of Russia's wildest places.
May 5, 2008
"Kosovo: A Serbian Perspective" by Srdja Popovic. "It is needless to stress the the Kosovo issue is the gravest and the most important issue in Europe today. Its significance cannot be overvalued because of the fact that it could easily enflame the whole region." Vojislav Koštunica.
Tea Ceremony
Russia is famous for tea. Russia is the country where tea-drinking formed into individual tradition. History of the Russian tea-drinking ceremony began in 1638 when Russian Tsar Michael Fedorovich received a special diplomatic gift from Altyum-Khan, ruler of Mongolia. When friends visit hosts invite them to have a cup of tea. This "cup of tea" is not just a tea but includes cookies, sandwiches, and other items. Each feast ends with tea-drinking with candies and cakes. In Russia, tea is consumed after meals and during mid-afternoon breaks, but is not considered appropriate to drink with a meal. Loose tea is brewed in either a hot teapot or a "samovar", a special tea-making device that produces strong tea called "zavarka". Zavarka is served in teacups or "stakan s podstakanni kom" (glass with metal holder) diluted with hot water to fit personal taste. It is an old Russian tradition to serve tea from a samovar after supper. After clearing the supper table, the samovar is put in the center and the whole family gathers around for tea.
The samovar is the central symbol of the Russian Tea Ceremony. As combination teapot & brewing device, it is a truly unique creation.
These pictures are of a fairly modern (electric) samovar. Older versions had a pip through the center where coals or wood were actually burned to heat the water.
Popularity, traditions and customs of Russian tea drinking, "chaepitie", have helped to foster a uniquely styled system of teapots, teacups, caddies, cozies, and more to support this tradition. By close of the 18th century more than a hundred small factories creating Russian teawares had sprung up. One of the most famous, "Gjel" (Ggel), takes its name from a little cit located in central Russia. Gjel is renowned for their white and blue designs prevalent in today's Russian teawares. Russian teaware designs typically feature images of daily life, most popular being animals and scenes from folk stories.
Some examples of these truly Russian teawares are shown below. Tea cozzies for samovars are called "baba na samovar" (woman on samovar), and wonderful teaset that shows the vibrant blue and white pattern that distinguishes Russian tea sets.
