Brewing Tea in the Russian Style: Step-by-step Instructions

For hundreds of years, tea has been one of the most popular drinks in Russia.

“When I am thirsty, I drink tea. When I am freezing, I drink tea. When I am sick, I drink tea. When I am bored, I drink tea,” Russian people say.

Russia even has its own style of making and drinking tea that is as different from Western as English high tea differs from a Japanese tea ceremony.

I am going to show you how my family and I prepare Russian tea, but first I will address some misconceptions about the process.

First, ‘Russian tea” is not a particular kind of tea. You can brew any black, red, yellow or green tea in the Russian style. Traditionally, Russian people favoured a black unflavoured tea grown in India or Sri-Lanka but now teas from any country might be used.

Second, Russian tea is never served in bags.

Third, you do not need a samovar to make it. Any small teapot made of porcelain or glass and any kettle to boil water will be good for this purpose.

To make my tea, I took a package of loose black tea and a teapot that holds one and a half cups (300 ml) of water.

The first step in brewing Russian tea is to make zavarka (a very strong tea, from the Russian word “to brew”)

For a small teapot like mine, put about four teaspoons of the loose tea into it.

The amount of tea might vary depending on how concentrated a zavarka you want to make.

Boil the water, pour it into the teapot, and let this steep for at least five minutes. After that time, the zavarka becomes dark red in colour. If the Zavarka becomes opaque and brown is too concentrated but it still can be used.

To show you the next step in making tea, I will take a glass. Nowadays, Russian people drink tea from glasses very seldom but in the glass, you can see the whole process clearly.

Fill the glass about 1/5th full of zavarka. This might vary: If you like stronger tea, use more zavarka.

Fill in the glass with hot water.

Your tea is now ready to drink. Enjoy!

 

Red Square, Sixty Below and Mammoths: Winter Destinations in Russia

Every year, tourist agencies seem to offer more and more exotic destinations for winter travel; to see tropical islands, to dive to the ocean bottom or take a helicopter tour above jungle. Yet for every ‘sun-seeker’ there are those who embrace winter. I am going to tell you about some winter destinations in Russia that you probably never heard before.

To get acquainted with the modern Russian winter traditions, Moscow is a good place to start. On the city tours, visitors can explore the old architecture; see ancient buildings beneath a bright blue sky, visit well known art and historical museums, and greet the New Year listening to bells of the main clock in Red Square. Moscow offers an immensely rich collection of cultural attractions at one place. Even seeing all the museums of Kremlin might take weeks but there are also Tretyakov’s Art Gallery, the many historical districts, dozens of other exhibitions, museums, theatres and concert halls, as well as beautiful parks with sparkling snow and modern shopping centers.

Moscow in December. Photo by Anton Mironov

If you travel with children or want to buy world famous Russian crafts, you will be delighted to visit Velikij Ustug and Kostroma.

Velikij Ustug (translated as "Ustug the Great") is a small town near Moscow. As old as Moscow herself, it was founded in 1147. At that time, the city was one of the prominent Russian political, trade and crafts centres. Nowadays, it became a home of Ded Moroz, a Russian “brother” of Santa Claus.

After a walk through the town and getting acquainted with ancient Russian history and architecture, visitors go to an old pine forest where the house of Ded Moroz stands. Built in the Old Russian style, it welcomes the guests with its warmth. After tour around the house and spending time with Ded Moroz himself, children can do some traditional crafts, taste Old Russian meals, and send a letter with the seal of Ded Moroz to friends and relatives.

There is much more interesting things to see around the house. At The Patch of Fairy Tales in the forest, children meet characters from Russian legends and myths, slide down big and small ice slides, ride horses, skate or ski, and look at the caribou and elk at the wildlife centre.
The weather might be chilly but a cup of hot Russian tea with pancakes and merry games will keep everybody warm.

The estates of Ded Moroz (a model). Photo by Tatiana Bukhanova

Another ancient Russian town, Kostroma, founded in twelfth century, sits on the Golden Ring of Russia that includes some prominent medieval towns around Moscow. Being a big craft centre, Kostroma attracts tourists from around the world. The main winter feature of Kostroma is the Snegurochka’s Home.

Snegurochka's house in Kostroma. Photo by Tatiana Bukhanova

As a fairy tale says, Snegurochka (“Snow Girl”) is a granddaughter of Ded Moroz, and a child of Winter and Spring. She might appear as a little child, about 4-5 years old, or as a nearly full-grown woman but she is always kind and merry. She gladly helps her Grandfather at his home but has her own residency.

Snegurochka’s Home has the Ice Room made of pure ice from the lakes. The temperature there is always -14C but visitors are offered warm coats, tea, and cold drinks served in the glasses made of ice.

At Kostroma, visitors can see the only elk farm in Russia and buy famous linen that is greatly valued in the world.

The elk farm in Kostroma. Photo by Tatiana Bukhanova

For the keenest adventurers who are not afraid of extreme temperatures, the Siberian town of Verkhoyansk and city of Yakutsk will be life-long memory.

Verkhoyansk, one of the smallest towns in Russia  located on the river Yana in Yakutiya (Eastern Siberia), holds an official title of “The Cold Pole” of the Northern hemisphere. The lowest temperature here, −67. 8 °C (-90°F), was measured in the February of 1892. The weather station where that bone chilling record was observed is still open for the visitors. The town’s museum “Cold Pole” tells about weather in the north and about the work of polar and weather scientists in some of the most inaccessible places in Siberia.

Not far from here, the small village Tomtor is located. There the courageous can venture into the ice cave where the Yakutian god of cold and winter, Chyyschan lives.
Some can argue that nobody sane would go to Verkhoyansk in winter but for others it can be once-at-a-life-time adventure.

Attention! Before your travel, plan your trip very carefully. The town is often hardly accessible in harsh weather and getting back might be even more problematic. Get an experienced guide. Ask locals what they wear and dress accordingly. Your life will depend on it because the temperature might easily drop below -50C.

If you would like to combine the icy breathe of a Siberian winter with big city attractions, Yakutsk, the capital of Saha-Yakutiya region in eastern Siberia, is a perfect place.

Yakutsk is the coldest large city in the world with an average year temperature just -10°C (-14°F). The coldest winter temperature however is higher than in Verhoyansk: a “balmy” -64°C (-83.2°F).
In spite of the deep cold, Yakutsk is a welcoming vibrant city with many winter activities to try. The theater, art and music shows, traditional winter events and festivals, and national food keep the guests occupied until spring.

In Yakutsk, you can visit the only museum in the world dedicated to woolly mammoths. At the museum, you can see a model of a mammoth calf, called Dima, found in 1977. The remains itself is currently on loan at the zoological museum in St Petersburg.

For hundreds of years huge amount of mammoth remains preserved in permafrost have been found at Saha-Yakutija region. In fact, there have been so many of them that local people have used the mammoth’s bones for carving. Now all the bones are given to scientists but at the Museum of History and Culture of Northern Nations, you can still see the exquisitely carved tools, jewelry, and household items.

Another unique place to see in Yakutsk is the Museum of Diamonds.  Most Russian diamonds, for jewelry as well as for industry, are dug up in Saha-Yakutiya. Many of the breath-taking treasures of the Russian tsars came from here. The museum tells about the history and ways of mining the diamonds, their polishing, and use for technical purposes and in jewelry.

These are just a few interesting winter destinations in Russia. Visiting that beautiful country, remember that Russian people celebrate New Year twice, 14 days apart. If you did not have time to see all the attractions before December 31st, you can easily repeat a New Year’s celebration in the middle of January.

Ded Moroz and Snegurochka - the symbols of Russian New Year (Ekaterinburg, Russia). Photo by S. Chemezov

 

Russian Winter: The Days of Felt Boots

‘Instead of giving me presents, why don’t you repair my valenki?” a girl asks her sweetheart in a Russian folk song.

What was this valenki, more precious to the people of Old Russia than any gift?
Valenki (plural) are traditional Russian felt boots. In bitterly cold weather, they successfully compete with modern hi-tech footwear. In wintertime, many Russian towns celebrate the Valenki Day to pay respect to these excellent winter boots.

The technology of making valenki came to Russia from Asian steppes where they were worn by nomads. Although valenki are considered traditional Russian shoes, they became widespread in Russia less than two hundred years ago.

The making of valenki is very time consuming, complicated, and requires special skills. In the beginning, sheep’s wool is cleaned and mashed by hand or with special tools, then put into salt water, and only then formed up to needed size and shape. After the boots were made, they were put into a warm stove “to breathe.” The process of making the boots had some secrets known only to professionals.

Valenki in the old style that Russian people have worn for hundreds of years

For a long time, valenki were considered the best winter gift: feet in them simply cannot get cold. When worn, they take the form of a foot very fast, and the material absorbs moisture. With the right care, a person can wear them their whole life and give them to their children and even their grandchildren.

In the last century, valenki were thought of as old-fashioned but recently they have become popular again. In every Russian shoe store, there are several types of valenki: short and long ones, high-heeled, with rubber sole to walk on a wet snow, for everyday wear and for special occasions, in different colours, with applications and embroidery, and even with lace.

Russian designers have brought valenki to the high fashion shows, working with traditional as well as with modern materials.

Modern valenki with embroidery


If you plan to travel to Moscow, visit a Valenki museum where you can learn much more about them and see hundreds of exquisite examples of this unique Russian footwear.
http://www.gorizont.org/muzey/galereya/
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1o0FKkc7n4

How to choose valenki
Buy valenki one size bigger than your foot size. They have to be worn with a woolen sock with some room for air. When wet and dried, valenki might shrink. When choosing, look carefully on the valenki: they have to be without stitches. If they do not have rubber sole, you can wear them only on dry snow.

How to care for valenki:
Wear valenki only if the temperature outside is less than -10C; they do not like wet snow. To wear them longer, ask a shoe maker to put the second sole on them.
After returning home, brush valenki to clean them from snow (usually with a mitten or a broom) and let them dry (do not dry them on a heater because they can shrink or become stiff). If valenki are dirty, use a special soap solution to clean them or give them to dry cleaners.

How to store valenki:
Dry valenki thoroughly, put one or two moth balls inside, stick some newspapers into them tightly to absorb moisture and protect them from deformation, then put valenki into a plastic shopping bag and knot the bag tightly. In summer months, take valenki out couple of times and let them sit outside for an hour.

My article in "Our Canada" magazine

I am happy to tell that my two my articles on the Russian New Year's traditions appeared in December - January issue of "Our Canada" magazine.
Now Canadians know about Ded Moroz and Ice Towns :-)

A couple of words about Russian food

This is my favourite snack - the chocolate coated bars of cottage cheese. They are cheap, easy to produce, and fun to eat. Unfortunately, I have not found anything like this in Canada.
Please start making these things in Edmonton!

The street sculptures in Ekaterinburg

The street sculptures are becoming more and more popular in Ekaterinburg. Walking along the Vainera street, the main shopping street in the city, I took these photos.

The monument for the Russian inventor of bicycle Efim Artamonov

The sculpture of a cabman

An old car with its driver

City dweller

I have no idea who this man is

Street vendor

A shopper...

And his wife.
There are much more interesting sculptures in the city. I will continue to post the photos of them.







 

A show of the Urals' everyday wear of 19th century

These are the photos from a "Fashion show," displaying some costumes that people at Urals' wore in the 19th century. (The celebration of the City Day, Ekaterinburg, 2013).

Street lights in Ekaterinburg

Do not blink, this is real. These lamps stand on the main street of Ekaterinburg, my home town. It creates a romantic feeling the evenings, when they shine with homy orange lights.

My artice in "More of Our Canada"!

I am happy that my article "The Capital of the Urals" was published in the "More of Our Canada" magazine in its March issue. Now the whole country knows about my home town of Ekaterinburg!

Я очень рада сообщить, что моя статья 'Столица Урала" опубликована в журнале "More of Our Canada" в мартовском выпуске. Теперь вся страна знает про мой родной город Екатеринбург!

The pictures of Russian winter

This huge, shallow ice bowl is called the Frog Pond, and it is built in every Russian ice town. I am not sure why, but the Frog Pond is the main attraction for children from three to five years old. They slide down to the center of the bowl and then try to climb out of it. In fact, it is very difficult task, because the walls of the pond are extremely slippery but it is fun thing to do and even more fun to watch. When I was a child, I spent hours in the frog ponds, climbing out and sliding down, laughing with other kids while my parents watched and took photos.

Photo by Sergei Chemezov.

Как зовут лошадей Деда Мороза?

У оленей Санта Клауса есть свои имена. А как зовут лошадей Деда Мороза?

1. Лошадь.
2. Декабрь, Январь и Февраль,
3. Только Дед Мороз знает,
4. Никак не зовут,
5. Мне бы ваши проблемы!

Ответы пишите в комментариях :-)