Here at the International Russophile Movement we want to increase our activity and have every national chapter in the organization hold at least one event every six months. But then the question is what could this event be? How can one celebrate Russian culture especially when they are far away? Well, over the next few months we will be trying to present ideas on our site as to how you can express your passion for Russia in event form.
The simplest option to celebrate Russia
Tea, or Chai (Чай) is quite frankly a large part of Russian culture and has been for countless generations. From the powerful elites close to the Tsars, to the average Soviet factory worker, to today’s tech savvy Muscovite, all these Russians throughout history have been drinking tea regularly their whole lives.
In summer, everyone drinks tea in big quantities at their dacha to converse under the warm sun. But in winter, and especially close to Maslenitsa, Russians use tea as a way to warm up while having fun outside in the cold. The key thing to understand is that it is not about the tea itself but about the opportunity to converse and share ideas with friends and relatives and even with strangers who happen to be around.
If you were to have an official Russian tea time, you could use it as an opportunity to discuss Russian history, culture, current politics, and its possible future; because this is exactly what Russians themselves do once the tea starts flowing. Russian culture is inherently anti “small talk”. One should never be afraid to embrace big, daring, and thought provoking topics to discuss. As I have said many times even the poorest man down on his luck in Russia has bigger ideas in his head than most EU politicians.
The ultimate tea time equipment – the samovar (самовар)
Of course a wood-burning (or electric) samovar (a giant tea pot) is truly the most Russian way to drink tea, but obviously this rare item may not be available where you live. But if you can somehow heat tea over a real fire it adds that something extra to the flavor and to the event. If you are planning to visit Russia ordering a modern samovar is very easy as they can be found on Ozon, Wildberries and Yandex Market which are all Amazon-like online marketplaces. If you were to take a ride on an inter-state Russian train you would probably see the ubiquitous samovar sitting proudly near the stewardess’s quarters of each car. This was the case even in the Soviet times, Russians have to have that tea 24/7!
And on the side?
Tea in Russia is usually black, but can be mixed with local herbs (Ivan Chai, Иван чай), but it always goes good with various jams. Jam is essentially fruit boiled with sugar, so making jam on your own is certainly not too difficult. Apple, strawberry, plum or something even more exotic could work just fine. The types of jams in Russia is seemingly endless so anything is on the table so to speak.
Very often tea in Russia is served with Baranki (Баранки) or Sushki (Сушки, pronounced soosh-key) which are pretzel like treats made from dough. They are extremely easy to bake and not much of a monetary investment either. Since you may already have Russian jam on the table why not fry up a big stack of bliny as well? These are also cheap and easy to cook, here is a recipe for you to try.
Drink Up and Philosophize!
Although portraits of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Ivan IV make Russians look to be eternally brooding, they actually love life and the excuse for conversation that tea provides. If you do some kind of Russian tea party, remember to photograph it or take videos and send the links to us!