Historical Treasures

Serving up one of Russia’s most popular beverages St Petersburg, Russia, 1887-96

A Russian tea service

Some of the world’s earliest known use of tea service sets dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), with the teapot apparently invented sometime around the Song Dynasty (960-1279). In Europe, they became popular following the arrival of tea in the 17th century. Porcelain tea bowls were imported from China, with handles eventually added during the 18th century.

The House of Fabergé, which famously created elaborate Easter eggs for the ill-fated Romanov royal family, produced this particular tea service shown below. It’s often stated that the Cossacks were the first to encounter tea during the 16th century before Mongolian ruler Khan Altyn offered it to Vassily Starkoff, the Russian envoy at his court, as a gift for

Tsar Michael I in 1638. However, Starkoff was reportedly unimpressed when he tried the tea and he rejected the gift. Instead, it’s possible that tea became available in Russia when trade with China was opened up, for example when the Treaty of Nerchinsk was signed by Peter the Great in 1689.

Just as in many Asian countries, Russia initially adopted tea as a medicine until the European trend of tea drinking made its way over. Soon enough, drinking tea sweetened with sugar became popular among the Russian aristocracy as a way to demonstrate their wealth. By the end of the 18th century the beverage was served in tea sets inspired by the ones used in

Europe. As tea was an expensive commodity, it was not until the mid-19th century that tea drinking grew popular among the masses in Imperial Russia.

Unlike in Europe, the Russians preferred to consume tea at home rather than in coffeehouses or other public venues. In the mid18th century, samovars – metal urns for boiling water – became an indispensable part of any Russian home, placed at the centre of the table when it was time for tea. Today, tea is an integral part of Russian life, with tea ceremonies that can last for hours. Less formal than it sounds, family and friends gather together for the ceremony to enjoy conversation over cups of tea and a variety of sweet and savoury food.