From: alexander koryagin <koryagin@erec.ru>

Hi, Paul Quinn!
I read your message from 15.04.2014 19:25

  ak>> So, in Russia, a gentleman's set for drinking tea consists of a
  ak>> glass, a teaspoon and a saucer.

  PQ> I have seen this 'ritual', in at least one film. The use of a glass
  PQ> cup, replete with handle, is a point of interest. Alexander, why is
  PQ> glass used in lieu of similar 'china' to match the saucer?

Do Russians like flowers on china saucers? ;-)

In Russia we also produce china caps. Such a cap always has a handle. So 
it is more difficult to produce it. In hard time, especially after WW2 
when all utensils were broken  glasses and saucers (and tea spoons) 
became the main mean for tea drinking.

It must be said that there also was another tea set. It consisted of a 
glass (with a teaspoon) and a special metal glass holder (podstakannik 
in Russian). It has been widely used in trains, canteens etc. A waiter 
takes a tea tray, puts glasses on it, in glass holders, and carries it 
along the train, canteen etc. As you can see if they would use glasses 
with saucers they could carry much less glasses per one tray.

Bye, Paul!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.english-tutor 2014
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