Russia Podstakanniks appeared in Russian tea culture in the late 18th century, when drinking tea became common in Russia. Very soon they became not just practical
utensils, but also works of art, just like
samovars that were used for boiling water. Expensive
podstakanniks for the rich and the elite were made of
silver; however, they were not very practical, since they would get quite hot very quickly due to the high
thermal conductivity of silver. By the 20th century,
podstakanniks became very widespread. They were found extremely useful on
railroads, as tea was served in moving carriages that were shaking. A bare glass was more likely to fall, scalding people with hot tea. The Russian railroads still use the podstakannik extensively in sleeper carriages.
Poland In
Polish, a tea glass holder is similarly known as
podstakannik or
podstakanka, but also as
koszyczek or
koszyk do szklanki (literally "little basket for the glass"). They have been used in
Poland since the times of
Art Nouveau, but became even more popular there and in other Eastern European countries after
World War I. During the
interwar period, podstakanniks were produced in the
Second Polish Republic on an industrial scale. At first they were popular mostly in middle-class households (particularly in
Warsaw,
Greater Poland, and
Pomerania), but gradually became more widespread among other sectors of society and had become ubiquitous by the time of the
Polish People's Republic. The
koszyczki were seen as an opportunity to show off the decorative skills and good taste of the family in front of guests. By the 1990s and following Poland's transition into a
market economy,
podstakanki started being replaced by
East German and Western
mugs. They have since become fairly uncommon, but are still perceived as a traditional element of Polish
applied arts and the old way of serving tea or coffee. == Production ==