The photos's description said, "This photograph is from an album of 47 views of convicts and structures at the Akatuy Prison, one of the main centers where political prisoners were held in the Russian Empire during the late-tsarist period. The album belonged to Isaiah Aronovich Shinkman, a physician and member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, who was incarcerated at Akatuy from 1906 to 1911. The prison was located at the Akatuy silver mine in Nerchinsk okrug (district) in the Transbaikal Territory of Siberia."
I'm rather surprised that these prisoners got to drink tea, but nobody looks particularly happy in this photo, do they? I much prefer happy teatimes among friends who want to be there, but I must say I found this photo intriguing. I hope you do too!
Wow, what a great photo--thanks very much for showing it to us, Angela! I've been interested in Russian history since my college days, so this photo means a lot to me. Those guys sure look like Russian revolutionaries! Russians have been big tea-drinkers for centuries, so I'm not surprised that these prisoners were given tea. It looks like they probably prepared it themselves, as you can see a metal tea caddy as well as a possibly cardbord box that had tea in it, too. And there's the teapot sitting on a metal pitcher of hot water. And take note of the glass of tea sitting in the metal glass-holder (called a podstakanik in Russian) that the gentleman on the right has. (I have fond memories of being served hot tea in glasses and holders like these on Russian trains long ago.) These prisoners must have had only one holder between them, as the man on the left has to hold his glass of hot tea in a saucer. (If you look on the Etsy website and search for "Russian tea glass holder," you can see lots of different vintage ones offered for sale.)
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for all the info, Vernona! I once had one of these glasses (I think) that was a gift from a friend. Haven't seen it in ages, so not sure what happened to it! https://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/2008/02/favorite-things-russian-tea-glass_7121.html
DeleteThanks for your link with the photo of your Russian tea-glass and holder! It looks like a very nice one, problably older and more solid than the ones they make now.
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