Faceted glass - history of the meaning of the faces. Eight interesting facts about the Soviet cut glass

It is quite difficult to find at least one family in the vastness of the former Soviet Union that does not keep a couple, or even more, of cut glasses in their kitchen cabinets. This piece of utensils is one of the symbols of that distant era. Nowadays, most people no longer use them, but throw it away. History of who invented it, when - all this information is covered in secrets and legends. In this article we will try to understand all this.

Legends about the origin of the cut glass

Many objects and things of Soviet times have a lot of legends about their origin. This did not go unnoticed by everyone. The history of its creation is shrouded in many legends. Here are just a few of them that are circulating around his appearance.

Everyone knows the name of monumentalist Vera Mukhina. This is the same master who designed the sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Woman”. So, according to one of the legends, she was the person who invented the cut glass. There is an opinion that her beloved husband helped her in this, who liked to drink a glass or two of alcoholic drink on long evenings.
Many are inclined to believe that the Soviet engineer Nikolai Slavyanov had a hand in the invention of the cut glass. He was a master of mining, then became a professor of geology. Among his friends and acquaintances, he is known for his discoveries in the field of arc welding and compaction of castings using electricity. It is to his merits that the high level of development of the metallurgical industry in Soviet times is attributed. Initially, Slavyanov proposed making a glass from metal, and the options contained sketches of products with 10, 20 and 30 sides. It was only later that Mukhina suggested producing such a glass in glass form.
Another legend explains where the cut glass came from. The history of its creation is connected with the times of Peter the Great. One Vladimir glassmaker, Efim Smolin, presented the Tsar with such a glass as a gift, with assurances that it was almost impossible to break. Peter drank wine from it and threw it to the ground, uttering the words: “There will be a glass.” But, unfortunately, the glass broke. However, the ruler did not show his anger. Since then, a tradition has emerged of breaking dishes during the feast.

Where did the word "glass" come from?

Not only the history of the cut glass is quite vague and contradictory, but the very name of the object has several opinions about its origin.

From historical information it is known that in the 17th century there were dishes that were made from ground small boards connected by rings; they were called “dostakans”. Many believe that this word is where the name of faceted glasses comes from.

According to another version, the word is of Turkic origin; in this language, words such as “dastarkhan”, meaning a festive table, and “tustygan” - a bowl, were in use. From the combination of these two words the name of the glass arose, which they began to use.

The history of cut glass in Russia begins in 1943, when the first representative of the army of glasses rolled off the assembly line of the glass factory in Gus-Khrustalny. Many believe that this form is not just the artist’s imagination, but a necessity.

It turns out that back in those distant times the first dishwashers appeared, which could perform their functions only when dishes of a certain shape and size were immersed in them. So we had to produce a glass with edges rather than round walls.

The emergence of a “foreigner” in Russia

According to historical information, in 1943, not the first representative of cut glasses rolled off the assembly line of the glass factory in Gus-Khrustalny, but an updated old one. The history of the faceted glass (16 sides) claims that it appeared a long time ago.

This piece of tableware was invented not in the USSR, but in Russia, in the 17th century. Proof of this are the exhibits stored in the Hermitage.

The antiquity of the origin of the glasses is confirmed by references in a special army doctrine, which was published by Paul I at the end of the 18th century. At that time, the monarch was trying to reform the army, which was far from full combat readiness, and ordered a faceted glass to limit the daily dose of wine that soldiers in the army were entitled to.

There is an opinion that the history of the cut glass is not connected with Russia at all. An excellent confirmation of this is the painting by Diego Velascas called “Breakfast”.

On the table you can also see a faceted glass, only the edges are not vertical, but slightly arched. If you look at the time the picture was painted, and this was in 1617-1618, then we can confidently say that the faceted glass and its history are not connected with Russia at all, but with foreign countries.

This fact is confirmed by the fact that the method of making glasses that was used in the USSR was invented only in 1820 - the pressing method. Production using this technology was launched already in the mid-19th century, and it came to Russia only in the 20th century.

What is the secret of the high strength of the glass?

Soviet faceted glasses not only had a comfortable shape and did not slip in the hand, but were also very durable. This was achieved by a decent wall thickness, as well as the use of special technologies.

The raw materials for making glass for faceted glasses were boiled at a high temperature in the range of 1400-1600 degrees, then the process of firing and cutting was carried out using special technologies. There was a period of time when lead, which is usually used in the production of crystal glassware, was added to the manufacturing mixture to increase strength.

Production of cut glasses

Glass factories began to produce glasses of different volumes and having different numbers of edges. The volume could vary from 50 ml to 250, and there were from 8 to 14 faces.

The classic history of a faceted glass is considered to be a product with a volume of 250 ml and having 10 sides. With its help, you can accurately measure the required amount of bulk and liquid products.

In the 80s, glass factories began to replace equipment with imported equipment, which led to the loss of the usual qualities of cut glass.

The glass, which until that time had been distinguished by its excellent strength, withstood temperature changes and falling from the table, began to crack on the sides. Some of them had their bottoms falling off. The culprit is considered to be a violation of manufacturing technology.

Characteristics of faceted glasses

Despite the fact that there is a lot of information about who invented the cut glass, the history and appearance in Russia are also contradictory, yet the characteristics remain the same. And they differ from those of other similar products.

The diameter of the uppermost part is from 7.2 to 7.3 cm.
The diameter of the bottom of the glass is 5.5 cm.
The height of the glass product is 10.5 centimeters.
The number of faces is most often 16 or 20.
There is a lip along the top of the glass, the width of which is from 1.4 to 2.1 cm.

All glasses of the Soviet era, produced at various glass factories, had such characteristics.

The advantage of faceted glass over other similar products

In the vastness of the former Soviet Union, faceted glass is widespread due to its advantages over its counterparts.

Does not roll off the table, for example, on a sea vessel during rolling and moving through the waves.
Its popularity in establishments is explained by its high durability.
Fans of drinking alcoholic beverages chose this item, as it made it easy to share a bottle between three people. If you pour the liquid up to the rim, then just a third of a half-liter bottle fits in one glass.
The glass remains intact when dropped from a decent height. This strength is explained precisely by the presence of edges that give this property to fragile glass.

Modern life of a cut glass

If in Soviet times a cut glass was an indispensable attribute of every kitchen, now it is not so easy to find such a piece of utensils. Everything can be explained by the fact that most glass factories have discontinued production of these products.

At the plant in Gus-Khrustalny, where, as the history of the faceted glass says, the first faceted glass was produced, they produce other glasses that are completely transparent, which cannot be said about the faceted glass. Representatives of the Soviet era are produced only to order.

Now for some, a cut glass is a reason to entertain the public and become famous themselves. In 2005, during the celebration of City Day in Izhevsk, a tall tower almost 2.5 meters high was built from faceted glasses. This construction required 2024 glasses. The idea belonged to one distillery.

Regardless of the history of cut glass in Russia, it has always been used not only for its intended purpose. Housewives of the old school sometimes found the most unexpected uses for it.

The most famous use is to use it to cut out blanks for dumplings and dumplings. If a larger diameter was required, then a large glass was taken, and if necessary, shot glasses were used. Despite the fact that there are now a lot of devices to facilitate this process, many housewives have not stopped using the old and reliable glass for this.
In the Soviet kitchen, a faceted glass was a universal measuring device. In old culinary publications, products for cooking were measured not in grams, but in glasses.
Quite unusual is the use of a faceted glass as a desiccant. He could often be seen standing between the double frames in winter. Salt was poured into the glass to prevent the windows from freezing. Nowadays, instead of wooden frames, our windows are increasingly decorated with plastic bags, so there is no place for a cut glass anymore.
Summer residents have gotten used to using faceted glasses to grow seedlings. They look more aesthetically pleasing and do not leave behind debris, unlike peat cups.
A glass can be used to demonstrate optical phenomena: if you pour water into it and place a teaspoon, it appears as if it is broken.

This is the use of glasses that was practiced in Soviet times, although some methods of use have been preserved even now, and no one wonders who invented the faceted glass. In modern kitchens, modern dishes flaunt on the shelves, which look more advantageous compared to a cut glass, but many housewives, if they have such a rarity in their pantries, are in no hurry to get rid of them.

Facts about the glass

There are some facts that are associated specifically with a faceted glass. Here are some of them:

The cost of such dishes depended on the number of sides. A glass with 10 sides cost 3 kopecks, and with 16 sides - 7 kopecks. The volume did not depend on the number of faces; it always remained the same - 250 ml.
The spread of drunkenness in Moldova is associated with a cut glass. Historical information makes it possible to find out that before the liberation of the country from the Nazis by Soviet soldiers, citizens drank from small 50 ml glasses, and the Russians brought with them capacious (250 ml) faceted glasses.
The Soviet faceted glass was popularly called “Malenkovsky”. Defense Minister Malenkov issued an order according to which the serviceman was given 200 ml of vodka. Although this rule did not last long, it was remembered by many.

Here are just a few facts that are inextricably linked with a cut glass.

Festival of the Faceted Glass

We looked in detail and remembered about the faceted glass (the story, how many faces), but it turns out that this piece of tableware has its own holiday.

It is celebrated every year on September 11th. This date was chosen for a reason; it was on this day that the glass factory in Gus-Khrustalny began mass production of these utensils. This holiday date is not considered official; rather, it is a folk holiday, so there are not very pleasant traditions associated with it.

A Russian person always doesn’t mind finding a reason to relax with a glass of alcoholic drink, but here, like a godsend, such a holiday, it’s simply a sin not to drink. Here's what you can expect from such a celebration.

Only vodka should be drunk from cut glasses; other alcoholic drinks are in no way associated with this glassware.
You should not drink alone, but always in company, because the expression “think for three” is associated with a cut glass.
One of the traditions of this holiday is breaking the “hero” of the celebration on the floor.
It would be nice to remember that tea, jelly, compote and water are excellent for drinking from cut glasses. Everyone remembers very well such glasses in cup holders in train cars.

We can say that we can put an equal sign between the concepts “cut glass” and “history of our country”. These two concepts are inextricably linked. I would really like to see a Nobel Prize given for such an invention, and not make it a permanent attribute of all feasts.

For us, who had the good fortune (?) to experience the Soviet regime alive and even (for some) to grow up under it, many everyday things that did not cause any special emotions then (and sometimes caused irritation) now, as we move away from the times of our wonderful childhood, are increasingly becoming a reason for nostalgia. Where have the vending machines with soda for 1 kopeck and three rubles with syrup gone? Who was interrupted? I want to drink cold soda in the summer! Gentlemen businessmen, ah!

Why were no epidemics caused by repeatedly licking a faceted glass, lightly rinsed with tap water? And I will explain to you, dear comrades! Because a faceted glass has the ability to accumulate cosmic life-giving power in its perfect forms! This power not only kills all germs without any disinfection, but also clearly contributes to spiritual elevation and even, at times, (for a select few) epiphany when drinking from it uplifting special epiphany drinks.

Remember for yourself what you want to talk about while drinking a national visionary from some Chinese glass, or, God forbid, a nasty plastic disposable cup? That's right, about football, fishing, women and cars. That is, about low-lying, everyday and mundane objects.

And only launched into the body from the correct space device, popularly called the Faceted Glass (hereinafter - GS), the seer leads the recipient to think about the sublime: about respect for the individual, about the meaning/meaninglessness of human existence, about the people's welfare and other otherworldly things, in everyday life not encountered.

When the Cosmic Significance of the GE for Russian consciousness in general and the philosophical understanding of our reality in particular was suddenly revealed to me, I could not remain indifferent. The deplorable state of spirituality of our people is the result of the disappearance of the GE from everyday life! It is necessary to save at least the little that remains! And as a result of almost archaeological excavations in attics, closets and even underground, this collection gradually began to be collected. Unexpectedly, it turned out that I am not the only one concerned about the fate of the Russian consciousness of the Faceted Glass: http://periskop.livejournal.com/777120.html#cutid1

Therefore, I decided to present to the public several exhibits from my collection with a brief history of each find.

Glass Faceted “Lipped” type GS-14.

It has a capacity of 250 grams (to the top) or 200 (to the “lip”). Please note that only REAL three 250 gram containers can accurately pour 500 grams of drink! Try the same experiment with mugs or other utensils. No way! Here is proof of the Cosmic nature of the native GE - only with its help can 500 be divided by 3 without a remainder.

This photo shows a sample of a 14-sided GS produced no later than the 50s. This magnificent example was found in the attic of a dilapidated country house, wrapped in newspaper from 1958. This allowed us to make a rough estimate of the age of the find. After restoration, the rarity is regularly used for its intended purpose. Due to its versatility, it is very helpful in finding inspiration. In particular, he unexpectedly inspired me to build a new country toilet.

Glass Faceted “Lipped” type GS-20

The capacity of this miracle is no different from the usual GS-14. The same classic 200/250. But a miracle is a miracle.

This wonderful piece was found on a shelf in an old village barn. The time of creation of the GS-20 space device is lost in the darkness of years. But the location of the find undoubtedly proves that fine-cut GS can also be used in agriculture, for example, for milk yield and weight gain! However, the experiment on using this device was a great success on humans. GS-20 remarkably liberates the inner world and frees the consciousness to fly into space and facilitates the painless return of departed spiritual property back in the morning.

Glass “small” type MGS-16

This is the “little brother” of the classic “big-lipped” GS. Used mainly by women as measuring utensils and for drinking large quantities of drinks using the “Oh, I don’t drink at all! I’m just a little bit down!”

Helps women become at least a little closer to men. If not biologically, then at least intellectually. A favorite container for mothers-in-law and cousins from the provinces.

Faceted festive stack SGP-14

Of course, the classic GS is universal and comprehensive, but if you decide to visit space in the company of other cosmonauts, drunkards, and intellectuals, then the costs of travel increase sharply!

For such cases of group travel, a story was invented about the “indecency” of using it in society from the classical HS, and the “decent” SGP-14 with a capacity of 100 grams was invented as a fig leaf.

At a reasonable travel speed, SGP-14 allows, on the one hand, to maintain decency and, on the other hand, to travel to nirvana in economy class.

Faceted microscopic glass RGM-12

It is used only in exceptional cases for drinking drinks that have an astronomical price or a fantastically vile taste. RGM-12, like its older brothers, greatly enhances the positive effect of conditionally beneficial (or supposedly healing) substances placed inside, and therefore enjoys great success among heart patients, hypertensive patients and other sufferers. In fact, it is not their disgusting drugs that help the sufferers, but the flow of cosmic life-giving power, sparkling in the facets of this masterpiece.

Please note that native St. Petersburg old women prefer to drip their Valocordin into RGM-12. They know the true power of cosmic edges.

Finally, a group photo:

Somewhat apart from the GS there is such a phenomenon as Thin Glass (TC) and its integral part and second essence Cup holder (PS).

The creation of the aesthetes of the Silver Age was so loved by the common people and their executioner leaders that even after the liquidation of the Silver Age along with its creators, the TS+PS tandem did not disappear, but took an honorable place in Soviet life.

I also like to drink tea from a thin transparent glass with a cup holder. The taste of the drink, pleasing the eye with a golden lemon floating in the waves of real tea not from a newspaper bag, but from a pot-bellied teapot with a red flower on the side, becomes beautiful to the point of uniqueness. No, even the most elegant porcelain (faience, iron, plastic and other) dishes will give the eye the aesthetic pleasure that we have when we hold this beautiful masterpiece of domestic artistic (and technical) thought in our hands.

The high artistic (not to mention the taste!) advantages of drinking tea from TS+PS are especially clearly revealed when using a real wood-burning samovar. But the Samovar deserves a separate post and I only touched on its topic here with this photo.

So, gentlemen! I urge you to support Russian consciousness in general and its embodiment - the Faceted Glass in particular! Without the production and implementation of which on a large scale, the revival of our original spirituality and moral purity, immanently inherent in the Russian people, is impossible.

Amen!

The first cut glass made of thick glass was presented to Peter the Great by Vladimir glassmaker Efim Smolin, assuring the Tsar that it would not break. The Emperor, having drunk the intoxicating drink, immediately threw the cup to the ground with the words: “Let’s have a glass!” It broke into small fragments. However, the royal anger did not follow, and popular rumor later interpreted his call differently - “Break the glasses.” Since then, the tradition of breaking glassware during the feast began.

The origin of the word itself is not clearly determined. In the 17th century, a glass was called a dostan because it was made from planks ground together. It is since then that the rim on top of modern faceted glasses has been preserved - in the past, a ring connecting wooden segments. According to other versions, the word glass is borrowed from the Turkic “tustygan” - bowl or “dastarkhan” - festive table.

It is believed that the design of the faceted glass known to us for the working class was developed by the author of the famous monument at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, Vera Mukhina, in 1943 in besieged Leningrad, where she headed the Art Glass Workshop. There was no thought then about majestic monuments in the besieged city. The master of Soviet monumentalism switched to simple forms. Mukhina’s authorship has not been documented, but this is exactly what her colleagues are talking about. They say that Vera Ignatievna “invented” it together with the artist Kazimir Malevich, the author of the famous “Black Square”. According to another version, the unique form was suggested to her by her husband, who liked to have a drink or two after work. Both are quite possible.

According to another version, the developer of the faceted glass was the Soviet mining engineer, later professor of geology, Nikolai Slavyanov. Thanks to this man, metallurgy in the Soviet Union reached previously unprecedented heights. His diaries contain sketches of glasses with 10, 20 and 30 sides, although he suggested making a glass from metal. Probably, Vera Mukhina, who knew the scientist, could have seen them, and then suggested making a “drinking cup” out of glass.

According to the glass factory museum, Mukhina did not bring anything new to the faceted glass. The release of ribbed glasses instead of round ones was being prepared even before the war, when our engineers invented a dishwasher that could replace human hands only when washing devices of certain shapes and dimensions, and granchak was ideal.

It is the Mukhina glass that is launched into mass production, and it wins popular love. The vessel with 14 sides fit into the proletarian five and turned out to be quite durable due to the “decent” thickness and some peculiarities of glass preparation. The raw materials were cooked at a temperature of 1400-1600 degrees, fired twice and cut using a special technology.

After the war, glasses began to be churned out at many glass factories in the USSR at a rate of 5-6 hundred million per year, based on a couple of pieces per person. Faceted glasses were in every apartment, in canteens, military units, prisons, hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. They accompanied Soviet people on trains and waited in street soda fountains.

The glasses were different in volume - 250, 200, 100 and 50 grams, and the number of sides varied from 8 to 14. But the classic one is a ten-sided glass with thick walls and a belt on top, with a volume of 250 grams. Many people liked cut glasses, but they began to enjoy special love after the sale of vodka by the glass was banned in tents during Khrushchev’s times, and “chekushki” (250 g) and “bastards” (125 g) disappeared from stores.

As a result, a ritual arose of drinking a half-liter bottle of vodka “for three”, “seven torn” (rubles) and with the search for a “third”, who, after being accepted into the company, was approached with the obligatory question: “Isn’t there a glass?”

The glass was ideal for measuring the volume of liquid and bulk products and calculating their mass (if you pour liquid into a glass up to the rim, you get exactly 200 milliliters, with the rim - 250). Faceted was adopted by grandmothers selling seeds and other bulk goods. By the way, the price of the container was affordable - only 3 kopecks. Later, a glass began to cost 7 kopecks.

Faceted glasses were surprisingly durable: the raw materials were boiled at a temperature of 1400-1600 degrees, fired twice and cut using a special technology. Lead, which is used in crystal compositions, was added to the mixture for strength.

The era of the cut glass lasted for decades. And today his popularity is great. Because this subject is multifaceted. In 2003, a kind of record was set in St. Petersburg - a pyramid of two thousand faceted glasses one and a half meters high was built in the Baltic House theater. This achievement was included in the St. Petersburg Book of Records.

Today, glasses continue to be produced only at the glass factory in Gus-Khrustalny, where the first Soviet granchak rolled off the assembly line in 1943. In Moscow now you can buy a plastic cup on every corner, but a classic faceted cup is hard to find in stores. But nevertheless, the shape of the faceted glass itself is very popular, and some of its forms are classic and are served with certain alcoholic drinks.

When a Russian person has something to drink and has a desire to do it, but there is no official reason, he often remembers the Day of the Cut Glass and celebrates it at any time of the year. However, this day really exists. It happens, as expected, once a year and falls on September 11th. When did the faceted glass appear, why is it called faceted and for what reason did it become so popular? Its history is entertaining and at the same time simple; many traditions and expressions that have come into use are associated with it. But there are also many blank spots in it, to which it is unlikely that an answer will ever be found.

Simple as 3 kopecks

Despite the fact that many associate this expression with satin family panties, its history is connected specifically with a cut glass. The number of sides it had varied, and the price directly depended on this. The most expensive, called “luxury”, had 20 facets and cost the most in this series - as much as 14 kopecks. A simpler version, with 16 side planes, was sold for 7 kopecks. And the simplest type of faceted glass, about 10 sides, cost those same 3 kopecks. During Khrushchev's times, prices approximately doubled.

The established stereotype that “granchak”, as it was often called, is an invention of the Soviet period, is not entirely correct. For example, it is represented in a painting by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, dated 1918, entitled “Morning Still Life.” The immortalized specimen has 12 sides. It became a classic of Soviet times much later.

And not so Russian

Another painting - “Breakfast”, painted by the Spanish painter Diego Velazquez - speaks in favor of the fact that the history of granchak did not begin in Russia. The appearance of the edges differs from the vertical ones we are used to, but the idea is clearly visible. The canvas is dated 1617-1618. By the way, the glass pressing method used in the production of these containers was invented in the USA in the 19th century, but in Russia this technology was mastered 100 years later.

When did the cut glass appear?

Now no one will answer this question accurately, only one thing is obvious - it appeared in Rus' before they began to mention it as a household item worthy of special attention. Its predecessors were blown in our area back in the 17th century, as evidenced by a number of samples exhibited in the Hermitage. The legend, which is unlikely to be supported by documentary evidence, says that Peter I was presented with a granchak by the Vladimir glassblower Smolin with assurances about the unusual strength of such a vessel.

The monarch liked the idea, if only because he was just introducing fashionable glass to replace the antediluvian wooden mugs. The second undoubted advantage was that the wide edges did not allow the vessel to roll on the table, which was important for shipbuilders. Is this where the word “settle down” comes from?

The autocrat drank from the gift and immediately did not fail to test its strength by slamming it on the floor. The fact that the vessel shattered into small fragments did not anger the king at all, and he loudly exclaimed “There will be glasses!”, thereby giving the green light to their mass production. The closest circle, however, heard the phrase as “break the glasses!” and, if history is to be believed, it was from here that the custom of breaking glassware for good luck originated. There are, however, great doubts about this, since the custom of breaking dishes has existed since ancient times among many peoples, and by that time a lot of them had already been broken for various reasons.

Second Life

After Peter the Great's incident, traces of granchak were again lost in history, although evidence that it had not fallen out of use appeared regularly. The reincarnation of the glass in the Soviet era is firmly connected with the name of Vera Mukhina, to whom many sources credit the authorship. Of course, there is no question of the authorship of the idea itself, but a woman sculptor who received the Stalin Prize for “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” could participate in the modernization project. It is known that she was an innovator not only in the field of monumental sculpture, but also in work with glass, graphic design and certain trends in clothing. And on the memorable date of September 11, 1943, an updated version of the glass rolled off the assembly line of the famous glass factory in Gus-Khrustalny, which became a symbol of its era. A little strange date, given the military events of that time, but the fact remains a fact.

The need for a new development was caused by the beginning of the use in the late 30s of the first industrial dishwashers imported into the USSR, and which glassware broke mercilessly. It was necessary to come up with a vessel with increased strength indicators.

The main difference of the “Mukhinsky” glass was the smooth rim in the upper edge, popularly called the “Maruskin belt”. It was more convenient to drink from such dishes, it was ideally suited to dishwasher standards, and had higher durability. Despite the fact that foreign technology did not catch on and its supplies were stopped, the development turned out to be extremely successful and had a long and happy life.

How many types of cut glass are there?

It would be more correct to say that it existed, and there were many options. Why the glass is called faceted is obvious - its outer surface has flat edges, the number of which was almost always even and at different times varied from 10 to 20. There was a precedent with 17 edges, but their oddness created certain difficulties in the technological process, and they were quickly replaced with optimal ones 16. The strength of the dishes was ensured not only by the thickness of the glass, but also by the shape and double firing at temperatures of 1400-1600C. At first, lead was added to the composition of glass for special strength, which was later considered unreasonable on all sides. The types of faceted glasses also differed in volume. They were produced in different sizes, from 50 ml to 350 ml, but according to the same standards.

What did you do with it?

On the territory of the USSR, it firmly entered the life of a Soviet citizen and was indispensable in many areas. They did a lot with his help.

Sculpted

The diameter of the upper rim was ideal for cutting out dough pieces for dumplings, dumplings and various flatbreads. For dumplings we took a large granchak of 200-250 ml, for dumplings - its small analogue of 100-150 ml (stoparik, named after its capacity). Many housewives still prefer this method today, despite the fact that household departments offer a lot of more convenient devices for making dumplings and dumplings.

Measured out

To this day, seeing the designation “glass” in the recipe, experienced housewives know that granchak is the measure of accuracy in this regard. Those who do not have it select a volume measure that corresponds to it and save it precisely for these purposes. A large glass filled to the smooth rim holds 200 ml, and 250 ml to the very top. In the most famous cookbook of the USSR, “about tasty and healthy food,” the volume measure, instead of grams and milligrams, is indicated in glasses for everything that can somehow be measured by capacity.

Air dried

Before the invention of plastic double-glazed windows, in many windows one could see a faceted glass filled with salt standing between the frames. This was a genius lifehack to prevent your windows from fogging up and icing up.

Planted seedlings

Since the price of this dish was a pittance, and paper and peat cups had not yet been invented, seedlings were often grown in glasses on window sills. It was practical, convenient (you can see how the substrate dries out) and neat. In addition, many have noticed that seedlings in such a container grow faster and stronger, despite the absence of a drainage hole. The ability of a vessel to structure its contents was discussed later.

Thinking for three

The famous alcoholic phrase of stagnant times owes its appearance to the same border. When small bottles of vodka, bastards and chekushki, convenient for individual drinking, disappeared from Soviet retail outlets, the male population was forced to unite in threes, because it was convenient for three to drink a standard half-liter bottle. It turned out to be 167 grams, which was “just right” for one person. To accurately divide the contents, it was customary to use a faceted glass, since it could always be easily found in street soda fountains (by the way, even drunkards had a good habit of returning the container to its place). The bottle did not fit into two glasses, but divided into three glasses perfectly. They poured it under the Maruska belt, and this excluded any injustice during the division.

Care of a cut glass

He left along with his era, and not because no one needed him, but because of changes in technology and the transfer of enterprises to new economic lines. The replacement of old equipment with new world analogues played a cruel joke on it, violating the manufacturing technology. The use of "stressed glass" that resulted from these violations resulted in glasses exploding en masse for no apparent reason. The famous film magazine “Fitil” even released a story about this called “Don’t touch it with your hands!”, but glasses of that time flew apart without any contact with hands. They could explode with poured hot tea or just cold water, or they could crash into tiny fragments around the room, having previously stood quietly on the table completely empty. The reason turned out to be simple and it consisted in new purchased equipment that did not correspond to the old technology. It was improved, but the previous confidence in the product never returned. In addition, this was the time when foreign goods poured into the country, for which our glass factories soon began to work. In particular, the enterprise in Gus-Khrustalny enthusiastically switched to producing more in-demand products for IKEA.

Today, cut glass in our country is an exotic item that glass factories produce only on special order.

Why is the glass called faceted?