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Samovar Teaset Is Missing... Trivia Quiz

My Russian friend, Irina, recently gave me a gift of a beautifully decorated samovar. This inspired me to write this quiz about the samovar, Russian tea-drinking and other aspects of Russian culture.

A multiple-choice quiz by momonaco. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
momonaco

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
366,159

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
258

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: workisboring (2/10), ramses22 (8/10), Kankurette (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What does the Russian word 'samovar' mean? Hint

Self-boiler

Teapot

Tea-kettle

Hotpot

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which city in Russia is the main manufacturing centre for samovars, and has two samovar museums? Hint

Riga

Tula

Moscow

Sochi

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. In which of Tolstoy's works is there much gossip about the heroine and her lover Count Vronsky at a society afternoon tea party around a samovar? Hint

Anna Karenina

The Cherry Orchard

War and Peace

Crime and Punishment

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Question 4 of 10

4. Now that I am interested in samovars, I would like to see some Russian paintings featuring them. If I am in Moscow, which Russian art gallery would I be able to visit? Hint

The Prado

The Museum of Russian Folk Art

The Hermitage

The Tretyakov Gallery

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Instead of sugar, Russians often use something else to sweeten their tea. What is it? Hint

Molasses

Cinammon

Slices of fruit

Jam

6. A piece of cake would be the ideal thing to have with my tea. My friend, Irina, has told me about a Russian gingerbread that also comes from the same city as the samovars. What is it called? Hint

Pryanik

Tort

Battenburg

Moscow slice

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. I've had enough tea for the moment, but I'm feeling thirsty so I would like to try another national drink of Russia that is very much like beer. What is it called? Hint

Vodka

Pivo

Barley wine

Kvas or kvass

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. I have nearly completed my trip to Russia and would like to take home some typical souvenirs that might look well with a samovar. The first souvenir I would like to buy is a painted metal tray. Where are the most famous ones still made? Hint

Suzdal

Zhostovo

Bogdanovich

Rostov on Don

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Question 9 of 10

9. A souvenir that would go well with my samovar is a set of Russian tea glasses. These would look lovely on my flower-painted tray. But what is the Russian word for a metal tea glass holder? (Hint: the Russian word for a 'glass' is 'stakan'.) Hint

Podstakannik

Chainik

Chashka

Kubok

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Another souvenir I would like to buy is a set of Russian nested dolls. What are these called in Russian? Hint

Matryoshka dolls

Baba Yaga dolls

Petrushka dolls

Kalinskaya dolls

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 23 2024 : workisboring: 2/10
Oct 23 2024 : ramses22: 8/10
Oct 23 2024 : Kankurette: 7/10
Oct 23 2024 : Buddy1: 10/10
Oct 23 2024 : 1995Tarpon: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What does the Russian word 'samovar' mean?

Answer: Self-boiler

The name is derived from the Russian words 'samo' meaning 'self' and 'varit' meaning 'to boil'. A samovar is a decorative tea urn with a tap at the bottom so that you can serve your guests with tea while the samovar keeps the water boiling.

2. Which city in Russia is the main manufacturing centre for samovars, and has two samovar museums?

Answer: Tula

The main Tula samovar museum opened in 1990 and contains a huge collection of samovars. Among its most interesting exhibits are five tiny samovars presented in 1909 to the children of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, by the Batashev Samovar Factory. There is also a samovar museum at a hotel just outside Tula.

3. In which of Tolstoy's works is there much gossip about the heroine and her lover Count Vronsky at a society afternoon tea party around a samovar?

Answer: Anna Karenina

In the novel `Anna Karenina` the tea party in question takes place at the home of Betsy Tverskaya, a friend of Anna who is the hostess presiding next to the samovar to serve the tea.

4. Now that I am interested in samovars, I would like to see some Russian paintings featuring them. If I am in Moscow, which Russian art gallery would I be able to visit?

Answer: The Tretyakov Gallery

The Tretyakov Gallery contains, for example, a 1926 painting entitled 'The Samovar' by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin. The Prado is an art gallery in Madrid, Spain. The Hermitage is an art gallery in St Petersburg and I made up the Museum of Russian Folk Art.

5. Instead of sugar, Russians often use something else to sweeten their tea. What is it?

Answer: Jam

Russians very often drink tea with jam (varenie). The best kind of jam to use has whole berries in a thick syrup.

6. A piece of cake would be the ideal thing to have with my tea. My friend, Irina, has told me about a Russian gingerbread that also comes from the same city as the samovars. What is it called?

Answer: Pryanik

Pryanik is a famous type of gingerbread cake made in Tula and filled with a layer of jam or condensed milk. These cakes are usually rectangular or round in shape and are very often imprinted with a design of the coat of arms of the city of Tula. You need a sharp knife to cut your 'pryanik' and several people to eat it as they are generally quite large cakes.

7. I've had enough tea for the moment, but I'm feeling thirsty so I would like to try another national drink of Russia that is very much like beer. What is it called?

Answer: Kvas or kvass

Kvas is a slightly fizzy drink that is best drunk chilled. It is made from fermented bread and is similar to beer but has a low alcohol content. Its origins go back fifty centuries.

Answer: Zhostovo

Zhostovo is a village near Moscow renowned for a factory which produces high quality beautifully hand-painted metal trays. The designs are often of fruit and flowers on a black background, although some of the Zhostovo artists specialise in atmospheric scenes of troikas dashing through snowy Russian landscapes.

Answer: Podstakannik

In Russian, 'podstakannik' means literally 'thing under the glass'; 'chashka' is a cup, 'chainik' is a teapot and 'kubok' is a beaker or tumbler.

10. Another souvenir I would like to buy is a set of Russian nested dolls. What are these called in Russian?

Answer: Matryoshka dolls

Yes, of course, I remember now that they are called "matryoshka" dolls. It means "little matron". Many of the dolls are made in a factory at Semyonov near Nizhny Novgorod. As well as the traditional type of matryoshka dolls, you can also buy sets of nested politician dolls such as Gorbachev and Krushchev - but I think I prefer the traditional ones.

Source: Author momonaco

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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