Cut Glass Day

Enthusiasts celebrate an interesting holiday, “Cut Glass Day,” on September 11th The first example of this Soviet-era symbol was produced in 1943 at a glass factory in the city of Gus-Khrustalny The authorship of the project secretly belongs to Vera Mukhina, who gained fame thanks to her other work in the spirit of socialist realism - the monument “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” The order for catering from the Soviet government was not easy The developed dishwashers required a special shape and strength The appearance with a round smooth rim and special glass melting at temperatures above 1400 degrees together endowed the resulting sample with ideal parameters Strength, which is unusual for glassware, is another reason to be proud of the Russian glass industry It was almost impossible to break it, even by dropping it on the concrete floor The simple and clear geometric shape (the standard is 16 faces in honor of the number of union republics) evokes respect even among modern experts and specialists The glass, although not of the same appearance as people used to see it, appeared as an independent utensil in the 18th century The faceted shape was developed by a talented craftsman for Peter the Great - the glass withstood falls during the rolling of the ship, sometimes without even rolling off the table due to the edges And the prototype was wooden glasses - “made” from wooden planks With the development of glass and crystal production in the Russian Empire, cut glass models began to be produced, which gained popularity among the people - “Maltsov” glasses named after the manufacturer S Maltsov, who established their large-scale production in the second half of the 19th century This is exactly the glass depicted in the famous “Morning Still Life” by Petrov-Vodkin This day coincides with the holiday of sobriety, and their unity in the date of September 11 is simply an accident But it is no coincidence that drinking alcoholic beverages for no reason, which is also jokingly called “The Day of the Cut Glass” This phenomenon has been known since Soviet times, when drinking alcohol became commonplace Today in Russia every year there are fewer people who want to poison themselves with alcohol, especially vodka, half a liter of which until recently was successfully poured into such glasses To celebrate this holiday in an unclouded mind by pouring lemonade or another non-alcoholic drink into a glass is to pay tribute to the bygone Soviet era Interesting exhibitions of works of art, photographs and household items will introduce those interested to the history of the development of the glass industry in general, the production of glasses and other cut glassware in particular You can think about soda fountains or hot tea in cup holders, but not alcohol, while choosing a healthier future for yourself and your children