Happy birthday vodka! Happy birhday the first russian museum Kunstkamera!
The 31st of January is the official birthday of Russian vodka! Of course, we had this beverage before but on the 31st of January in the year 1865 our famous scientist Dmitry Mendeleev defended his thesis. It was on compound of water and spirit. So he calculated the perfect proportion of spirit and water in vodka and we started to have certain standard for vodka. Of course, I won’t tell you our national secret here)). You have to come and try yourself. Mendeleev by the way was a really interesting person. That was him who saw invented Periodic table of elements after he saw it in his dream.
In Saint-Petersburg we respect our traditions. We have a nice museum of vodka here and several restaurants dedicated to the culture, stories and traditions of drinking vodka. We even have a secret room for vodka drinking in one of the restaurants. I also deliver special vodka tours!
One more birthday today!
On this very day 306 years ago the very first Russian museum was established – Kunstkamera or Kunstkammer which comes from German “Art chamber”! Peter the Great put there strange and interesting things. Actually the chamber of rarities. For example, two headed babies or animals.
There is a story that one of his lovers was unfaithful – he cut her head and put it into the jar and put on display in this museum. Peter the Great was 2 meters 4 centimeters (669,29 ft). In Europe Peter met a French man Nikola Bourgeois who was even taller – 2 meters 27 centimeters (744,75ft). The giant became his servant. Then Peter found a very tall woman – taller than Bourgeois, for Bourgeois to get married and deliver gigantic babies. The spouses didn’t have any babies. In 1724 Bourgeois died, Peter ordered to put his skeleton in the museum. Later, in the middle of the 18th century, the skull was gone and they put a smaller skull on the big skeleton. They didn't have one which would fit the sceleton. Looks funny.
Peter the Great bought Alberus Seba’s and Frederik Ruysch collections. Strange one eyed or 3 handed babies in jars are decorated with lace not to shock people. Of course people were shocked. Peter wanted Russians to get educated, to come and see the curiosities of the world and nature. Russians thought that it was connected with devil and were afraid to come. Peter decided that everyone who comes gets vodka and snacks for free. Anyway people didn't want to come, even for the sake of vodka. I don't know how it comes but now Kunskammer is popular amongst russians, though they don't offer vodka anymore.
By the way Peter u
Also Peter used vodka as a punishment. If his guests didn’t obey he made them drink 1,25 liter of vodka at a time. Some people got ill after that, some of them died.
Peter the Great himself never drank too much. One liter of alcohol maximum per day. We should remember how tall he was so it was not too much for him.
Ok, let's celebrate!
What should we say when drinking? "Vashe zdorovie!" Which means - To your good health! It is like I'm drinking for you health. Here in Russia we drink vodka for the better health!
We have a lot superstitions connected with drinking vodka. For example, you shouldn't put the glass on a table until it is finished. It shouldn't be long pause between the first and the second glass. Vashe zdorovie!