On October 10, 2017, Ustim Genrikhovich Shteiman, a man who stood at the origins of the development of the tea-growing industry in the Krasnodar Territory, passed away. Thanks to him, the Krasnodar Tea brand appeared, which became famous not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Ustim Genrikhovich Shteiman was born on February 23, 1920 in the Zhytomyr region. In June 1941 he went to the front as a volunteer. During the war years he was awarded two Orders of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, and medals "For Military Merit" and "For Courage." After the war, in 1947, he entered the Moscow Order of Lenin Academy. K. A. Timiryazev, graduated with honors. Having refused postgraduate studies, Ustim Shteiman was sent to the Krasnodar Territory to develop a young tea-growing industry. In 1952 he began work in the Dagomys tea state farm as a department manager. In 1972, the Krasnodar Tea Company was formed, which united tea state farms and factories in the Adler, Khosta and Lazarevsky districts of Sochi. Ustim Genrikhovich became its general director, at the same time heading the tea state farm "Dagomyssky" ...

Ustim Genrikhovich worried in his heart about the tea economy entrusted to him. During these years, the state farms of the Krasnodar Territory reached the maximum yield of tea leaves, collecting in some years up to 10 thousand tons. Hundreds of hectares of plantations were laid, the Dagomys and Adler tea factories were modernized. During the same period, under the leadership of Steiman, automatic irrigation of tea plantations and the use of small-scale mechanization in collecting tea leaves were introduced.

Ustim Genrikhovich for labor merits in 1973 received the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.

Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation Ustim Genrikhovich Shteiman until 1998 was the president of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers. During the last years he lived in Moscow. The administration of the city of Sochi, members of the Association of Krasnodar Tea Producers and residents of the resort city express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Ustim Genrikhovich and firm confidence that the memory of him will live on throughout the existence of Krasnodar tea.

Ira Petrova

Latest news from Krasnodar region on the topic:
Ustim Genrikhovich Steiman passed away

The creator of the Krasnodar Tea brand passed away - Krasnodar

Ustin Steiman died at the age of 98 in Moscow. Ustim Genrikhovich, an honorary citizen of the city of Sochi, was called the elder of the domestic tea industry; he devoted his whole life to its development.
10:07 12.10.2017 LiveKuban.Ru

Name Ustim Genrikhovich Steiman well known in Sochi. He devoted more than half a century of his labor activity to tea growing. He rose from an ordinary worker of the Dagomys state farm to the general director of the Krasnodarchay association, and then - adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the USSR. Hero of Socialist Labor, awarded three Orders of Lenin, Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation ... Since 1998, Ustim Genrikhovich has been President of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers (Rosteaikofe), and since 2007 - Honorary Citizen of Sochi.
As President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin signed a decree to reward Steiman with gratitude for his great contribution to the development of the food industry and many years of conscientious work, and recently, as Prime Minister, he awarded him a diploma. Ustim Genrikhovich devoted his new visit to the land of magnolias to the realization of his old dream ...

THE MOST NORTHERN IN THE WORLD ...
- At one time, - recalls Steiman, - I created here "Tea Houses", which have become a local landmark. They were visited by heads of state and government, prominent figures of culture and art. True, today the houses are not what they used to be. The flavor of the Russian national tradition gave way to international etiquette. And I, as the president of Rosteaicofe, really want to return the emphasis on Russian samovars, Krasnaya Polyana honey, Kuban pies and the Krasnodar Tea brand ... So that any foreign guest could say with delight: “There is a Russian spirit here, here it smells of Russia! True, soon only fairy tales tell.

- Tea is a child of the subtropics, however, as in a fairy tale, it has taken root in our cold country ...
- Thanks to the enthusiastic peasant Ioann Antonovich Koshman, who planted in 1901 in the village of Solohaul on the banks of the Shakhe River at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level, a plantation of 800 bushes brought from Georgia. Many peasants at the beginning of the last century worked near Batumi, in Chakvi, on the first tea plantations created in Georgia on the territory of the Russian Empire. The presence of tea-friendly yellow soils (red earths) in the Sochi District was established in the late 90s of the last century.

- But why did Koshman need to move from Georgia to Russia?
- He was a peasant, but not a "little educated ignoramus in bast shoes", but a real devotee and promoter of tea. Having selected the seeds and saplings, John Antonovich transported them from Chakvi to this region. He chose the right piece of land and laid the first Russian tea plantation, which still exists today, on an area of \u200b\u200b1300 square meters. One amusing incident is connected with it, which happened in the post-war years, when the mountain villages of the Lazarevsky district began to be settled by settlers from the Bryansk region. I remember one such person was given a Koshman plot. All the tea was uprooted in no time and corn was planted. But tea went again instead of corn! The migrant even went to complain ...

- When did Russian tea begin to conquer the domestic market?
- In 1905, Koshman demonstrated his tea at the agricultural exhibition and at the Russian Riviera exhibition in St. Petersburg. Sold at a ruble per pound, the domestic product quickly found demand and was highly valued by tea traders. But the tsarist government was not interested in its own raw material base, because the largest taxes came from tea imports. Nevertheless, in 1910, at the Sochi Agricultural Exhibition, Koshman demonstrated samples of ready-made Russian tea. He produced about 50 kilograms of dry leaves on his site. The Soviet government treated the tea grower with great respect. The first industrial plantations of Krasnodar tea with a total area of \u200b\u200b150 hectares were laid in the Adler and Lazarevsky regions in 1936, a year after the death of 97-year-old Ivan Antonovich. In the post-war years, specialized tea state farms were created here and two tea factories were built. And soon tea became the leading industrial agricultural crop in the Sochi region: its bushes covered the slopes of the mountains from Adler to Tuapse with a continuous soft light green carpet.

- Are there any landings more northerly than in Solohaul?
- Goyth in Adygea, but they have no industrial value.

WHITE STRIP
- Ustim Genrikhovich, how did fate bring you to Sochi? I know that you were born in the Ukrainian city of Berdichev ...
- It was in 1920, and in 1941 he graduated from the biology department of the Teachers' Institute in Ukraine, but did not manage to pass the state examinations. Throughout the war he served in the mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD. They also fought with the famous Edelweiss division and took part in other special operations. I have military awards - two orders, seventeen medals ...

- And after demobilization?
- After demobilization in 1947 - the 1st Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU on agriculture. And I decided to go to the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. Graduated from it with honors, was a Michurin personal scholar. They left for graduate school, but asked for distribution to production. And so I got to the Krasnodar Territory. He went through all the steps: he was a worker, a foreman, a manager, a chief agronomist, a director, then a general director.

- They say it took a long time to agree to the prefix "general"?
- Then, in 1972, there were only two general directors in the USSR - in the Krasnodar Tea Association and in the Leningrad firm Leto, which specialized in fruits and vegetables. The first secretary of the regional party committee, Zolotukhin, and the chairman of the regional executive committee, Medunov, were trying to persuade me to become "general". “Let's just stay just the director of the state farm,” I tell them. And Zolotukhin answered me: "But you don't know what kind of fool they will send you to the leaders!" What can you say ?! But I achieved in the Ministry that, in addition to the duties of the general director, the position of director of the state farm was retained for me.

- The main directions in your work then were increasing yields and new technologies. How did it happen that the glory of Dagomys tea growers thundered all over the world?
- We first introduced irrigation in tea cultivation and raised water to a height of 300 meters. The plant itself gave a signal when to turn on the irrigation system. Full automation! We were even awarded special certificates and medals of the World Irrigation Congress, and the experience began to be actively applied in other countries. I specially traveled to Kenya ...

The introduction of small-scale mechanization is our second achievement. We built our own manual tea picking machines: lighter than Japanese ones! Mechanized assembly does not degrade product quality. This is a misconception. It is only necessary to adjust the entire technology exactly to the car. The main thing here is a rhythmic, well-coordinated process! As a result, we reached 10 thousand tons of Krasnodar tea leaves. And when I started, there were only 2 thousand tons.

BLACK LINE
- The market economy has thrown Krasnodarchay off the leader's pedestal. And among the favorites of Fortuna unexpectedly turned out to be "May Tea", "Orimi Trade", "Grand", "Golden Elephant" - companies that started everything practically from scratch. How can this be explained?

- The delusion of many profile leaders, who believed that Krasnodar tea will always enjoy tremendous success and no special efforts should be made for this. When the practice of state purchases of tea ceased to exist and market relations arose, no one began to purchase, for example, Georgian tea. Everyone knew about its low quality. And they gave preference to Indian, Ceylon - familiar and well-established brands. In other words, the time had come for changes, and everyone had to rebuild. After all, people drink tea, no matter what. Russians annually consume 170 thousand tons of tea (on average, one kilogram per person). Our country ranks third in the world (after China and India) for the consumption of this drink. In addition, the equipment at the Dagomys factory was the best in the Soviet Union, capable of processing green leaves using new technologies. Alas, the chance was missed. Now Krasnodar tea is considered uncompetitive.

- And yet it is grown?
- They grow up. Although in the soil and climatic conditions of India, Ceylon, Vietnam, this task is much easier to solve than ours. And the difference in salaries in the same India and Russia is great. In India, tea growers receive much less for their labor. But, understand that the Sochi subtropics with their tea, tangerines, oranges, lemons, feijoa, persimmons, figs, bay leaves, hazelnuts, medicinal and spicy plants, and a variety of rare flowers are a diamond in the “crown” of Russia. And “picking out” it for the sake of the market or conjuncture is nonsense!

We are not going to give Krasnodar tea to the whole country. The problem can be formulated differently. The quality of Russian tea is quite high, why not grow its special types, selling for the same price as the famous North Indian Darjeeling tea, which costs from 20-30 to 70 dollars per kilogram. Moreover, the production of elite tea is not unusual for us! At one time, the leadership of the Soviet Union - the government and the Politburo - drank only Krasnodar tea. I know this for sure: I supplied it myself. And when government delegations went to other countries, for example, Great Britain, they took our tea with them as a valuable souvenir.

A Tribute to Tradition
- Your wife, Larisa Eduardovna, also contributed a lot to the creation of the famous Tea Houses ...
- Yes, it has been twenty years since she died ... Possessing good taste, she put her whole soul into this work, independently developed the design, thought over every little thing. There were three houses. The first is small, the second is large, with a veranda and a wonderful collection of samovars (one of the best in the Soviet Union!). The third is the largest, delivered in 1972. This house was built by a family of Hutsuls from Western Ukraine - noble craftsmen who built a tourist center in Rakhiv and a restaurant in the Carpathian region. Absolutely everything is done by hand: wood carvings and exhibits of Russian folk crafts. Our "Tea Houses", built in the mountains at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level and with a beautiful view of the endless sea surface, the majestic silhouette of the Main Caucasus Range, were a great success. More than one hundred thousand foreign tourists visiting Sochi annually visited them. The guests were greeted by girls dressed in old Russian clothes, served with tea, treated with pies, jam, honey, and fruits. But first, they conducted an introductory excursion, which included an inspection of the tea plantation, the museum of samovars ...


- For ten years now you have been the head of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers. What was the purpose of its creation?
- Coordination of efforts in solving common issues in the areas of tax and customs policy, product quality control ... What is one problem of falsification! It is impossible for every small firm or shop to go to the government with these concerns. Therefore, a group of large entrepreneurs engaged in tea in Russia came to the conclusion that it was time to unite. Following the example of confectioners, sugar confectioners, tobacco producers. And the first thing we have achieved is the right to be called "Russian Association", which immediately brings us closer to the government and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. We defended the domestic tea producer. In 1997 more than 70 percent of tea came to Russia from abroad in packaged form. And our factories packaged less than 30 percent. And then voices sounded that we have the capacity, how much can we stand idle ?! Instead of finished products, it is necessary to receive raw materials, and the packaging should be done on the spot. So it is easier to control the quality of tea products. Moreover, packaging implies the development of printing, and the cardboard industry, and the production of cans, and the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs! Plus taxes that remain in our country.

To limit the inflow of packaged tea into the country, our association achieved a change in customs duties: they set five percent for raw materials, and 20 percent for prepackaged goods. And today more than 70 percent of tea is packaged at Russian factories!

- In 2001, Roschay turned into Roschaykofe. On whose initiative?
- On the initiative of manufacturers of both tea and coffee: "Orimi Trade", "Maisky tea", "Trade house" Grand "and others. We are only taking the first steps towards the creation of a domestic coffee industry. But we are moving in the right direction, and this infuriates foreign rivals. They see results over tea. At the moment when we stopped receiving tea from Georgia, foreign firms immediately poured tea on us, and now we are holding them back.

- As a tea fan, it always seemed to me that these two drinks were antagonists.
- This is not true. Tea and coffee are botanically different. But caffeine is at the heart of the effects of these drinks on the human body. There is a natural and climatic similarity in the places of growth. Traditions are another matter: if tea has taken root more in Russia and England, in Europe they prefer coffee.

As for competition, it exists within both tea and coffee markets. Previously, no one drank instant coffee, but now, in the age of speed, the speed of preparation has become a priority: threw a spoonful of coffee, topped up boiling water, stir - and you're done! It's the same with tea. Once it was brewed exclusively in teapots. The main thing that, in my opinion, unites these natural drinks is the challenge posed to alcohol, drugs, as well as chemical analogues such as Coca-Cola. The more teahouses there were in Russia, the fewer alcoholics. It is a pity that today, when promoting tea, the emphasis is mainly on its medicinal properties, which is attractive, rather, for the elderly. All ages are submissive to tea! True, in my opinion, young people should not get too carried away with bags. A packet is a temporary affair (like instant coffee). It is for those who "are in a hurry to live and in a hurry to feel." Traditional tea drinking is akin to art standing above vanity.

- Do your children drink tea?
- Of course! And not only children. I have three daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - my main wealth!

- Ustim Genrikhovich, I cannot but ask how you, the Honorary Citizen of Sochi, took the news about the change in the status of the city?
- With joy. In 2014 I will be 94 years old ... During my life I have visited 79 countries of the world. And I can declare with full responsibility that now Sochi is not in words, but in fact becoming an international resort. From the point of view of the Winter Olympics, everything is being done right here. But agriculture is going through hard times. Tea plantations are in dire condition. Therefore, as an agronomist, I must say that Sochi is far behind in this matter. Of course, everything can be corrected - there would be a desire. And the desire, apparently, is still very small ... If something can be proved by deeds, then there is no need to waste words on it.

Biography
Ustim Genrikhovich Shteiman (born 02/23/1920, Zhytomyr Region) - General Director of the Krasnodar Tea Company, Sochi.

Born on February 23, 1920 in the city of Berdichev, Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. In 1935 he entered the Faculty of Biology at the Teachers' Institute. The war did not let me finish my studies.

Since June 1941, without passing the final exams, he volunteered for the front. Throughout the war he served in the mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD. He received his baptism of fire in the North Caucasus in September 1942. At the Marukh pass he fought with the Alpine riflemen of the Edelweiss division. Participated in other special operations. For military merits he was awarded two orders and medals. In the spring of 1946 he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of lieutenant.

In 1947 he entered the Moscow Order of Lenin Agricultural Academy. K. A. Timiryazeva. He was a Michurin scholar, graduated from the Academy with honors. Refused graduate school and asked for production. Received distribution to the Krasnodar Territory. In 1952 he began work in the Dagomys tea state farm as a department manager. In 1957 he was appointed chief agronomist of the state farm, and in 1963 - director. In 1972, after the establishment of the Krasnodar Tea Company, which unites tea state farms and tea factories of the Adler, Khosta and Lazarevsky districts of the city of Sochi, he became its general director and, at the same time, remained the director of the head tea state farm Dagomyssky.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 7, 1973 for the great successes achieved in the All-Union socialist competition, and the displayed labor valor in fulfilling the obligations assumed to increase the production and sale of grain and other agricultural products to the state in 1973, Steiman Ustim Genrikhovich was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.

Steiman worked as the general director of the Krasnodar Tea Company for 11 years - until 1983. During the same period, under the leadership of U. G. Steiman, bulk transportation of green tea leaves, automatic irrigation of tea plantations, the use of small-scale mechanization in the collection of tea leaves and the formation of tea plantations were introduced. Hundreds of hectares of plantations of subtropical crops were laid, the Dagomys and Adler tea factories were modernized. As a result, tea state farms and processing factories achieved the highest results, the production of green tea leaves in the head tea state farm alone exceeded 4000 tons, and the entire team of the company reached 10 thousand tons of Krasnodar tea leaves. It is with the name of Steiman that the creation of a unique brand "Krasnodar Tea" is associated.

Later he was an adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the USSR. Since 1998 - President of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers. Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation. Honorary Citizen of the city of Sochi. Lives in the city of Moscow.

He was awarded three Orders of Lanin, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, the Orders of Friendship of Peoples, the Red Star, medals, including "For Military Merit" and "For Courage."

3 Orders of Lenin, 2 of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, the Red Star, the Order of Friendship, the Medal for Courage, the Medal for Military Merit, and other medals.

Rank

lieutenant

Positions

in mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD 1941-1945

Biography

Steiman Ustim Genrikhovich - General Director of the Krasnodar Tea Company, the city of Sochi.

Born on February 23, 1920 in the city of Berdichev, Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. Jew. In 1935 he entered the Faculty of Biology at the Teachers' Institute. The war did not let me finish my studies.

Since June 1941, without passing the final exams, he volunteered for the front. Throughout the war he served in the mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD. He received his baptism of fire in the North Caucasus in September 1942. At the Marukh pass he fought with the Alpine riflemen of the Edelweiss division. Participated in other special operations. For military services he was awarded two orders and medals. In the spring of 1946 he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of lieutenant.

In 1947 he entered the Moscow Order of Lenin Agricultural Academy. K.A. Timiryazev. He was a Michurin scholar, graduated from the Academy with honors. Refused graduate school and asked for production. Received distribution to the Krasnodar Territory.

In 1952 he began work in the Dagomys tea state farm as a department manager. In 1957 he was appointed chief agronomist of the state farm, and in 1963 - director. In 1972, after the establishment of the Krasnodar Tea Company, which unites tea state farms and tea factories of the Adler, Khosta and Lazarevsky districts of the city of Sochi, he became its general director and, at the same time, remained the director of the head tea state farm Dagomyssky.

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 7, 1973 for the great successes achieved in the All-Union socialist competition, and the displayed labor valor in fulfilling the obligations assumed to increase the production and sale of grain and other agricultural products to the state in 1973, Steiman Ustim Genrikhovich was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.

Steiman worked as the general director of the Krasnodar Tea Company for 11 years - until 1983. During the same period, under the leadership of Steiman U.G. bulk transportation of green tea leaves, automatic irrigation of tea plantations, the use of small mechanization in the collection of tea leaves and the molding of tea plantations were introduced. Hundreds of hectares of plantations of subtropical crops were laid, the Dagomys and Adler tea factories were modernized. As a result, tea state farms and processing factories achieved the highest results, the production of green tea leaves in the head tea state farm alone exceeded 4,000 tons, and the entire team of the company reached 10 thousand tons of Krasnodar tea leaves. It is with the name of Sheiman that the creation of a unique brand "Krasnodar Tea" is associated.

Later he was an adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the USSR. Since 1998 - President of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers ("Rosteacofe").

Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation (1965). Honorary Citizen of the city of Sochi (2007)

Lives in the city of Moscow.

Steiman Ustim Genrikhovich - General Director of the Krasnodar Tea Company, Sochi. Born on February 23, 1920 in the city of Berdichev, Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. In 1935 he entered the Faculty of Biology at the Teachers' Institute. The war did not let me finish my studies. Since June 1941, without passing the final exams, he volunteered for the front. Throughout the war he served in the mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD. He received his baptism of fire in the North Caucasus in September 1942. At the Marukh pass he fought with the Alpine riflemen of the Edelweiss division. Participated in other special operations. For military services he was awarded two orders and medals. In the spring of 1946 he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of lieutenant. In 1947 he entered the Moscow Order of Lenin Agricultural Academy. K.A. Timiryazev. He was a Michurin scholar, graduated from the Academy with honors. Refused graduate school and asked for production. Received distribution to the Krasnodar Territory. In 1952 he began work in the Dagomys tea state farm as a department manager. In 1957 he was appointed chief agronomist of the state farm, and in 1963 - director. In 1972, after the formation of the Krasnodar Tea company, which unites tea state farms and tea factories of the Adler, Khostinsky and Lazarevsky districts of the city of Sochi, he became its general director and, at the same time, remained the director of the head tea state farm Dagomyssky. By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated December 7 1973 for the great successes achieved in the All-Union socialist competition, and the displayed labor valor in fulfilling the obligations assumed to increase the production and sale of grain and other agricultural products to the state in 1973, Steiman Ustim Genrikhovich was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the award of the Order of Lenin and the gold medal " Hammer and sickle". Steiman worked as the general director of the Krasnodar Tea Company for 11 years - until 1983. During the same period, under the leadership of Steiman U.G. bulk transportation of green tea leaves, automatic irrigation of tea plantations, the use of small mechanization in the collection of tea leaves and the molding of tea plantations were introduced. Hundreds of hectares of plantations of subtropical crops were laid, the Dagomys and Adler tea factories were modernized. As a result, tea state farms and processing factories achieved the highest results, the production of green tea leaves in the head tea state farm alone exceeded 4,000 tons, and the entire team of the company reached 10 thousand tons of Krasnodar tea leaves. It is with the name of Sheiman that the creation of a unique brand "Krasnodar Tea" is associated. Later he was an adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the USSR. Since 1998 - President of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers ("Rosteacofe"). Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation (1965). Honorary Citizen of the city of Sochi (2007) Lives in the city of Moscow. He was awarded three Orders of Lanin, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, the Orders of Friendship of Peoples, the Red Star, medals, including "For Military Merit" and "For Courage."

Hero of Socialist Labor, awarded three Orders of Lenin, Honored Agronomist of the Russian Federation, since 1998 Ustim Genrikhovich Shteiman - President of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers, and since 2007 - Honorary Citizen.
Krasnodar tea can regain its former glory if the traditions of domestic tea growers are revived. At one time, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed an order to encourage Steiman with gratitude for his great contribution to the development of the food industry and many years of conscientious work, and recently, already as Prime Minister, he awarded the Certificate of Honor. This year one of the most respected tea growers in the country turned 88 years old. Ustim Genrikhovich devoted a new visit to the land of magnolias to the realization of an old dream ...

THE NORTHERN IN THE WORLD ...
- At one time, - recalls Ustim Genrikhovich, - I created here "Tea Houses", which have become a local landmark. They were attended by heads of state and government, prominent figures of culture and art. True, now the houses are not what they used to be. The flavor of the Russian national tradition has given way to international etiquette. And I, as the president of Rosteaicofe, really want to return the emphasis on Russian samovars, Krasnaya Polyana honey, Kuban pies and the Krasnodar Tea brand. So that every foreign guest could say with delight: "Here is the Russian spirit, here it smells of Russia!" No wonder they say that soon only fairy tales tell.
- Tea is a child of the subtropics, however, as in a fairy tale, it has taken root in our cold country ...
- Thanks to the enthusiastic peasant Ioann Antonovich Koshman, who planted in
1901 in the village of Solokhaul on the banks of the Shakhe River at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level, a plantation of 800 bushes brought from Georgia. At the beginning of the last century, many peasants worked near Batumi, in Chakvi, on the first tea plantations created in Georgia, which was then part of the Russian Empire. The presence of tea-friendly yellow soils (red earths) in the Sochi District was established in the late 90s of the last century.
- But why did Koshman need to move from Georgia to Russia?
- He was a peasant, but not a "poorly educated ignoramus in bast shoes", but a real devotee and promoter of tea. Having selected seeds and seedlings, John Antonovich transported them from Chakvi to our region. He chose the right piece of land and established the first Russian tea plantation, which still exists today, on an area of \u200b\u200b1300 square meters. One amusing incident is connected with it, which happened in the post-war years, when the mountain villages of the Lazarevsky district began to be settled by settlers from the Bryansk region. I remember one such person was given a Koshman plot. All the tea was uprooted in an instant, and corn was planted. But tea went again instead of corn! The migrant even went to complain ...
- When did Russian tea begin to conquer the domestic market?
- In 1905, Koshman demonstrated his tea at the agricultural exhibition and at the Russian Riviera exhibition in St. Petersburg. Sold at a ruble per pound, the domestic product quickly found demand and was highly valued by tea traders. But the tsarist government was not interested in its own raw material base, because the largest taxes came from tea imports. Nevertheless, in 1910, at the Sochi agricultural exhibition, Koshman demonstrated samples of ready-made Russian tea. He produced about 50 kilograms of dry leaves on his site. The Soviet government treated the tea grower with great respect. The first industrial plantations of Krasnodar tea with a total area of \u200b\u200b150 hectares were laid in the Adler and Lazarevsky regions in 1936, a year after the death of 97-year-old Ivan Antonovich. In the post-war years, specialized tea state farms were created here and two tea factories were built. And soon tea became the main industrial agricultural crop in the Sochi region: its bushes covered the slopes of the mountains from Adler to Tuapse with a continuous soft light green carpet.
- Are there any landings more northerly than in Solohaul?
- Goyth in the Tuapse region, but they have no industrial value.

WHITE STRIP
- Ustim Genrikhovich, how did you end up in Sochi? I know that you were born in the Ukrainian city of Berdichev.
- It was in 1920, and in 1941 I graduated from the biology department of the Teacher's Institute in Ukraine, but did not manage to pass the state examinations. Throughout the war he served in the mountain rifle divisions of the internal troops of the NKVD. They fought with the famous Edelweiss division and took part in other special operations. I have military awards - two orders, seventeen medals.
- And after demobilization?
- After demobilization in 1947, the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU on agriculture was held. And I decided to go to the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. Graduated with honors, was a Michurin personal scholar. They left for graduate school, but asked for distribution to production. And so I ended up in the Krasnodar Territory. He went through all the stages: he was a worker, a foreman, a manager, a chief agronomist, a director, then a general director.
- They say it took a long time to agree to the prefix "general"?
- Then, in 1972, there were only two general directors in the USSR - in the Krasnodar Tea Association and in the Leningrad firm Peto, which specialized in fruits and vegetables. The first secretary of the regional party committee, Zolotukhin, and the chairman of the regional executive committee, Medunov, who had specially come to my farm, tried to persuade me to become "general". “Let's just stay just the director of the state farm,” I tell them. And Zolotukhin answered me: "But you do not know what kind of fool they will send you to the leaders!" What can you say ?! But I managed to get at the Ministry that, in addition to the duties of the general director, I would also retain the position of director of the state farm.
- The main directions in your work then were increasing yields and new technologies. How did it happen that the glory of Dagomye tea growers thundered all over the world?
- For the first time, we introduced irrigation into the tea growing process and raised the water to a height of 300 meters. The plant itself gave a signal when to turn on the irrigation system. Full automation! We were even awarded special certificates and medals of the World Irrigation Congress, and the experience began to be noticeably applied in other countries. I made a special trip to Kenya. The introduction of small-scale mechanization is our second achievement. We have built our own manual tea picking machines: lighter than Japanese ones! Mechanized assembly does not degrade product quality. This is a misconception. It is only necessary to adjust the entire technology exactly to the car. The main thing here is a rhythmic, well-coordinated process! As a result, we reached 10 thousand tons of Krasnodar tea leaves. And when I started, there were only 2 thousand.

BLACK LINE
The market economy has thrown Krasnodarchay off the leadership pedestal. And among the favorites of fortune unexpectedly appeared "May Tea", "Orimi Trade", "Grand", "Golden Elephant" - companies that started everything practically from scratch. How can this be explained?
- The delusion of many profile leaders, who believed that Krasnodar tea will always enjoy tremendous success, and no special efforts are needed for this, has affected. When the practice of state purchases of tea ceased to exist, and market relations appeared, no one began to purchase, for example, Georgian tea. Everyone knew about its low quality. And they gave preference to Indian, Ceylon - familiar and well-established brands. In other words, the time has come for changes, and everyone had to rebuild. After all, people drink tea, no matter what. Russians annually consume about 170 thousand tons of tea (on average, one kilogram per person). Our country ranks third in the world (after China and India) for the consumption of this drink. In addition, the equipment at the Dagomys factory was the best in the Soviet Union, capable of processing green leaves using new technologies. Alas, the chance was missed. Today Krasnodar tea is considered uncompetitive.
- And yet it is grown?
- They grow up. Although in the soil and climatic conditions of India, Ceylon, Vietnam, this task is much easier to solve than ours. And the difference in wages in the same India and Russia is great. In India, tea growers receive much less for their labor. But understand that the Sochi subtropics with their tea, tangerines, oranges, lemons, feijoa, persimmons, figs, bay leaves, hazelnuts, medicinal and spicy plants, and a variety of rare flowers are a diamond in the crown of Russia. And "picking out" it for the sake of the market or conjuncture is nonsense! We are not going to give Krasnodar tea to the whole country. The problem can be formulated in a different way. The quality of Russian tea is quite high, why not grow its special types, selling at the same price as the famous North Indian Darjeeling tea, which costs from 20-30 to 70 dollars per kilogram. Moreover, the production of elite tea is not a novelty for us! At one time, the leadership of the Soviet Union - the government and the Politburo - drank only Krasnodar tea. I know this for sure: I supplied it myself. And when government delegations went to other countries, say, Great Britain, they took our tea with them as a valuable souvenir.

A Tribute to Tradition
- Your wife, Larisa Eduardovna, also contributed a lot to the creation of the famous Tea Houses ...
- Yes, it has been twenty years since she died ... Possessing good taste, she put her whole soul into this work, independently developed the design, thought over every little thing. There were three houses. The first is small, the second is large, with a veranda and a beautiful
collection of samovars (one of the best in the Soviet Union!), the third is the largest, delivered in 1972. This house was built by a family of Hutsuls from Western Ukraine - noble craftsmen who built a tourist center in Rakhiv and a restaurant in the Carpathian region. Almost everything is done by hand: wood carvings and exhibits of Russian folk crafts. Our "Tea Houses", built in the mountains at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level and with a beautiful view of the boundless sea surface, the majestic silhouette of the Main Caucasian Range, were a great success. More than one hundred thousand foreign tourists visiting Sochi annually visited. The guests were greeted by girls dressed in old Russian clothes, given tea, treated with pies, jam, honey, and fruits. But first, they conducted an introductory tour, which included an inspection of the tea plantation, the museum of samovars.
- For ten years now you have been the head of the Russian Association of Tea and Coffee Producers. What was the purpose of its creation?
- Coordination of efforts in resolving common issues in the areas of tax and customs policy, product quality control ... What is the problem of falsification! It is impossible for every small firm or shop to go to the government with these concerns. Therefore, a group of large entrepreneurs engaged in tea in Russia came to the decision that it was time to unite. Following the example of confectioners, sugar confectioners, tobacco producers. And the first thing we achieved was the right to bear the name "Russian Association", which immediately brings us closer to the government and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. We defended the Russian tea producer. In 1997, over 70% of tea came to Russia from abroad in packaged form. And our factories packaged less than 30%. And then voices sounded that we have the capacity, how much can we stand idle ?! Instead of finished products, it is necessary to receive raw materials, and the packaging should be done on the spot. So it is easier to control the quality of tea products. Moreover, packaging implies the development of printing, and the cardboard industry, and the production of cans, and the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs! Plus taxes that remain in our country. To limit the inflow of packaged tea into the country, our association achieved a change in customs duties: they set 5% for raw materials, and 20% for packaged goods. And today more than 70% of tea is packaged in Russian factories!

In 2001, Roschay turned into Roschaykofe. On whose initiative?
- On the initiative of manufacturers of both tea and coffee: "Orimi Trade", "Maisky Tea", "Trade House Grand" and others. We are only taking the first steps towards creating the Russian coffee industry and are moving in the right direction, and this infuriates foreign rivals. They see results over tea. At the moment when we stopped receiving tea from Georgia, foreign companies immediately bombarded us with it, and now we are holding back their onslaught.
- As a tea fan, it always seemed to me that these two drinks were antagonists.
- This is not true. Tea and coffee are botanically different. But caffeine is the cornerstone of the effect of these drinks on the human body. There is a natural and climatic similarity in the places of growth. Traditions are another matter: if tea has taken root more in Russia and England, in Europe they prefer coffee. As for competition, it exists within both the tea and coffee markets. Previously, no one drank instant coffee, but now, in the age of speed, the speed of preparation has become a priority: threw a spoonful of coffee, topped up boiling water, stir - and you're done! It's the same with tea. Once it was brewed only in teapots. The main thing that, in my opinion, unites these natural drinks is the challenge posed to alcohol, drugs, and chemical analogues such as Coca-Cola. The more teahouses there were in Russia, the fewer alcoholics. It is a pity that now, when promoting tea, the emphasis is mainly on its medicinal properties, which is more attractive for the elderly. But all ages are submissive to tea! True, in my opinion, young people should not get too carried away with bags. A bag is a temporary affair (like instant coffee). It is for those who "are in a hurry to live and in a hurry to feel." Traditional tea drinking is akin to art standing above the hustle and bustle.

Do your children drink tea?
- Of course! And not only children. I have three daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren - my main wealth!
- Ustim Genrikhovich, I cannot but ask how you, the Honorary Citizen of Sochi, perceived the news of the change in the status of the city associated with the Winter Olympics?
- With joy. In 2014 I will be 94 years old ... During my life I have visited 79 countries of the world. And I can declare with full responsibility that now Sochi is not in words, but in fact becoming an international resort. From the point of view of the Winter Olympics, everything is being done right here. But the agricultural sector is going through hard times. Tea plantations are in dire condition. Therefore, as an agronomist, I must say that Sochi is far behind in this matter. Of course, everything can be corrected - there would be a desire. And the desire, apparently, is still very small ... If something can be proved by deeds, then there is no need to waste words on it.