Today we will open the curtain on the question Who was the first to bring potatoes to Russia. It is known that in South America the Indians have been successfully cultivating potatoes since time immemorial. This root crop was brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the middle of the 16th century. There is no reliable information about exactly when this vegetable appeared in Russia, but researchers note that this event is more likely connected with the Petrine period. At the end of the 17th century, Peter I, visiting Holland, was interested in this unusual plant. Approvingly commenting on the taste and nutritional properties of the tuber, he ordered the delivery of a bag of seeds to Count Sheremetyev in Russia for breeding.
Distribution of potatoes in Moscow
In the capital of Russia, the vegetable took root slowly, at first the peasants were distrustful of the foreign product and refused to cultivate it. In those days there was an interesting story related to the solution of this problem. The king ordered to plant potatoes in the fields and guard them, but only during the daytime, and at night the fields were specially left unattended. The peasants of the adjacent villages could not resist the temptation and began to steal tubers from the fields, first for food, and then for sowing.
At first, cases of potato poisoning were often noted, but this was due to the ignorance of ordinary people how to properly use this product. Peasants ate potato berries, which are very similar to green tomatoes, but unsuitable for human food and very poisonous. Also, from improper storage, for example, in the sun, the tuber began to turn green, solanine was formed in it, and this is a poisonous toxin. All these reasons led to poisoning.
Also, the Old Believers, of whom there were a great many, considered this vegetable a devilish temptation, their preachers did not allow their co-religionists to either plant it or. And church ministers anathematized the root crop and dubbed it the "devil's apple", because. translated from German "kraft teufels" - "damn power".
Due to all these factors, the excellent idea of Peter I to spread this root crop throughout Mother Russia was not implemented. As historians say, the tsar's decree on the widespread distribution of this culture aroused the indignation of the people, forcing the monarch to listen and retreat from the "potato" of the country.
Introduction of potatoes
Measures for the large-scale promotion of potatoes everywhere were initiated by Empress Catherine II. In 1765, more than 464 pounds of root crops were purchased from Ireland and delivered to the Russian capital. These tubers and instructions were delivered to all corners of the Empire by the Senate. It was also supposed to cultivate potatoes not only in public fields, but also in vegetable gardens.
In 1811 Three settlers were sent to the Arkhangelsk province with the task of planting a certain amount of land. But all the measures taken for the introduction did not have a clearly planned system, so the population met the potato with suspicion, and the culture did not take root.
Only under Nicholas I, due to the low yield of grain crops, in some volosts began to carry out more decisive measures for the cultivation of tubers. In 1841 issued a decree from the authorities, which ordered:
- to acquire in all settlements public crops to provide the peasants with seeds;
- publish a manual on the cultivation, preservation and use of potatoes;
- award prizes especially distinguished in breeding culture.
People's riot
The implementation of these measures met with popular resistance in many counties. In 1842 a potato riot broke out, manifested in the beating of representatives of local authorities. To pacify the rebels, government troops were involved, which destroyed the unrest of the people with particular cruelty. For a long time, the main food product for people was turnips. But slowly attention to the potato returned. And only at the beginning of the 19th century this vegetable gained wide popularity and many times saved the people from starvation during lean years. It is no coincidence that potatoes are called "second bread".
Potatoes were brought to Russia quite late, at the very beginning of the 18th century. This was done by Peter I, who first tried various potato dishes in Holland. Having approved the gastronomic and taste qualities of the product, he ordered the delivery of a bag of tubers to Russia for planting and cultivation.
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In Russia, potatoes took root very well, but Russian peasants were afraid of an unknown plant and often refused to grow it. A very funny story begins here, connected with the method of solving the problem, which Peter I resorted to. The Tsar ordered the fields to be sown with potatoes and armed guards were assigned to them, who were supposed to guard the fields all day long, and went to sleep at night. The temptation was great, the peasants from nearby villages could not resist and stole potatoes, which became for them a sweet forbidden fruit, from the sown fields for planting on their plots.
At first, cases of potato poisoning were often recorded, but this happened, as a rule, due to the inability of the peasants to properly use potatoes. Peasants ate potatoes, berries resembling small tomatoes, which, as you know, are not suitable for food and even poisonous.
Of course, this did not become an obstacle to the spread of potatoes in Russia, where it gained immense popularity and many times saved a significant part of the population from starvation during crop failures. No wonder in Russia potatoes were called the second bread. And, of course, the name of the potato is very eloquent about its nutritional properties: it comes from the German words "kraft teufel", which means "devil's power".
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“Potato - has a weak, unbalanced, uncertain energy, the energy of doubt. The body becomes lethargic, lazy, sour. The solid energy of potatoes is called starch, which cannot be processed by alkaline acid in the body, is poorly excreted from the body, sharply reduces the speed of thought, and blocks the immune system. Potatoes are not compatible with any products. If it is, then separately, it is advisable to cook in uniform. In the peel and just below it is a substance that helps break down starch.
In Russia, there never was a potato, it was brought by the "dark" and cultivated by force. Gradually, they brought it out and designated it in the thoughts of people as the main vegetable, which greatly harmed the human body. Today it is the most important vegetable product on the table, it is considered the second bread, and healthy vegetables have been transferred to the category of secondary ones.
We ask you in no case to use potatoes for students of the School of Happiness, where everything is aimed at increasing the speed of thought, because potatoes will reduce everything to zero.
Potatoes can be eaten young, for two months, then they become poison. Replace potatoes with turnips. It is no coincidence that they try to completely remove turnips from food.”
(from the book “Knowledge stored by dolmens”, A. Savrasov)
Also, everyone who is interested in a healthy diet knows that potatoes are a very mucus-forming product, and mucus is practically not excreted from the body, but is deposited, causing many diseases (“traditional” medicine knows nothing about this, of course)).
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There was a time when Russian Old Believers considered potatoes to be a devilish temptation. No wonder, because this foreign root crop was forcibly introduced into the Russian land! The churchmen, anathematizing, dubbed him the "devil's apple." To say a kind word about potatoes, and even in print, was very risky. But today, many of our fellow citizens are sure that potatoes come from Russia, or, at worst, Belarus, and America gave the world only french fries.
The potato was first brought to Europe after the conquest of Peru by the Spaniards, who spread it to the Netherlands, Burgundy and Italy.
There is no exact information about the appearance of potatoes in Russia, but it is associated with the Petrine era. At the end of the 17th century, Peter I (and again Peter I), while in the Netherlands on ship business, became interested in this plant, and “for brood” he sent a bag of tubers from Rotterdam to Count Sheremetyev. In order to accelerate the spread of the potato, the Senate only in 1755-66 considered the introduction of the potato 23 TIMES!
In the first half of the XVIII century. potatoes were bred in significant numbers by “particular people” (probably foreigners and upper class people). Measures for the widespread cultivation of potatoes were first taken under Catherine II, on the initiative of the Medical College, whose president at that time was Baron Alexander Cherkasov. The case was originally about finding funds to help the starving peasants of Finland “without much dependency”. On this occasion, the medical board reported to the Senate in 1765 that the best way to prevent this disaster "is in those earthen apples, which in England are called pottes, and in other places earthen pears, tartuffels and kartuffels."
Then, at the command of the empress, the Senate sent seeds to all places of the empire and instructions on the development of potatoes and care about this were entrusted to the governors. Under Paul I, it was also prescribed to grow potatoes not only in vegetable gardens, but also on field land. In 1811, three colonists were sent to the Arkhangelsk province with instructions to plant a certain number of acres of potatoes. All these measures were fragmentary; The mass of the population met the potato with distrust, and its culture was not grafted.
Only in the reign of Nicholas I, in view of the former in 1839 and 1840. In the wake of a crop failure in some provinces, the government took the most vigorous measures to spread potato crops. By the highest orders, which followed in 1840 and 1842, it was decided:
1) to establish in all state-owned villages public sowing of potatoes to supply the latter to the peasants for future sowing.
2) issue instructions on the cultivation, storage and use of potatoes.
3) encourage with premiums and other awards the owners who are distinguished by the cultivation of Potatoes.
The implementation of these measures met in many places with stubborn resistance from the population.
Thus, in the Irbitsky and neighboring districts of the Perm province of the states, the peasants somehow connected the idea of selling them to the landowners with the prescription of public sowing of potatoes. A potato riot broke out (1842), expressed in the beating of the rural authorities and demanded the assistance of military teams to pacify their assistance, which in one volost were even forced to use buckshot;
In terms of the number of peasants participating in it and the vastness of the area covered by it, this is the largest of the Russian unrest of the 19th century, which entailed reprisals, which were distinguished by the usual cruelty of that time.
Intersting fact:
The owner of the estate, General R.O. Gerngros, growing tubers since 1817, gave them to farmers for seeds. However, crops on peasant plots turned out to be sparse. It turned out that the peasants, having planted tubers, dug up and sold “damned earthen apples” for vodka at the nearest tavern at night. Then the general went for a trick: he gave out not whole, but cut tubers for seeds. Their peasants did not choose from the land and gathered a good harvest, and having convinced themselves of the convenience of potatoes, they themselves began to breed it.
In general, those who needed it and benefited from the degrading of the Russian people achieved their goal and the potato became our second bread.
Potatoes were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. While Peter I was in Holland, he tried food made from potatoes and liked it very much, after which the Tsar sent a bag of potatoes to Russia to grow.
Potato tubers grew well on Russian soil, but the spread was greatly hindered by the fact that the peasants were afraid of the overseas fruit. When Peter I was informed about the fear of the people, he had to use cunning. He sowed several fields with potatoes, and ordered that guards with weapons should stand near them.
The soldiers guarded the potatoes all day and went to bed at night. The peasants who lived nearby could not resist the temptation and began to steal potatoes and secretly plant them in their garden.
Of course, at first there were cases of poisoning from potatoes, but only because people did not know the properties of this plant and tried its fruits without any culinary processing. And potatoes in this form are not only not edible, but also poisonous.
Among the aristocrats in France, at one time it was customary to wear potato flowers as decoration.
Thus, the potato spread very quickly throughout Russia, also because it helped people to feed themselves during poor grain crops. That is why the potato was called the second bread. The nutritional properties of potatoes are evidenced by its very name, which comes from the German phrase “kraft teufel”, which means devilish power.
Where do potatoes come from
Everyone knows that potatoes are the most common crop in household plots, vegetable gardens, and farm fields.
For the first time, information about potatoes appeared at the beginning of the 16th century. In the mountains of Bolivia and Peru, settled Indian tribes have been cultivating potatoes for over 1,000 years. The spread of potatoes in Central Europe went through Spain and Italy, as well as from Ireland and England, where it was cultivated already at the end of the 16th century.
In Russia potatoes first appeared under Peter I. The literature describes that Peter the Great handed over a bag of potatoes from Rotterdam to Count Sheremetev and ordered the tubers to be sent around Russia for their widespread cultivation. At first, potatoes were planted only in pharmaceutical gardens and botanical gardens, and only from the middle of the 18th century they began to plant them on large areas, using them as a food crop. Now, among the people, potatoes are often called “second bread”. This is quite natural, since it is the basis of a wide variety of dishes that have nutritional value and the required calorie content.
Today, potatoes are successfully grown by many gardeners. It makes delicious and nutritious meals. The history of the vegetable is truly amazing. Let's remember where the homeland of the potato is located, and how the culture appeared in European countries and Russia.
Where is the birthplace of potatoes
Every educated citizen should know that the homeland of the potato is South America. Its history began more than ten thousand years ago in the territory adjacent to Lake Titicaca. The Indians tried to grow wild potatoes and spent a lot of time and effort on this.
The plant became an agricultural crop only after five thousand years. Thus, the homeland of potatoes is Chile, Bolivia and Peru.
In ancient times, the Peruvians idolized the plant and even made sacrifices to it. The reason for this reverence has not yet been established.
Today, over 1,000 varieties of potatoes can be found on the market in Peru. Among them are green tubers the size of a walnut, raspberry specimens. Their dishes are prepared right on the market.
Potato Adventures in Europe
For the first time, Europeans tried the potato, which was native to South America, in the 16th century. In 1551, the geographer Pedro Cieza da Leon brought it to Spain, and later described its nutritional properties and taste. Each state product met differently:
- The Spaniards fell in love with him for the appearance of the bushes and planted them in flowerbeds like flowers. The inhabitants of the country also appreciated the taste of overseas food, and doctors used it as a wound healing agent.
- Italians and Swiss enjoyed preparing various dishes. The very word "potato" is not associated with the South American homeland. The name comes from "tartufolli", which means "truffle" in Italian.
- Initially, in Germany, people refused to plant a vegetable. The fact is that the population of the country was poisoned by eating not tubers, but berries, which are poisonous. In 1651, King Frederick William the First of Prussia ordered the ears and noses to be cut off for those who opposed the establishment of culture. Already in the second half of the 17th century, it was grown on huge fields in Prussia.
- Potatoes arrived in Ireland in the 1590s. There, the vegetable took root well even in adverse climatic regions. Soon a third of the area suitable for agriculture was planted with potatoes.
- In England, peasants were encouraged with money for growing potatoes, which is considered to be the birthplace of South America.
For a long time, Europeans undeservedly called the potato the "devil's berry" and destroyed it due to mass poisoning. Over time, the product became a frequent guest on the table and received universal recognition.
Gallant France
The French believed that potato tubers are the food of the lowest stratum of the general. The vegetable was not cultivated in this country until the second half of the 18th century. Queen Marie Antoinette wove the flowers of the plant into her hair, and Louis the 16th appeared at the ball, pinning them to his dress uniform.
Soon in every nobility began to grow potatoes in flower beds.
A special role in the development of potato production was played by the royal pharmacist Parmentier, who planted a plot of arable land with vegetables and put a company of soldiers to guard the plantings. The healer announced that anyone who steals valuable culture will die.
When the soldiers went to the barracks at night, the peasants dug up the earth and stole the tubers. Parmentier wrote a work on the benefits of the plant and went down in history as a "benefactor of mankind."
History of potatoes in Russia
Potatoes in our country appeared thanks to Tsar Peter the Great. The emperor brought new products, clothes, household items from Europe. This is how potatoes appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century, which peasants began to grow on the orders of the tsar.
People did not value tubers the way they did in his homeland. The peasants considered them tasteless, treated with caution.
During the wars, this vegetable saved people from starvation and already in the middle of the 18th century became the “second bread”. The product received mass distribution thanks to Catherine II. In 1765, the government recognized its usefulness and obliged the peasants to grow "earth apples".
In 1860, a famine began in the country, forcing people to eat potatoes, which, to their surprise, turned out to be quite tasty and nutritious.
Over time, the earthen apple began to be cultivated throughout the country. Even the poor could afford it, because the culture is able to adapt to climatic conditions.
Today, the benefits and chemical composition of the product have been sufficiently studied by experts. Farmers have learned how to competently care for the crop, protect it from diseases and pests.
Conclusion
Potatoes are now a staple food and are an essential ingredient in many recipes. There is no need to idolize the potato, as the Peruvians did - the inhabitants of the homeland of the potato. You should respect this root crop, know where it came from, and how it is useful.
