What is the Swedish match famous for? History of the Swedish match. The meaning of fire in human life

Matches were invented at the end of the 17th century. The authorship is attributed to the German chemist Gankwitz, who was the first to use recently discovered phosphorus for this purpose. But this was just a prototype of a match. For a long time, chemists struggled with the problem of how to create inexpensive and harmless matches. After all, at first, white phosphorus was used in matches, which was highly flammable (matches simply exploded) and harmful to health. Such matches were expensive and very inconvenient to use.

The problem was solved by the Swedish chemist Juhaan Lundström in 1855. He was able to stop the explosiveness of matches by replacing white phosphorus with red and having the insight to saturate the wooden handle and sandpaper on which the match was lit with ammonium phosphate. This reduced, on the one hand, flammability, and, on the other, made matches harmless, since red phosphorus was not toxic. This is how the famous Swedish safety matches appeared.

The invention was so important for that time that Lundström was awarded a special medal at the World Exhibition in Paris, which in value can be compared to the modern Nobel Prize, but without a significant amount of money. In addition, after Lundström’s award and recognition, rumors appeared that he had stolen the idea of ​​a safe match from Gustav Pasch, who proposed a similar idea eleven years earlier, but was unable to properly convey it to mass use. Who was first is no longer known for sure. At least both were Swedes, and it’s not for nothing that the match is called Swedish.

Lundström's safety matches turned Sweden into one big match factory. Half of the total volume required for the needs of Europe was produced here. In addition to the fact that the inventor was a Swede, the country had significant reserves of inexpensive wood, and by being the first to produce safety matches, the Swedes simply managed to capture a significant share of the market. In 1876, there were already 121 factories in the country that produced matches, which by the 1930s had mostly gone bankrupt due to the global crisis.

The Swedes competed for a long time with the French manufacturers of sequisulfide matches, which appeared in 1898, and came out on top, remaining the most popular in the world. The only consumer who preferred sequisulfide matches was the British army. The fact is that such matches, unlike Swedish ones, burned with a faintly visible flame. Using Swedish matches at a rest stop, the soldiers became a good target for an enemy sniper. After the Anglo-Boer War, it was even a bad omen to light one match with a third. After all, the sniper noticed the fire at the first person lighting a cigarette, took aim at the second person, and shot at the third person lighting a cigarette.

Later, the same Swedes completely removed phosphorus from the composition of matches, replacing it with bertholite salt, sulfur and iron oxide. And the very name “Swedish match” has fallen out of use, although at one time this invention brought great benefits to humanity. Today, Swedish matches are still made, but they are intended mainly for collectors.

A match is a stick (shaft, straw) made of flammable material, equipped with an ignition head at the end, used to produce an open fire.

Matches are a relatively recent invention of mankind; they replaced flint and steel about two centuries ago, when looms were already working, trains and steamships were running. But it was not until 1844 that the creation of safety matches was announced.

Before a match broke out in the hands of a man, many events happened, each of which contributed to the long and difficult path of creating a match.

Although the use of fire dates back to the dawn of mankind, it is believed that matches were originally invented in China in 577 during the Qi Dynasty, which ruled northern China (550-577). The courtiers found themselves under military siege and left without fire; they invented them from sulfur.

But let's find out the history of this everyday thing in more detail...

A description of these matches is given by Tao Gu in his book “Evidence of the Extraordinary and Supernatural” (c. 950):

“If something unexpected happens overnight, it takes some time. An insightful person simplified small pine sticks by impregnating them with sulfur. They were ready to use. All that remains is to rub them on an uneven surface. The result was a flame as big as an ear of wheat. This miracle is called "the servant clothed with light." But when I started selling them, I called them fire sticks.” In 1270, matches were already freely sold on the market in the city of Hangzhou.

In Europe, matches were invented only in 1805 by the French chemist Chancel, although already in 1680 the Irish physicist Robert Boyle (who discovered Boyle's law) coated a small piece of paper with phosphorus and took the already familiar wooden stick with a sulfur head. He rubbed it on the paper and as a result a fire broke out.

The word “match” comes from the old Russian word spitsa - a sharpened wooden stick, or splinter. Initially, knitting needles were the name given to wooden nails that were used to attach the sole to a shoe. At first, in Russia, matches were called “incendiary, or samogar matches.”

Sticks for matches can be either wooden (soft woods are used - linden, aspen, poplar, American white pine...), as well as cardboard and wax (cotton rope impregnated with paraffin).

Collecting match labels, boxes, matches themselves and other related items is called philumenia. And their collectors are called phylumenists.

According to the method of ignition, matches can be grated, which are ignited by friction against the surface of a matchbox, and non-grated, which are ignited on any surface (remember how Charlie Chaplin lit a match on his trousers).

In ancient times, to make a fire, our ancestors used the friction of wood against wood, then they began to use flint and invented flint. But even with it, lighting a fire required time, a certain skill and effort. By striking the steel against the flint, they struck a spark that fell on the tinder soaked in saltpeter. It began to smolder and from it, using dry kindling, the fire was fanned

The next invention was the impregnation of a dry splinter with molten sulfur. When the head of sulfur was pressed against the smoldering tinder, it burst into flames. And she was already setting fire to the hearth. This is how the prototype of the modern match appeared.

In 1669, white phosphorus, easily ignited by friction, was discovered and used in the production of the first match heads.

In 1680, the Irish physicist Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691, who discovered Boyle's law), coated a small piece of phosphorus with such phosphorus and took the already familiar wooden stick with a sulfur head. He rubbed it on the paper and as a result a fire broke out. But unfortunately, Robert Boyle did not draw any useful conclusion from this.

Chapselle's wooden matches, invented in 1805, had a head made of a mixture of sulfur, bertholite salt, and cinnabar red, which was used to color the head. Such a match was lit either with the help of a magnifying glass from the Sun (remember how in childhood they burned out drawings or set fire to carbon paper), or by dripping concentrated sulfuric acid onto it. His matches were dangerous to use and very expensive.

A little later, in 1827, the English chemist and apothecary John Walker (1781-1859) discovered that if you coat the end of a wooden stick with certain chemicals, then scratch it on a dry surface, the head lights up and sets the stick on fire. The chemicals he used were: antimony sulfide, bertholet's salt, gum and starch. Walker did not patent his "Congreves," as he called the world's first matches that were lit by friction.

An important role in the birth of the match was played by the discovery of white phosphorus made by a retired soldier from Hamburg, Henning Brand, in 1669. After studying the works of famous alchemists of that time, he decided to get gold. As a result of the experiments, a certain light powder was accidentally obtained. This substance had the amazing property of luminescence, and Brand called it “phosphorus,” which translated from Greek means “luminiferous.”

As for Walker, as often happens, the pharmacist invented matches by accident. In 1826, he mixed chemicals using a stick. A dried drop formed at the end of this stick. To remove it, he struck the floor with a stick. Fire broke out! Like all slow-witted people, he did not bother to patent his invention, but demonstrated it to everyone. A guy named Samuel Jones was present at such a demonstration and realized the market value of the invention. He called the matches “Lucifers” and began selling tons of them, despite the fact that there were some problems associated with “Lucifers” - they smelled bad and, when ignited, scattered clouds of sparks around.

He soon released them to the market. The first sale of matches took place on April 7, 1827 in the city of Hikso. Walker made some money from his invention. His matches and "Congreves", however, often exploded and were unpredictably dangerous to handle. He died in 1859, aged 78, and was buried in Norton Parish Church cemetery, Stockton.

However, Samuel Jones soon saw Walker's "Congreves" matches and decided to start selling them as well, calling them "Lucifers". Perhaps due to their name, Lucifers matches became popular, especially among smokers, but they also had an unpleasant odor when burning

There was another problem - the head of the first matches consisted of only phosphorus, which ignited perfectly, but burned out too quickly and the wooden stick did not always have time to light up. We had to return to the old recipe - a sulfur head and began to apply phosphorus to it to make it easier to set fire to the sulfur, which in turn set fire to the wood. Soon they came up with another improvement to the match head - they began to mix chemicals that release oxygen when heated with phosphorus.

In 1832, dry matches appeared in Vienna. They were invented by L. Trevani; he covered the head of a wooden straw with a mixture of Berthollet salt with sulfur and glue. If you run such a match over sandpaper, the head will ignite, but sometimes this happened with an explosion, and this led to serious burns.

The ways to further improve matches were extremely clear: it was necessary to make the following mixture composition for the match head. so that it lights up calmly. Soon the problem was solved. The new composition included Berthollet salt, white phosphorus and glue. Matches with such a coating could easily ignite on any hard surface, on glass, on the sole of a shoe, on a piece of wood.
The inventor of the first phosphorus matches was a nineteen-year-old Frenchman, Charles Soria. In 1831, a young experimenter added white phosphorus to a mixture of bertholite salt and sulfur to weaken its explosive properties. This idea turned out to be successful, since the matches lubricated with the resulting composition easily ignited when rubbed. The ignition temperature of such matches is relatively low - 30 degrees. The scientist wanted to patent his invention, but for this he had to pay a lot of money, which he did not have. A year later, matches were again created by the German chemist J. Kammerer.

These matches were easily flammable, and therefore caused fires, and besides, white phosphorus is a very toxic substance. Match factory workers suffered from serious illnesses caused by phosphorus fumes.

The first successful recipe for an incendiary mass for making phosphorus matches was apparently invented by the Austrian Irini in 1833. Irini offered it to entrepreneur Remer, who opened a match factory. But it was inconvenient to carry matches in bulk, and then a matchbox with rough paper glued to it was born. Now there was no longer any need to strike a phosphorus match against anything. The only problem was that sometimes the matches in the box caught fire due to friction.

Due to the danger of self-ignition of phosphorus matches, the search began for a more convenient and safe flammable substance. Discovered in 1669 by the German alchemist Brand, white phosphorus was easier to set on fire than sulfur, but its disadvantage was that it was a strong poison and, when burned, gave off a very unpleasant and harmful odor. Match factory workers, having inhaled white phosphorus fumes, became disabled in just a few months. In addition, by dissolving it in water, they obtained a strong poison that could easily kill a person.

In 1847, Schröter discovered red phosphorus, which was no longer poisonous. Thus, the replacement of poisonous white phosphorus in matches with red gradually began. The first combustible mixture based on it was created by the German chemist Betcher. He made a match head using glue from a mixture of sulfur and Berthollet salt, and impregnated the match itself with paraffin. The match burned superbly, but its only drawback was that it did not ignite as before due to friction against a rough surface. Then Boettcher lubricated this surface with a composition containing red phosphorus. When the head of a match was rubbed, the particles of red phosphorus contained in it ignited, ignited the head and the match lit up with an even yellow flame. These matches did not produce any smoke or the unpleasant smell of phosphorus matches.

Boettcher's invention did not initially attract the attention of industrialists. Its matches were first produced in 1851 by the Swedes, the Lundström brothers. In 1855, Johan Edward Lundström patented his matches in Sweden. That’s why “safety matches” began to be called “Swedish”.

The Swede applied red phosphorus to the surface of sandpaper on the outside of a small box and added the same phosphorus to the composition of the match head. Thus, they no longer caused harm to health and were easily ignited on a pre-prepared surface. Safety matches were presented at the International Exhibition in Paris that same year and received a gold medal. From that moment on, the match began its triumphal march around the world. Their main feature was that they did not ignite when rubbed against any hard surface. The Swedish match was lit only if it was rubbed against the side surface of the box, covered with a special mass.

Soon after this, Swedish matches began to spread around the world and soon the production and sale of hazardous phosphorus matches was banned in many countries. After a few decades, the production of phosphorus matches stopped completely.

In America, the history of producing your own matchbox began in 1889. Joshua Pusey from Philadelphia invented his own matchbox and called it Flexibles. To this day, no information has reached us about the number of matches placed in this box. There are two versions - there were 20 or 50. He made the first American matchbox from cardboard using scissors. On a small wood stove, he cooked up a mixture for the match heads and coated the surface of the box with another bright mixture to light them. Beginning in 1892, Pusey spent the next 36 months defending the priority of his discovery in the courts. As often happens with great inventions, the idea was already in the air and at the same time other people were also working on the invention of the matchbox. Pusey's patent was unsuccessfully challenged by the Diamond Match Company, which invented a similar matchbox. An inventor rather than a fighter, in 1896 he agreed to the Diamond Match Company's offer to sell his patent for $4,000 along with a job offer for the company. There was a reason to sue, because already in 1895, match production volumes exceeded 150,000 matchboxes per day.

But perhaps the USA became the only country. where in the 40s a free box of matches came with a pack of cigarettes. They were an integral part of every cigarette purchase. The price of a matchbox has not increased in America in fifty years. So the rise and fall of the matchbox in America tracked the number of packs of cigarettes sold.

Matches came to Russia in the 30s of the 19th century and were sold for a hundred silver rubles. Later, the first matchboxes appeared, first wooden, and then tin. Moreover, even then labels were attached to them, which led to the emergence of a whole branch of collecting - phylumenia. The label carried not only information, but also decorated and complemented the matches.

By the time the law was passed in 1848 allowing their production only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the number of factories producing them reached 30. The following year, only one match factory was operating. In 1859, the monopoly law was repealed and in 1913 there were 251 match factories operating in Russia.

Modern wooden matches are made in two ways: the veneer method (for square matches) and the stamping method (for round matches). Small aspen or pine logs are either chipped or stamped with a match machine. The matches sequentially pass through five baths, in which a general impregnation with a fire-fighting solution is carried out, a ground layer of paraffin is applied to one end of the match to ignite the wood from the match head, a layer forming the head is applied on top of it, a second layer is applied to the tip of the head, the head is also sprayed with a strengthening solution , protecting it from atmospheric influences. A modern match machine (18 meters long and 7.5 meters high) produces up to 10 million matches in an eight-hour shift.

How does a modern match work? The mass of a match head consists of 60% berthollet salt, as well as flammable substances - sulfur or metal sulfides. In order for the head to ignite slowly and evenly, without an explosion, so-called fillers are added to the mass - glass powder, iron (III) oxide, etc. The binding material is glue.

What does the skin coating consist of? The main component is red phosphorus. Manganese (IV) oxide, crushed glass and glue are added to it.

What processes occur when a match is lit? When the head rubs against the skin at the point of contact, red phosphorus ignites due to the oxygen of Berthollet salt. Figuratively speaking, fire is initially born in the skin. He lights the match head. Sulfur or sulfide flares up in it, again due to the oxygen of Berthollet salt. And then the tree catches fire.

The word “match” comes from the plural form of the word “spoke” (a pointed wooden stick). The word originally meant wooden shoe nails, and this meaning of "match" still exists in a number of dialects. The matches used to start fire were initially called “incendiary (or samogar) matches.”

In 1922, all factories in the USSR were nationalized, but their number after the devastation became an order of magnitude smaller. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the USSR produced about 55 boxes of matches per person. At the beginning of the war, most match factories were located in the territory occupied by the Germans and a match crisis began in the country. Huge demands for matches fell on the eight remaining match factories. In the USSR, lighters began to be produced en masse. After the war, the production of matches quickly picked up again.

Signal - which give a bright and far visible colored flame when burning.
Thermal - when these matches burn, a greater amount of heat is released, and their combustion temperature is much higher than a regular match (300 degrees Celsius).
Photographic - giving an instant bright flash when photographing.
Household supplies in large packaging.
Storm or hunting matches - these matches are not afraid of dampness, they can burn in the wind and in the rain.

In Russia, 99% of all matches produced are aspen matchsticks. Rubbed matches of various types are the main type of matches throughout the world. Stemless (sesquisulfide) matches were invented in 1898 by French chemists Saven and Caen and are produced mainly in English-speaking countries, mainly for military needs. The basis of the rather complex composition of the head is non-toxic phosphorus sesquisulfide and Berthollet salt.

As an invention, matches can safely be labeled “Made in Europe” - they do not have one homeland, just as they do not have one creator. They were improved for almost half a century in several countries. The chain of discoveries that led to their creation began in 1805 with the Frenchman Jean Louis Chancel, who created “dipper” matches. A mixture of Berthollet salt and powdered sugar was applied to a wooden stick. It was dipped in sulfuric acid - a chemical reaction took place and a flame was released. But it was very unsafe to carry a bottle of potent acid with you.

In the 1830s, France and Germany began producing matches similar to today's matches, but with the addition of phosphorus. They ignited easily on any surface, which turned out to be a problem: the matches could ignite even from rubbing against each other in the box. In addition, the white phosphorus used at that time is extremely toxic.

The Swedes had the decisive say in bringing the invention to standard. Carolingian Institute professor Gustaf Eric Pasch replaced white phosphorus with harmless red. In addition, he proposed adding phosphorus not to match heads, but to applying it to a separate plate, a grater, placing it on the box. But the fame of the creator of modern matches went to the manufacturer Johan Lundström, who took advantage of Pasha’s patent, whose validity had expired. For “his” invention, he received a medal at the Paris World Exhibition of 1855, and convenient and safe matches began to be called “Swedish” everywhere.

Since then, matches have changed little. This is a paraffin-impregnated aspen straw with a head, the main “working” components of which are Berthollet salt and sulfur. When rubbed, the red phosphorus contained in the grater reacts with Berthollet salt. When heated, the sulfur ignites and ignites the tree. However, the actual sulfur in a match head is about 4%, but there is four times more ground glass, which increases friction. In addition, the composition of “sulfur,” as a match head is commonly called, includes various coloring substances and bone glue that binds everything together.

"Petty" art

Czech engineer Tomas Korda devoted 63,310 hours of his life to creating objects from matches. The master made about a hundred items using more than 670,000 matches. This collection was included in the exhibition of the Museum of Records and Curiosities of the city of Pelhřimov. Some of the most amazing exhibits include a guitar, mandolin and violin that can be played.

Kidnapping from Europe

The word “matches” in Russian once meant wooden nails. And when the first matches appeared in our country in 1837, they were initially called incendiary or samogar. The production of “Swedish matches” in Russia was first established by the former peasant Vasily Lapshin in the 1870s. According to legend, he worked for some time in Sweden at the Lundstrem factory. The USSR became one of the world's leading suppliers of matches: products from the Proletarian Banner, Comet, and Baltika factories were exported to England, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Pakistan, Asia and Africa. In 1964, the Soviet Union took first place in the world in terms of match production.

Matches can be attributed to relatively recent inventions. Before the modern match broke out in human hands, many different discoveries took place, each of which made its own significant contribution to the evolutionary path of this subject. When were there matches? Who created them? What path of development have you overcome? Where were matches first invented? And what facts does history still hide?

The meaning of fire in human life

Since ancient times, fire has had a place of honor in human everyday life. He played an important role in our development. Fire is one of the elements of the universe. For ancient people it was a phenomenon, and their practical application was not even thought of. The ancient Greeks, for example, protected fire as a shrine, passing it on to people.

But cultural development did not stand still, and they learned not only to use fire wisely, but also to produce it independently. Thanks to the bright flame, homes became warm all year round, food was cooked and became tastier, and the smelting of iron, copper, gold and silver began to actively develop. The first dishes made of clay and ceramics also owe their appearance to fire.

The first fire - what is it?

As you already understand, fire was first produced by man many thousands of years ago. How did our ancestors do this? Quite simply: they took two pieces of wood and began to rub them, while the wood pollen and sawdust were heated to such an extent that spontaneous combustion was inevitable.

The “wood” fire was replaced by flint. It consists of sparks produced by striking steel or flint. Then these sparks were ignited with some flammable substance, and the very famous flint and steel was obtained - a lighter in its original form. It turns out that the lighter was invented before matches. Their birthdays were three years apart.

Also, the ancient Greeks and Romans knew another way to make fire - by focusing the sun's rays with a lens or a concave mirror.

In 1823, a new device was invented - the Debereyer incendiary apparatus. Its operating principle was based on the ability to ignite upon contact with spongy platinum. So when were modern matches invented? Let's look at this issue in more detail.

A significant contribution to the invention of modern matches was made by the German scientist A. Gankwatz. Thanks to his ingenuity, matches with a sulfur coating first appeared, which ignited when rubbed against a phosphorus piece. The shape of such matches was extremely inconvenient and required urgent improvement.

Origin of the word "match"

Before we figure out who invented matches, let's find out the meaning of this concept and its origin.

The word “match” has Old Russian roots. Its predecessor is the word “spoke” - a stick with a pointed end, a splinter.

Initially, knitting needles were nails made of wood, the main purpose of which was to attach the sole to the shoe.

The history of the formation of a modern match

When modern matches were invented is a rather controversial point. This is explained by the fact that until the second half of the 19th century there was no International as such, and the base for various chemical discoveries were various European countries at the same time.

The question of who invented matches is much clearer. The history of their appearance owes its beginning to the French chemist C. L. Berthollet. His key discovery is a salt that, when in contact with sulfuric acid, releases enormous amounts of heat. Subsequently, this discovery became the basis for the scientific activity of Jean Chancel, thanks to whose work the first matches were invented - a wooden stick, the tip of which was coated with a mixture of Berthollet salt, sulfur, sugar and resin. Such a device was ignited by pressing the head of a match against asbestos, previously soaked in a concentrated solution of sulfuric acid.

Sulfur matches

Their inventor was John Walker. He slightly changed the components of the match head: + gum + antimony sulfide. To light such matches, there was no need to react with sulfuric acid. These were dry sticks, to light which it was enough to strike some rough surface: sandpaper, a grater, crushed glass. The length of the matches was 91 cm, and their packaging was a special pencil case in which 100 pieces could be placed. They smelled terrible. They first began to be produced in 1826.

Phosphorus matches

In what year were phosphorus matches invented? Perhaps it is worth linking their appearance with 1831, when the French chemist Charles Soria added to the incendiary mixture. Thus, the components of the match head included Berthollet salt, glue, and white phosphorus. Any friction was enough to light the improved match.

The main disadvantage was the high degree of fire hazard. One of the disadvantages of sulfur matches was eliminated - the unbearable smell. But they were harmful to health due to the release of phosphorus fumes. Workers at enterprises and factories were exposed to serious illnesses. Taking the latter into account, in 1906 the use of phosphorus as one of the components of matches was banned.

Swedish matches

Swedish products are nothing more than modern matches. The year of their invention came 50 years from the moment the very first match saw the light. Instead of phosphorus, red phosphorus was included in the incendiary mixture. A similar composition, based on red phosphorus, was used to cover the side surface of the box. Such matches lit up exclusively when interacting with the phosphorus coating of their containers. They did not pose any danger to human health and were fireproof. The Swedish chemist Johan Lundström is considered the creator of modern matches.

In 1855, the Paris International Exhibition took place, at which Swedish matches were given the highest award. A little later, phosphorus was completely excluded from the components of the incendiary mixture, but it remained on the surface of the box to this day.

In the manufacture of modern matches, aspen is usually used. The composition of the incendiary mass includes sulfur sulfides, metal paraffins, oxidizing agents, manganese dioxide, glue, and glass powder. When making coatings for the sides of the box, red phosphorus, antimony sulfide, iron oxide, manganese dioxide, and calcium carbonate are used.

You will be interested!

The first match container was not a cardboard box at all, but a metal box-chest. There was no label, and the manufacturer's name was indicated on a stamp that was placed on the lid or on the side of the package.

The first phosphorus matches could be lit by friction. At the same time, absolutely any surface was suitable: from clothing to the match container itself.

The matchbox, made according to Russian state standards, is exactly 5 centimeters long, so it can be used to accurately measure objects.

A match is often used as a determinant of the dimensional characteristics of various objects, which can only be seen in a photograph.

The dynamics of the production turnover of matches in the world is 30 billion boxes per year.

There are several types of matches: gas, decorative, fireplace, signal, thermal, photographic, household, hunting.

Advertising on matchboxes

When modern matches were invented, then special containers for them - boxes - came into active use. Who would have thought that this would become one of the most promising marketing moves of that time. Such packaging featured advertisements. The first commercial matchbox advertisement was created in America by the Diamond Match Company in 1895, which advertised the comic troupe Mendelson Opera Company. On the visible part of the box was a picture of their trombonist. By the way, the last remaining advertising matchbox made at that time was sold just recently for 25 thousand dollars.

The idea of ​​advertising on a matchbox was received with a bang and became widespread in the business sphere. Match containers were used to advertise the Pabst brewery in Milwaukee, the products of tobacco king Duke, and Wrigley’s Chewing Gum. While looking through the boxes, we met stars, national celebrities, athletes, etc.

March 11th, 2014

Sweden, modest in size, is immortalized in the Russian language with a record number of common nouns. You don’t have to look far for examples: the phrases “buffet”, “Swedish family”, “Swedish wall” and “Swedish matches” are used quite actively in our country. But the Swedes themselves are not familiar with these concepts, with the possible exception of the last one. They consider only Swedish matches to be their national invention.

Since the mid-1970s, for the countries of the former USSR the concept "Swedish family", perhaps, was the main synonym for Sweden. We all thought that in this northern European country cohabitation of two or more married couples was the most common thing.

“Swedish family” - perhaps no one knows exactly how this phrase was born, says Konstantin Ivanov, an employee of the Swedish Embassy in the Russian Federation, author of the book 'Nine Myths about Sweden'. - It can be assumed that its emergence is connected with the the wave of the sexual revolution with stories about representatives of left-wing Swedish youth living together in so-called communes ('collectives' in Swedish). During these same years, Swedish magazines and films with very free content began to circulate around Moscow and Leningrad, which gave rise to the popular opinion that the Swedes were especially emancipated.” Let’s add on our own: at the same time, the delightful ABBA very opportunely appeared on TV screens - two married couples who sang in sweet voices about money and love and once exchanged partners.

“The history of this concept reminds me of the old joke: ‘What is group sex? This is what the Swedes do, what the Poles make films about that are watched in the USSR,” says translator of Swedish literature Alexandra Afinogenova. “One thing is indisputable: the concept of the ‘Swedish family’ owes its birth to the sexual revolution. The most interesting thing is that not only here Sweden was considered the birthplace of emancipation and permissiveness. In Great Britain, for example, there is the concept of ‘Swedish sin’, which in meaning means almost the same thing as ‘Swedish family’ for us.”

Of course, the Swedes, who have received compulsory sex education in schools since 1955 (longer than any other people on the planet!), can hardly be called conservatives in the field of sexual relations. But at the same time, it would be a great exaggeration to say that they are very different in this area from other Europeans. As for a real Swedish family, it traditionally consists of a mother, father and a couple of children. In the event of divorce, both parents continue to be responsible for their children. Even after the formation of a new family, children from a previous marriage regularly come to visit either their father or their mother. Divorced Swedes most often try to maintain normal relationships with each other. “New” and “old” families often spend their free time together, completely unaware that their “irresponsible” behavior contributes to further strengthening the myth of the “Swedish family” in Russia.

There is really one interesting feature: the majority of men and women in Sweden live in unregistered marriages, these are the so-called “sambu”. (The literal translation is “cohabiting”). Why? Firstly, the rights and responsibilities of a “sambu” are exactly the same as those of a legal husband and wife. Secondly, an official divorce (its procedure) is quite expensive and, as a rule, drags on for a long time if the family has children together. And so - no problems! The matter is resolved quickly and without hassle.

In most families, it’s like this: spouses have their own separate bank accounts. Food, telephone, electricity are paid jointly. As for everything else (clothing, cosmetics, etc.), everyone withdraws money from their account. It is considered quite normal, for example, when in a restaurant a husband and wife receive separate bills from the waiter and each pay from their own wallet.

buffet In terms of plausibility, we were much more fortunate. The so-called smorgasbord - “snack table” - was actually invented in Sweden. True, naturally modest Scandinavians do not call it Swedish. Its history goes back to the distant past. Centuries ago, the Scandinavians made preparations for future use from shelf-stable products - salted fish, root vegetables and vegetables, smoked meat. When guests arrived, all the food was served at once, in large bowls. Thus, the owners saved themselves from unnecessary ceremonies, freeing up time for communication. In the 20th century, this democratic way of eating was adopted by the whole world.

“In French it is called a ‘buffet’, but in our country the name ‘buffet’ has really taken root,” says the famous restaurant critic Sergei Chernov. “At a certain stage in the development of the Russian restaurant business, the buffet model was very successful. You can recall such establishments as “Tsarskaya Okhota”, “Yolki-palki”, “Firewood”, “Rice and Fish”. Many of them are still very popular among Muscovites today, although there are more and more gourmets who believe that mixing dozens of dishes in the stomach is, to put it mildly, not entirely aesthetic.”

If we return to the subject of our conversation - the “buffet”, then one of the first of our compatriots to present it to the attention of the Russian reader was K. Skalkovsky. In the notes “Travel Impressions” published in 1880 in St. Petersburg. Among the Scandinavians and Flemings,” he described this overseas miracle this way: “Everyone demands both, the maids barely have time to uncork the bottles. There is no accounting of what is consumed here; There is a book on the table, a pencil is tied to it on a pink ribbon, and everyone must write down what they ate and drank in the book. When leaving, he also sums up his account himself. It is clear that all mistakes remain on the conscience of the passenger, but the Swedes prefer to lose something rather than subject the traveler to humiliating control.”

It is impossible not to notice that since the quoted lines were written, the buffet model has been improved and simplified, but its noble spirit has remained.

Almost a third of a century later, the publicist and scientist S. Mech also appreciated the “buffet” that he met at the railway buffet: “You enter the buffet - there are no servants. The barman or barmaid does not pay any attention to you. There are dishes on the table, plates and forks, knives and spoons. You take yourself what you want - lunch still costs 2 francs. When you are full, you give 2 francs and leave."

A particularly picturesque picture was captured by the wonderful writer Alexander Kuprin, who was treated in Finland in 1909: “The long table was laden with hot dishes and cold appetizers. All this was unusually clean, appetizing and elegant. There was fresh salmon, fried trout, cold roast beef, some kind of game, small, very tasty meatballs and the like. Everyone came up, chose what he liked, ate as much as he wanted, then went to the buffet and, of his own free will, paid exactly one mark thirty-seven kopecks for dinner. No supervision, no mistrust. Our Russian hearts, so deeply accustomed to the passport, the plot, the forced care of the senior janitor, to general fraud and suspicion, were completely suppressed by this broad mutual faith.”

Alas, these idyllic impressions became somewhat clouded when the writer returned to the carriage, where his random fellow passengers were animatedly discussing the new product they had just become acquainted with.

“When we returned to the carriage,” writes Kuprin, “a charming picture in a truly Russian genre was waiting for us. The fact is that two stone contractors were traveling with us. Everyone knows this type of kulak from the Meshchovsky district, Kaluga province: a wide, shiny, high-cheekboned red muzzle, red hair curly from under a cap, a sparse beard, a roguish look, five-alty piety, ardent patriotism, and contempt for everything non-Russian - in a word, well-known truly Russian face.

You should have listened to how they mocked the poor Finns. “This is stupid, so stupid. After all, such idiots, God knows! But, if you count it, I ate three rubles worth seven hryvnia from them, from the scoundrels... Eh, you bastard! Few of them get beaten, sons of bitches. One word: Chukhons.” And another one chimed in, choking with laughter: “And I... purposely knocked down the glass, and then took it into the fish and spat.” “So they should be bastards!” his counterpart picked up. - They dismissed the anathemas! They need to be kept in good condition!”
Quoting these vulgar statements with anger and contempt, the author of “The Garnet Bracelet” nevertheless concludes: “And it is all the more pleasant to confirm that in this lovely, wide, semi-free country (meaning Finland. - Ed.), they are already beginning to understand that not all of Russia consists of contractors from Meshchovsky district and Kaluga province.”
Let the reader not be confused by the mention of Finland. Being “under Sweden” until the beginning of the 19th century, this country absorbed many Swedish traditions, including the traditions of the “buffet”.

Swedish wall- perhaps the most versatile sports equipment in the world - was actually invented in Sweden. True, there they call it en ribbstol, which literally means “frame with crossbars.” This invention became the basis for the gymnastics system developed by Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839). A poet, playwright and fencing teacher, Ling sought to create a system of physical training that would contribute to the development of a harmonious personality. Being a convinced patriot, Ling hoped that his system would help the Swedes regain the strength and will of their ancestors in order to return the country to its former military glory. In 1813, by the permission of His Royal Majesty, Ling founded the Central Gymnastics Institute in Stockholm, the first higher educational institution in Sweden, specializing in the training of physical education teachers for the army and schools. After the death of Per Henrik, his father’s work was continued by his son Hjalmar, thanks to whom Swedish gymnastics and its famous attributes of the Swedish wall, balance beam and bench became widespread throughout the world, including in Russia.

In Sweden, in 1857, the first bodybuilding machines were invented. Russia became one of the first importers of “physical training devices”: the royal family and representatives of high society ordered them. As for the wall bars, it is still considered the most functional exercise machine and that is why it is so often used as the basis for a home mini-gym. Physiologists are convinced: the wall bars should accompany a person throughout his life. And training on this apparatus in the first three years of life strengthens not only the child’s body and immunity, but also the spirit, and also promotes early intellectual development.

And finally, the famous Swedish match came to Russia, as well as to other countries of the world, in the second half of the 19th century. In Sweden itself it is also called a safety match. Inventor Gustav Erik Pasch (1788-1862) patented it in 1844. The know-how of this chemistry professor was that he decided to use safe red phosphorus rather than poisonous yellow phosphorus as a combustible material, and then scraped it off the match heads and transferred it to the side of the box. Pash proposed applying a slightly flammable material to the match itself, the only purpose of which was to create sufficient friction and maintain stable combustion (before this, matches would light up as soon as they were struck against anything).

“The story of the conquest of the world by the Swedish match is like a detective story,” says Konstantin Ivanov. “At first, miracle matches began to be produced in Stockholm, but very soon production was curtailed due to the extreme high cost of red phosphorus. And then another Swedish genius intervened - Johan Edward Lundström, who made a number of secret patented changes to the chemical composition of the flammable material and began to monopolize the production of new matches - safe and cheap. In 1855 they were awarded a medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Nine years later, Alexander Lagerman entered the match production arena and designed the world’s first automatic machine for making matches.” At the end of the 19th century, the match business turned into a real Swedish Klondike: 121 match factories were opened in the country, and since then, for more than 100 years, the world has been using only Swedish matches, made not only with intelligence, but also with truly Swedish practicality .

And here’s an equally interesting question: why is the wrench called “Swedish” and, moreover, GAS?

It all started at the end of the Middle Ages, to be precise, in the 15th century. It was in this century that one could find the first mentions of tools called wrenches. Although those times did not imply the widespread distribution of these devices, nevertheless, the first steps on the path of progress and innovation were taken. Thus, in Europe, under the wing of the Mauser company, the first production of wrenches was born. Then, already during the Industrial Revolution, in the 19th century, the keys found their consumer, as a result of which they became popular enough to set the necessary impetus in the development of this area of ​​tools. It is worth noting that to this day it has not been possible to establish who is the author of the original device. Here you can only remember the names Edwin Bird Budding, inventor of the adjustable jaw wrench, and creator of the “French” sliding wrench Le Roy Tribo. The merits of the additional modification of the adjustable wrench with a worm gear mechanism are attributed to another name - Petter Johansson. It took the industrial world more than 50 years for the adjustable wrench to evolve to its “Swedish” descendant!

The company undertakes the mass distribution of “Swedish” pipe wrenches “B. A.Hjort & Company", branding the newly made tools with the “Bahco” brand. No one could have expected such success! Today the brand Bahco continues to flourish, new tools are released, and the company now has more than 100 million pipe wrenches sold.

Great minds, as usual, do not want to stand still. So Johansson, without thinking twice, transfers his business to his son, and all his developments to the company “B. A. Hjort & Company.” Having gotten rid of the “extra burden,” Petter began experimenting with electrical devices, and having achieved visible results, he opened an enterprise in 1919 "Triplex", engaged in the production of electric pendulums and other mechanisms.

But we digress. While a myriad of “Swedish” keys of patented designs, of all kinds and sizes appear one after another, in this continuous bustle it is not possible to establish a single classification of them. Fortunately, towards the beginning of the 20th century, a global division into the inch and metric systems occurred. During the same period, a special and extremely unusual key with jaws without teeth appeared. A big breakthrough was also the proposal of no one Stillson, steamship fireman, provide the pipe wrench with replacement jaws.

What do we have in the end?
- Gas keys were invented in Sweden, hence the original name - Swedish key.
- “Swedish” springs began to be called gas springs relatively recently, but no one can guarantee to say exactly when.
- Now a gas wrench is a multifunctional tool that is used not only for installing gas pipelines, as it was before, but also in all areas that involve working with pipes of water supply and heating systems.
- Such keys are especially widespread among plumbers.
- Many, in tribute to the old name, continue to call them simply - Swedes.
- By the way, before there were many more reasons to use the epithet “gas” in the designation of these keys, because in Europe, before the advent of electricity, gas was used, including for lighting.
- All gas keys are presented in red colors, so that if you urgently need to turn off the gas tap, you can easily find them.
- The classic form of a gas wrench is a form with straight jaws and with fixation of the part at two points. A tool with S-shaped jaws allows you to fix the part at three points.

Those who deny the indispensability of the gas key are, as a rule, poorly acquainted with the design features of its mechanism, and at the same time with the great advantages associated with them. After all, the idea of ​​using an open-end wrench instead of a Swedish wrench will not be so successful - there is not enough leverage, and if you do not apply the necessary force with an adjustable wrench, it will not stand. All this, as well as the fact that the gas wrench compresses the part during operation, makes it a unique tool for professionals.

sources
http://www.worlds.ru
http://otvety.google.ru
http://norse.ru
http://www.pravda.ru

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