Moscow Airports Serve Traditional Tea to Visitors
The Moscow Tea Time project offers international delegates traditional Russian tea and pastries upon their arrival.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Tea
Russian officials are welcoming African leaders with traditional tea and pastries at major Moscow airports. The Moscow Tea Time initiative provides these refreshments as a gesture of hospitality and trust.
Why it matters
The food reception serves as a traditional Russian gesture of hospitality, friendship, and trust toward visiting international delegates. This practice extends to various diplomatic summits to reinforce bilateral relations.
The Moscow Tea Time project operates across Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Domodedovo airports to serve tea alongside pastries and sweets. This initiative was officially launched in December 2023.
The players
Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi
He is the President of Egypt who co-chaired the 2019 Russia-Africa summit.
Vladimir Putin
He is the President of Russia who co-chaired the 2019 Russia-Africa summit with El-Sisi.
Assimi Goita
He is the President of Mali who received a traditional food welcome at his airport arrival.
The details
Visiting leaders, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Mali President Assimi Goita, are welcomed with bread, salt, and tea. The ceremony involves guests breaking a piece of bread and dipping it in salt as part of the formal reception process.
Timeline
2019: El-Sisi and Putin co-chaired the first Russia-Africa summit in Sochi.
December 2023: The Moscow Tea Time project launched.
October 2024: The BRICS summit was held in Kazan.
29 October 2026: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Moscow.
Culture Shift
This hospitality practice follows the pattern of ceremonial bread and chak-chak offerings showcased at the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan. These gestures highlight a shift toward integrating traditional cultural customs into high-level diplomatic protocols.
While these specific refreshments are reserved for visiting dignitaries, the initiative reflects a broader emphasis on Russian hospitality at major transport hubs. Travelers can expect to see increased visibility of national culinary traditions when transiting through these airports.
The takeaway
Traditional welcoming ceremonies remain a cornerstone of diplomatic etiquette intended to build mutual trust between nations. Incorporating local culinary heritage into arrivals can serve to humanize official high-level diplomatic visits.
Further reading
Learn more about global tea culture and regional customs on the Tea page.
