At first they were popular mostly in middle-class households (particularly in Warsaw, Greater Poland, and Pomerania), but gradually became more widespread among other sectors of society and had become ubiquitous by the time of the Polish People's Republic.
By the 1990s and following Poland's transition into a market economy, podstakanki started being replaced by East German and Western mugs.
They have since become fairly uncommon, but are still perceived as a traditional element of Polish applied arts and the old way of serving tea or coffee.
Most Russian tea glass holders have been produced by a plant located in Kolchugino, Vladimir Oblast.
Kolchug-Mizar, its name deriving from its location and the alloy melchior,[3] continues to be the main glass holder producer to this day.