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The Russian custom of drinking tea from a saucer is considered one of those things that you do in the company of friends or family. It is not to be done in a formal setting. The reason to do it is when your tea is really hot and you don't want to wait for it to cool, pour it into the saucer and let it cool there. Russians customarily enjoy very very strong tea, so they often like to add marmalade to the tea, or hold a lump of sugar in their teeth as they sip.
You could probably get away with using soap with a glass teapot, as glass is relatively nonpourous and won't hold on to the soap and looks bad if it is dirty.
I am a bit strapped for time, but I can talk about gungfu later.
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