Articles

Baba Yaga ​​Dive into the enigmatic world of Baba Yaga, Slavic folklore’s quintessential enchantress. Picture this: a hut perched on chicken legs, hidden deep within the forest’s embrace. Baba Yaga herself? A paradox wrapped in a riddle, veering wildly between guardian of arcane secrets and the shadow lurking in every child’s nightmares. She navigates the […]

Enjoy this excerpt from our cookbook & cultural compendium More Than Borsch.See more and buy a copy here. In Old Russia, the new year began in March. It was celebrated like most spring holidays, with the ushering in of the sun, the warmth, and anticipation of new life. When Orthodox Christianity took root at the […]

Russians are often perceived as cold, distant, and unsmiling – or at best, reserved. Maybe it looks that way on the outside. But there is an unmatched depth to the Russian soul, and that depth is filled with pure, sincere emotion. It is an atmosphere in which cynicism seems crass and vulgar. Someone might be […]

Why do Russians love cats so much? Apparently, nearly 60% of Russians own at least one cat. Every Russian we know is absolutely obsessed with cats. We think it’s because cats and Russians are similarly misunderstood. Unfairly stereotyped as cold and surly, both cats and Russians are actually pretty warm, loving, and affectionate. Also very […]

Hot days, cold borsch.

#coolkompotsummer

No bake cake alert!

Easy and excellent.

According to folklore, there is a kind and savvy spirit living in the buckwheat, who increases the eater’s knowledge and ingenuity. That’s what makes it the ideal breakfast for exam days.

A perfect eating-in-front-of-the-fridge snack.

Learn how to make this absolute classic.

Здравствуйте – Zdravstvuite – Hello! Let’s be real: Russian isn’t the most popular language to learn. It’s not seen as romantic like French, suave like Italian or useful like Spanish. And that’s a real shame, because Russian is extremely eloquent, versatile and even, believe it or not, beautiful. In addition, Russia has been in the […]

Dive into the heart of Slavic cultural traditions with a whimsical whirl through the vibrant Easter traditions of Russia and Ukraine, where the ancient customs and folk art burst into a kaleidoscope of colors, flavors, and profound symbolism. Welcome to a tale of Paskha (Пасха), the pinnacle of Orthodox Christian celebrations, blending sacred mysteries and […]

Enjoy this excerpt from our cookbook & cultural compendium More Than Borsch.See more and buy a copy here. Maslenitsa is a holiday that comes at the end of winter, meant to usher in the spring and celebrate the new warmth and coming bounty. In pagan times, the predecessor to Maslenitsa was Komoeditsa, celebrated the week […]

Russian and Ukrainian folk arts are rooted in and reflective of the cultural life and include objects which historically are crafted and used within a traditional community. They encompass the body of expressive culture associated with the fields of folklore and cultural heritage. Folk art may tell a lot about the Russian and Ukrainian national […]

Petrykivka decorative painting is a traditional Ukrainian folk painting style that has played a spiritual role in people’s lives for centuries. It originates from the Petrykivka village in the Dnepropetrovsk region, in central-south-eastern Ukraine, along the Dniepr river. In 2013 it was included to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. […]

The traditional Ukrainian wardrobe was a far cry from today’s red-rose-and-leopard print spandex and ostentatious, all-white ensembles, but there remain a few common threads – the love of exotic imports, the attention to and care for details and the significance of the clothing as part of the social environment and surroundings. The basic elements of […]

The Ukrainian embroidery tradition has its roots in pagan beliefs of protection and ritual. Ukrainian embroidery can decorate ceremonial towels, table linens, vyshyvankas (embroidered shirts) and rushnyks (embroidered towels), Ukrainian traditional garments and bags. Like many other folk art practices throughout Ukraine and Eastern Europe, the Ukrainian embroidery tradition is one that is passed down […]

У Лукоморья – By the Bay – is the prologue to the epic poem Ruslan and Lyudmila by the world-famous poet/heartthrob Alexander Pushkin; it features cameos by almost all of the heroes of Russian folk lore. In this magic place, under that huge, old and beautiful oak, with the wise cat’s songs and tales, images from different […]

Another famous poem by poet/heartthrob Alexander Pushkin is The Tale of Tsar Saltan, or in full: The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of His Son the Renowned and Mighty Bogatyr Prince Gvidon Saltanovich, and of the Beautiful Princess-Swan (written in 1831). In the poem, Tsar Saltan chooses one of three sisters to be his wife, making the other […]

“The Mistress of the Copper Mountain” (Russian: Медной горы хозяйка) is a folk tale (the so-called skaz) of the Ural region of Russia collected and reworked by Pavel Bazhov, the famous Russian writer, best known for his collection of fairy tales The Malachite Box, based on Ural folklore. It was first published in 1936 It comes […]

In the Cabin on Chicken Legs lives Baba Yaga, an old Russian witch with magic powers who symbolizes for the dark side of wisdom and neglected dental care. Baba Yaga is usually shown as an ugly old woman with a huge and distorted nose and crooked, overgrown teeth, in old torn clothes, and dirty. In […]

There is a very famous Russian folk story for very small children – Ryaba the Hen (Ryaba comes from the word “ryabaya”, meaning spotty or speckled). This kurochka (the hen) Ryaba is a classic character from a classic tale and the inspiration behind the name and logo for Kurochka Clothing. There are a lot of […]

Enjoy this excerpt from our upcoming cookbook, More Than Borsch. The word samovar means “self-boiler” and is an integral part of tea making and drinking. A samovar-like implement with a central tube covered in soot was discovered in Azerbaijan dating back to the 2nd century BC, but samovars weren’t widely manufactured until the 18th century, […]

In Ukrainian villages, construction skills were based on local traditions and knowledge handed down generation to generation. Wood, clay and thatched roofs were primary building materials in most vernacular architecture of Ukrainian peasants.      Outside around the house there was a small backyard with fruit trees and bushes and vegetable gardens surrounded by wattle fences, […]

  A symbol of Russian nature and Russian beauty, the birch tree (“bereza” or “berezka” in Russian) has a very special place in the country’s culture. It is a poetic symbol of the feminine, a lyrical image of spring, light and virginal purity. The slender birch brings to mind the image of a humble girl, beautiful,and very […]