GREAT LENT BEGAN in russia! WHAT SHOULD WE EAT NOW?

The brightest, funniest and most entertaining of Russians holidays Maslenitsa has just finished. Yesterday a 49-day Great Lent began.

Great Lent, or the Great Fast in Russia

ВЕЛИКИЙ ПОСТ (Great Lent in Russian) is the most important fasting season in the church year in Russia, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, ПАСХА (Easter).

In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity. There are some differences in the timing of Lent (besides calculating the date of Easter) and how it is practiced, both liturgically in the public worship of the church and individually. Observance of Great Lent is characterized by fasting and abstinence from certain foods, intensified private and public prayer, self-examination, confession, personal improvement, etc. In this post we will tell you what Russians eat during the Great Fast.

During the lent only lenten fare is permitted by the Russian Orthodox Church. At this time old Russian proverb “ЩИ ДА КАША – ПИЩА НАША” (shchi da kasha – pischa nasha) (cabbage soup to porridge – that’s our food) makes much sense. Of course, not all Russian people fast – only deeply religious ones. But during the Great Fast many restaurants serve lenten food.

Among prohibited products there are meat, milk, eggs. Fish is allowed on special days. There are food calendars that inform about which food is allowed to eat on which day.

The most popular Russian lenten dishes

During the Great Fast people usually eat potatoes, noodles, bread, different porridges, fruits, and vegetables. There are some traditional Russian dishes that are very popular during the lent.

Vinegret

It’s a Russian traditional vegetarian salad, made of beets, potatoes, sauerkraut, peas, pickles… Ingredients might slightly vary per household and restaurant.

Vareniki

It’s Russian and Ukrainian classic pierogi, loaded with cheesy potatoes and an easy melt in your mouth homemade dough! There lots of types of vareniki: with potatoes, with potatoes and mushrooms, with cherry, with cabbage… If you make the dough without eggs, vareniki will be a perfect lenten dish!

Pickled vegetables

It’s not easy to find really good fresh vegetables in this time of the year in Russia, so pickled ones are the best substitution

Do you want to try traditional lenten food? Come to Petrozavodsk, experience Russian culture, and learn the language at our Russian courses. Enroll here