Oladushki Photo from http://povarusha.

ru Oladushki are one of two types of pancakes known to Russian cuisine; they are the thicker ones the other being the thinner crepe-like blini. Oladji, or oladushki, are Russian pancakes that are essentially made of flour, eggs and water. Instead of water, and to give a creamier consistency, you can use kefir, which is a sour milk product traditional to Russian cuisine. But rarely are these the only ingredients - oladushki are also usually cooked with an assortment of toppings or added ingredients and can be either sweet or savory.Oladushki are easy to prepare and are loved by households all around Russia. How to make To make perfect oladushki, take 7 tablespoonfuls of flour 1 cup kefir 1 egg 1 pinch of soda 1 pinch of salt Put flour into a round-bottomed bowl, add an egg, a pinch of salt and a pinch of soda and start adding kefir slowly. Whisk the mixture while adding the kefir, until you get a smooth and creamy consistency. Bake the oladushki mixture on a well-heated frying pan, adding the bits of dough with a tablespoon. An average-sized frying pan normally fits 3-4 pancakes.

Then add a variety of toppings or fillers to make a delicious treat! Below is a well recommended recipe for zucchini oladushki. What makes these so delicious is the subtle combination of flavors - fresh herbs, mint and lemon thyme. Photo from http://povarusha.ru Zucchini Oladushki 1 medium zucchini 1 egg 2 tbsp allpurpose flour 1 tsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 4-5 fresh lemon thyme sprigs, leaves only

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, vegetable oil for cooking In a large bowl, grate zucchini. Add the egg and herbs and mix well.

Sift the flour into the zucchini mixture, starting with 1 tsp at a time and work from there. The mixture should not be thick; you are looking for a somewhat soupy yet not runny consistency. Usually, 2 tbsp flour will suffice; you dont want to taste flour in the patties. Season with salt and pepper. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the vegetable oil until very hot over high to medium flame. Using a tablespoon, scoop the zucchini mixture and carefully tip it into the frying pan. Slightly flatten with the back of a fork or a spatula to let the pancakes cook evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Adjust the heat to medium-low if they brown too soon. Remove and place on a plate layered with paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. Serve warm or at room temperature, top with sour cream or serve a salad on the side. Bon appetit!

Written by Sara Firth, RT correspondent Varezhki Image from www.kathrynivy.com Varyag mittens Although some sources claim George Washington invented the glove with one sheath for four fingers and one for the thumb, northern peoples have used mittens since ancient times. Slavs are thought to have imported mittens along with northern warlords Varyags, who sometimes robbed and sometimes conquered and ruled Russians of yore. The Russian word for mittens varezhki means Varyag hand garment. A less popular version traces its etymology to the word varit (to boil), as craftsmen boiled leather mittens in wax and similar solutions to make them stout. Varezhki were worn mostly by peasants, as wealthy nobility, the boyars, preferred to hide their hands from the cold in long sleeves. And after Peter the Great reformed the country so it was more like Europe, the new elites switched to fingered gloves. However, fingerless gloves, mitenki, remained and are worn by women to this day. Varezhki variety Image from www.glenorchy-fur.co.nz People used leather or cloth mittens for work and fur or woollen mittens for warmth and beauty. In colder areas, like the Urals or Western Siberia, they wore two pairs of mittens at once, woollen ones to keep the warm air in and leather ones over them to fend off snow. In some regions a girl was expected to knit a pair of mittens as part of her dowry to prove her housewifes skills. Patterns decorating mittens had sacral meaning and were meant to protect the owner from evil spirits and diseases.

Forming attachments Today varezhki still hold a special place in the life of many Russians. Both adults and children use the garment, which is still cherished for its practicality. A typically Russian invention is tethered childrens mittens, to prevent the child losing his hand protection. The tether is usually made of a rubbery cord, drawn through the coats sleeves so that the mittens remain attached even when removed. A mitten for a toy Varezhka is also the name of a well-known Russian childrens animation film. Released in 1967, the stop motion drama is a heart-rending story, told without a single word but with a brilliant piano soundtrack. Several generations of Russians have shed tears of compassion for the main character, a little girl, imagining her mitten into a puppy, after her mother forbids her from having a real one. Maslenitsa Boris Kustodiev, Maslenitsa Spring welcome The tradition of Maslenitsa dates back to pagan times, when Russian folk would bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. As with many ancient holidays, Maslenitsa (the stress being on the first syllable) has a dual ancestry: pagan and Christian. On the pagan side, Maslenitsa was celebrated on the vernal equinox day. It marked the welcoming of spring, and was all about the enlivening of nature and bounty of sunny warmth. On the Christian side, Maslenitsa was the last week before the onset of Lent (fasting which precedes Easter), giving the last chance to bask in worldly delights. Once Lent itself begins, a strictly kept fast excludes meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. Furthermore, parties, secular music, dancing and other distractions from the spiritual life are also strictly prohibited. In the eyes of the church Maslenitsa is not just a week of merrymaking, but a whole stepby-step procedure to prepare oneself for a long and exhausting fasting, which, if observed properly, may be a real challenge.

Photo by Natalia Makarova, RT The religious Maslenitsa celebration activities consist of three weeks starting withvseednaya week (omnivorous week), with no limitations in the diet, followed by ryabayaweek (freckled), with alternating ferial and fasting days, and culminates with what we know as Maslenitsa week, or Cheese week, or, myasopust (abstaining from meat) when only dairy products are allowed for consumption. The church has long been trying to eradicate the pagan side of the holiday, but only managed to reduce the Maslenitsa week from 14 days to 7 in the XVII century. This last week is not homogeneous: if the first three days still permit performing daily chores and working, on Thursday, the so-called Wide Maslenitsa begins, when the celebration hits its climax, any labor is prohibited. On Sunday the Church commemorates Adams banishment from the Garden of Eden, while for the rest it is just a farewell to winter. Originally, the pagan festivities were held to honor the pagan deity Veles (or Volos also), the patron of cattle and farming. People associated him with a bear, or leshy (woodgoblin), therefore, the bear was a sacred animal possessing magical healing power. Some even thought of a bear to be a creature stronger than the Devil himself. Dancing like a bear around the house was supposed to protect it from burning down. Such behavior was considered sinful and therefore condemned by the Church. It tried to uproot the tradition, but, confronted with the all-embracing popularity of the Veles character, it capitulated by shifting the focus of the celebration from the pagan God to the Christian saint Vlasiy. It is customary for devout Christians to bring pancakes to his icon during Maslenitsa to please him and assure plentiful crops and healthy livestock in the coming summer.

Pancakes The name of the holiday, Maslenitsa (derived from maslo, which means butter or oil in Russian) owes its existence to the tradition of baking pancakes (or blini , in Russian). They are essential to

the celebration of Maslenitsa. On the one hand, hot, round, and golden, pancakes, as people believed, embody a little of the suns grace and might, helping to warm up the frozen earth. In old days pancakes were cooked from buckwheat flour, lending them a red color, making the significance even more evident. On the other hand, the circle has been considered a sacred figure in Russia, protecting people from evil. Hence is the habit of going on horseback around the settlement several times, decorating a cart wheel and carrying it on a pole along the streets, and dancing the khorovod(round dance). Such ceremonies were believed to butter (in Russian, the figurative meaning of the verb to cajole) the Sun and make it kinder. Pancakes also symbolize birth and death; in old Russia a pancake was given to a woman in labor, and is a ritual funeral repast in many homes. At Maslenitsa pancakes are cooked in very large quantities to be used in almost every ritual, they are given to friends and family all through the week. Pancakes are served with caviar , mushrooms, jam, sour cream, and of course, lots of butter. To view the recipe for real Russian blinis, click here. Traditional Maslenitsa Schedule: Monday Welcoming By this day the building of ice-hills, seesaws, and balagans is complete. Children and grown-ups assemble a Maslenitsa doll out of straw and old womans clothes. They place it on a pole and go dancing in khorovods, afterwards the doll is carried to the top of a snow hill, while at the same time people enjoy sliding down it. The rich start baking pancakes on this day, while the poor can only afford it doing it on Thursday or Friday. Traditionally, the first pancake goes to beggars to pay the tribute to the memory of deceased relatives. It was a common knowledge that if one doesnt have as much fun as he or she could during Maslenitsa, they are doomed to grow old in loneliness and misery. Daughters-in-law are sent to their parents homes, with their husbands families joining them by the end of the day for a substantial holiday meal. Photo by Natalia Makarova, RT Tuesday Playing Most of the fun and mischief falls on this day. From the early

morning, the youngsters would chute down ice-hills and eat pancakes. Petrushka shows are put up in balagans. Groups of mummers go from home to home and surprise everyone with on-the-spot performances. Men can kiss any passing woman on the streets during this day. Guests are welcomed at the gate and treated to various delicacies including pancakes. Groups of friends drive around in sledges. Single guys use sleigh rides to look out for young beautiful girls. The whole purpose of these games and activities was to make the matchmaking process easier and form couples to get married on the Krasnaya Gorka (Red Hill Holiday a Sunday after Easter, traditionally the time for couples to get married).

Wednesday Regaling, the Sweet Tooth day On this day sons-inlaw would pay a visit to enjoy their mothers-in-laws pancakes. Besides her daughters husband a mother-in-law would invite other guests as well. In the old times there was far more than just one son-in-law in one family, so the occasion demanded that they throw an elaborate and substantial dinner for her relatives. Pancakes, of course, again, would be the center of attention. They come in great variety from wheat, buckwheat, fine-ground barley and oats. This profuse eating can accounted for by the general belief that at Maslenitsa one has to eat as much as ones stomach would please. As the saying has it, Have as many servings as many times as a dog would wag its tail. Sometimes, mostly in the villages, womens rally would be organized as part of the mother-in-law pancake party. Several women would be harnessed together in threes and take rides around the village. Normally, these are newlywed wives who have to demonstrate their stamina and endurance, to prove they will succeed riding in the family team. At the end of the day people sing hailing songs to praise the hospitable mother-inlaw and her abundant home. Photo by Natalia Makarova,

RT Thursday Revelry This is the time for Broad Maslenitsa to start. People are no longer allowed to work, and all the fun reaches its boiling point. On this day fist fights traditionally take place. Fist fighting is said to commemorate Russian military history, when soldiers supposedly fought each other in hand-tohand combat. Never hit a man when he is down, states a Russian proverb, and its roots are found in this Maslenitsa. Violations of this rule are supposed to be punished severely, but, of course, rules are made to be broken. One of the witnesses, a Brit, Dr. Collins, residing in Moscow during the mid-17th century, recorded that once, more than 200 men were killed on this day. The effigy of Maslenitsa is carried around in sledges. Children dressed for the occasion walk around from house to house, singing: Ankes-pankes, bake the pancakes thus asking for delicacies to enjoy at their festive parties. It is possible that this tradition was adopted by the American children, when they dress up in carnival costumes on Halloween and go trick-or-treating. Friday Mother-in-laws Eve Scarcely had mothers-in-law time to treat their sons-in-law to pancakes, when the sons-in-law are inviting their good-mothers to their gatherings. Newlywed couples are dressed in their best and ride sledges to show off their prosperity and wellbeing. Invitations to the party would vary, with the honorary one being most desired. A mother-in law with all her kin is kindly asked to her sons-in-law house for a dinner party in a special way: in the evening a son-in-law has to send the invitation to his mother-in-law personally, and the following morning he would send a group of ambassadors to her. The bigger is the delegation, the greater the honor done to the mother-in-law. The mother-in-law would be flattered to receive such treatment therefore, people used to say, The favorite son of the mother-in-law is her son-in-law. Valentin Serov, 'The Taking of a Snow Fortress' Saturday Sister-inlaws Gathering

On this day young wives would invite their sisters-in-law for a feast to cajole them and win their favor. If husbands' sisters are single, young men are expected to attend the party. If they are married, she would invite all her married relatives along and the whole train would travel from one household to another. This ritual was of significance, since the relationship between the young wife and her sister-in-law initially was expected to be rather tense. Even the origin of the Russian word denoting sister-in-law is pretty self-explanatory. In Russian it stems from the word evil (zolovka from the word zlo). Sisters-in-law initially were always suspicious and hostile toward her brothers sweetheart, who in Russian is called nevestka, meaning outsider. Photo by Natalia Makarova, RT Sunday Forgiveness Day It is the day to ask for forgiveness. Young married couples visit their relatives, present gifts to their matchmakers, parents and friends, who cheered them at the wedding. They would also pay visits to their godparents to give presents to them, too. The most honorary gift for a man was a towel. For a woman it was a piece of soap. People would go to cemeteries and leave pancakes on the graves of their ancestors. When asking for forgiveness they would bow and normally hear the reply, God will forgive you. All the food that is left needs to be eaten up, followed by a piece of rye bread and salt, as a reminder of the upcoming Lent. It is the day when Maslenitsa dolls has to be burnt; after it has turned to ashes, young people would walk over the fire, marking the end of the Maslenitsa festivities. Photo by Tina Berezhnaya, RT The burning of Lady Maslenitsa The rite of burning the effigy is related to the ancient, both pagan and Christian, idea of revival through sacrifice and death. It stands for the awakening of fruit-bearing powers of nature, the renewal of its life force. This pristine holiday harbors profound meaning: the birth of life through struggle, death and

revival. For this logic, the mascot of the celebration was chosen to be an effigy of a woman symbolizing the bearer of a new life. Lady Maslenitsa, made out of straw and clad in brightly-colored garments, is the center of the celebration. It is carried around on a pole or driven in sledges throughout the entire holiday week. People sing songs about Maslenitsa, where it is referred to as a real person, that accuse it of its rampant nature on the one hand and responsible for the winter cold and the upcoming severe Lent to come on the other. The climax of the holiday week is burning the effigy, which takes place on Sunday, the Forgiveness Day. Unlike the usual bonfires of brushwood and logs, this ceremonial fire was powered by hay and old rags. Photo by Natalia Makarova, RT People sought to take the load of the old possessions off their shoulders, as they were convinced that by doing so they liberated their lives from old gnawing pains, unresolved issues, and uneasy thoughts. In towns the bonfires served a different purpose: they would melt the icy hills and snowdrifts thus sending away what was left of winter. This rite was a way for people to be purged, to let go anger and grudge they had built up the previous year and to enter the New Year purified and light-hearted. In many regions of Russia, pancakes, butter and milk were also burnt during that day, which signified the end of the Maslenitsa feast and marked the beginning of the seven-week Lent. Once Lady Maslenitsa was reduced to ashes, they were either buried in the snow or scattered across the fields to fertilize the future crops. In the pre-Christian era instead of the effigy the real person was burnt, and torn into parts and scattered in the fields to assure rich crops, but starting from the 17th century, this ugly carnivorous tradition was banned. Written by Ekaterina Shubnaya, RT Reituzi

Photo from woman7.ru Reituzi are a specific kind of leg warmers made of wool. In Russia they became a piece of traditional cold resistant clothing worn by the young and old. Russian word reituzi originally comes from the German reithosen, derived from Reiten ride and Hosen trousers, which stands for riding trousers (meaning horse riding trousers). But for Russia, they are more than riding trousers or leggings or jodhpurs: they are a piece of clothing familiar to everyone, many since early childhood. In the 18-19th centuries they were used in the army to warm up horsemen, but the piece of clothing was assimilated by civilians, and soon every child would grow up wearing reituzi. Usually the itchy wool trousers came together with valenki and goat fiber shawls to protect the wearer from extreme subzero temperatures. Many prominent Russian authors mentioned them in their works, like Fyodor Dostoevsky: Sir, I used to have a pair of reituzi, very nice ones, blue check ones Aleksandr Pushkin: I am going to put on my tight reituzi and twist my mustache into curls... Leo Tolstoy: He was wearing a worn out jacket with a military cross, reituzi and an officers sword Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, famous designers borrowed the idea of jodhpurs

from horse riding to turn them into a piece of fashion. Coco Chanel was one of the first brands to turn this kind of sportswear into haute couture. In Russia, however, the leg warmers continued to serve as a means of survival in minus 40 temperatures and below. Po ponyatiyam Photo from strokanphoto.com In the 1990s the Soviet Union collapsed, along with the fear of law. In fact, rule of law as such ceased to exist. To solve business disputes or domestic issues, po ponyatiyam, or the codes of the underworld, became the new rule. It was the beginning of the so-called reckless 90s . The Soviet Union legalized private entrepreneurship, allowing free trade. However, the new law said nothing about regulations and the security of the market economy. After the August putsch of 1991, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country fell into chaos, so did the economy, which resulted in social decay. While nobody agreed to obey official authorities, organized criminal groups/syndicates were gathering momentum. The vast country was torn apart by hundreds of small and dozens of big mobs Solntsevskiye, Orekhovskieye, Koptevskiye, Kazanskiye are just few of the most notorious organized criminal groups, that controlled Moscow. An occasional mention of a criminal group would indicate who your krysha (or roof in Russian) is, r otherwise who's your patron and protector. All issues were to be settled between mobs. A syndicate which had more members and which was better equipped with weapons (including explosives and rifles) took over in the conflict. Disputes were settled down at so-called strelkas (or a meeting of two conflicting groups of criminals). With harsh words, fists, knives and bullets, a dispute would be solved 'po ponyatiyam' Screen shot from the movie "Boomer" According to this code, punishment for a debt would be a kidnapping of a family member as the initial warning and chopping off his or her fingers as the second. The murder of a mob's member would be followed by a similar murder of a member of a competing group. The most fierce vendetta would be for a death of a syndicate's leader. They were considered as godfathers by their mobs and would be buried accordingly.

But protection of a mob did not come for free. On a regular basis criminals would come to small and big entrepreneurs 'to collect render' and raid those who refused to share voluntarily. Gasoline stations, shops, restaurants and even singers and actors were all 'taxed'. And, of course, the amount of the tax was decided "po ponyatiyam". By 1993 the majority of Russia's banks were owned by the mafia, and 80% of businesses were paying protection money. In that year alone, 1,400 people were murdered in Moscow mostly businessmen who refused to pay to the organized criminal groups. Screen shot from the movie "Gromozeka" A popular method "to tame the shrew" would be to introduce yourself to a businessman and offer him help "just in case" without putting pressure or threatening. The next step would be to send armed men to the same businessman as if from a different mob. The scheme worked perfectly. Almost everyone got hooked and turned to 'a kind patron' for protection. The problems which organized criminal groups offered to solve were very often created by themselves. As most of the mobs' leaders were former prisoners, between themselves they abided by certain rules taken from the prison system. One such rule was that cooperation with the authorities of any kind was forbidden. During World War II, some prisoners made a deal with the government to join the armed forces in return for a reduced sentence, but upon their return to prison they were attacked and killed by inmates who remained loyal to the rules of the thieves. This story would be often rehashed by Russian mafia in the 90s. Written by Ekaterina Gracheva, RT correspondent Samogon RT Photo / Irina Vasilevitskaya Russia is synonymous with Vodka, but travel out of the cities and down to the back woods and a different drink challenges Vodka as the tipple of choice.

Its called Samogon, Russian moonshine. It comes in many flavours, is distilled from many ingredients and is often of near atomic strength. It holds a special place in Russian drinking culture as a kind of Robin Hood of alcohol. Appearing around the 14th century, Samogon was from its inception illegal, a popular way to get round Ivan the Terriblesstate monopoly on wine. It has occupied that folk heros role ever since, defying all attempts by Tsars, Soviet officials or the modern day police to root out backyard distilleries. This is mainly because it manages to keep often very poor Russians merry without the cost of buying alcohol. Its main opponent has been Vodka, also much loved by Russians. Vodka was created after Samogon and much-promoted as a state alternative to home brews. It was standard in quality (at least officially), cheap to make and even though duties were small, its sales filled the Russian treasurys coffers. But even the relatively cheap Vodka was out of reach for some rural labourers, and that, combined with contempt for central authority, ensured Samogon continued to flourish. Another appeal of the drink is the myriad of ingredients you can throw into the fermenting mix. Sugar is needed to help the process, but theres also grains, corn, beetroot or potatoes. To sweeten the mix some distillers add grapes, fruit, honey or any manner of weird and wonderful things. If its lying around in reach of the Samogon maker, its probably been tried! Photo from http://vkusom.ru The first alcohol to distill from the murky mix is called pervach, meaning the first one. Its very strong, as alcohol evaporates at lower temperatures than water and so collects first. It is also more like vodka with almost no taste or smell. The remaining mixture evaporates slower, and what is collected becomes more pungent and impure. To get over the increasingly foul odor, fruity and sugary ingredients are added to brighten the drink. Unfortunately, like moonshine around the world, making Samogon can involve cutting corners which results in concoctions that are literally deadly. Professional-standard stills needed to evaporate the liquid and re-condense it are expensive, so cheaper or homemade versions are common. But some people use heaters from car radiators, which can

lead to antifreeze or lead getting into the mix, both of which are deadly. The other main risk comes from attempts to boost the power of the drink. Some Samogon makers add cheap methanol to the mix, which can create a toxic mixture capable of causing blindness or death. Alcohol over 80% proof (yes it can get that strong!) is also highly flammable. So if you dare drink it, you might want to pass on that cigarette! Since the start of the new millennium Samogon, which has hidden in the shadows for so long, Photo from

http://www.doctorguber.ru/ may be moving into fashionability. So called Kosogorov Samogon is a legalized brand of the drink competing for a place on bars alongside its old rival, Vodka. And sales are reportedly doing well, with the brand hitting on the idea of the rebel backyard booze and turning it into a commodity for those perhaps not willing to risk the real thing. Samogon is as rich and diverse as those who make it. It can be delicious or deadly, but as long as its cheaper than the legally endorsed alternatives, you can bet youll still find home-made stills in the backyards of rural Russians. Written by Tom Barton, RT correspondent