In which middle and high school students eat their way to a new understanding of an ancient culture.

Easter Eggs, Folk Art, and Fabulous Jewels!

The Easter time celebration is by far the most important in the Russian Orthodox Church. Many of the symbols of this celebration are already familiar to us. The gorgeous folk-art Easter eggs created in the same manner for centuries as a traditional Ukrainian folk art are easily identified by their intricate patterns and colors of red, black and golden-yellow. Equally impressive are the images of the bejeweled and bedazzling enameled eggs created by court jeweler and artist Karl Fabergé. These fabulous works of art were first commissioned in 1884 by Czar Alexander III as a special Easter present for his wife the Czarina.

Appetizers

Here's a site which offers more information on the Fabergé eggs.

Here's a site which offers a fascinating look at how the dates of Russian Orthodox feast days are determined. Math teachers --- this one’s for you!

Fancy Foods

The traditional Easter foods are a nut and fruit filled yeast cake called kulich and an accompanying sweet cheese spread called paskha. Often the kulich and paskha were carried to church and set out on long tables to be blessed by the priest. (In the old days, the priest would often make a "house call" to his wealthier parishioners to bless the food at home.)

The recipes for these delicacies are involved and time-consuming. The classic kulich was begun several days before Easter. It contained candied fruit, almonds, and raisins. It was always baked in a special kind of pan-- tall and cylindrical, sort of like a coffee can. When the cake was done, it was decorated with white frosting drizzled down the sides. On the side, spelled out in pieces of candied fruit, were the letters XB, representing the Cyrillic letters for "Christos voskres" -- "Christ is risen."

Next to the cake was the paskha, presented carefully molded in a triangular shape. The letters "XB" were also inscribed on this creation. Creating this delight took hours-- it requires weighing down "pot cheese" with a heavy board to drain the moisture and then pressing it though a sieve before the other ingredients were added. The mixture contained more nuts and fruits, vanilla flavoring and sugar.

Recipes!

An excellent recipe for traditional kulich and paskha can be found in the Time-Life Cookbook series Foods of the World: Russian Cooking by Helen and George Papashivily, 1969.

But...

If sieving pot-cheese and kneading yeast dough don’t fit in your daily planner, you can use the "cheat" method below. (I ask forgiveness from serious cooks and traditionalists!)

"Pretend" Kulich

• Mix up a boxed pound cake according to package directions. Throw in some raisins, chopped almonds, candied fruits. Use a little extra vanilla.
• Optional: Use a pinch ( ½ teaspoon ) of powered saffron
• Bake in a bundt pan according to package directions
• Make a thin frosting of confectioner’s sugar, milk, vanilla and Crisco-- drizzle over the top and down the sides when the cake is cool. Decorate with fruit.

"Pretend" Paskha

• Mix (to taste) raisins, candied fruits, almonds and a teaspoon of vanilla in a quart of ricotta cheese
• Add sugar to taste

I've never quite been able to mold this concoction into a triangle shape, but it is easy to spread in a shallow pan and create the traditional "XB" in candied fruit pieces.

Certainly this is not truly authentic --- but it gives the kids the idea! They enjoy the day -- the food, the novelty, and learning about the unfamiliar and beautiful traditions of the Russian Easter celebration.

More on Russian Culture:

Here's a collection of additional web resources for those who want to learn more about Russian traditions. These and more can be found in the Russian section of the TeachersFirst World Cultures page.

Welcome to the New Russia - This site is designed for tourists, and contains lots of good basic information on Russia. Colorful graphics and an easy-to-follow layout allow you to virtually explore Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Trans-Siberian Railway or the main waterways. You'll also find links to Russian history, art, architecture, and other interesting facts. Click on "The Gazetteer" for a summary of Russia today, or follow the "Activities" link to find out about wildlife preservation of the Siberian tiger.

 

Welcome to Little Russia in San Antonio, Texas - Two Russian natives who now work at the University of Texas designed this well-rounded page that offers something for every taste. You will find links to all things Russian – computer games, art and literature, recipes, jokes, music, and more. There is also a "Russian Attractions" section that includes architecture discussions of buildings in St. Petersburg and, of course, Moscow. Scroll to the bottom of the list and click on "General information" if you're looking for present geographical, administrative, environmental, political or economic information.

 

Samples of Greetings in Russian - This is a simple site that has recorded greetings and farewells in Russian, along with the various translations in English. The phrases are set up in chart form, which include a column that comments on whether the phrase is formal, informal, and other helpful tips. An easy way to get an idea of the Russian language if you haven’t heard it.

 

Face to Face with the Czars - For the history buff, this site offers everything you want to know about the Romanov Dynasty, from 1613 to its end in 1917. Click on different dates in the timeline to see all of royal Russia, from Mikhail Feodorovich to Nicholas II. There are pictures of each ruler, as well as a succinct biography, complete with links to a glossary of terms. Even those who aren't as enthralled with history will enjoy reading about the more uncommon rulers such as Catherine the Great – she used to correspond with Voltaire, you know.

A Taste of Russian Literature

Selections from the TeachersFirst Literature listings:

F.M. Dostoevsky -- Grades 9-12 -- This site was created by faculty and students at Middlebury College who admire the writing of Dostoevsky. You'll find a biography of the author's life as well as reading guides to some of his most famous works. Use them as class lesson plans or individual tutorials.