September 13, 2021

A Dedication to Dairy


A Dedication to Dairy
This one is vanilla, but you can buy these in so many different flavors and varieties too!  Photo by Aurin via Wikimedia Commons through CC BY-SA 2.5

Residents of Voronezh have made us all proud (and a little bit jealous) by setting the Russian record for eating the most syrki (a sweet cottage cheese-based dessert common in Russia) in one day. 

Anyone who has spent some time in Russia is familiar with the allure of a fresh syrok (the singular form of syrki); its crispy chocolate coating along with its smooth creamy filling makes it an ideal treat to accompany tea or breakfast, especially on a hot day. So it's easy to understand how a group of fair attendants were able to gobble down approximately 1,355 syrki in a single day, breaking the national record, according to the Russian Book of Records. 

The number given is only an approximation because the vendor at the fair wasn't able to write down the names of the individual persons who came and purchased their desserts. Also, quite understandably, many people came back for second servings, but officially, this double-dipping couldn't count toward the final total of syrki consumed. Still a pretty sweet accomplishment!

Maybe the editors at Russian Life can try to beat the record for most bliny eaten next. Let's just not think about all the calories.  

You Might Also Like

The great bird's milk secret
  • August 01, 1998

The great bird's milk secret

Ptichye moloko -- that famous Russian torte, has its history revealed here. But the recipe remains a secret...
From Tvorog to Protests
  • February 17, 2021

From Tvorog to Protests

Natalia was raised between downtown St. Petersburg and a small village. She is passionate about sharing all aspects of Russian life: both the good and the bad.  
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955