August 16, 2026

Dine Like It's the 1940s


Dine Like It's the 1940s
Just like Grandma used to make. I mean scrounge. Mamaliga. Vervin, Wikimedia Commons.

On August 6, independent Russian news outlet Govorit NeMoskva reported on a Krasnodar culinary studio's "Historical Dinner-Lecture: 186 Days of the Occupation of Krasnodar" event, in which diners can experience the food of Russia during the Second World War, specifically the city's occupation by German forces. The experience reportedly promised guests a "gastronomic journey" where each dish represented a phase of the occupation of Krasnodar.

Per the article, the five-course "Dinner-Lecture" began with sparkling wine, cranberry punch, and crab salad, reminiscent of the "prosperity and optimism of the late 1930s." From there, the fare deteriorated, reflecting conditions in the war-torn city: for instance, runny mamaliga (polenta) with sunflower cake crumbs and lukewarm water, and recreated Red Army and Wehrmacht rations.

When a local paper announced the unusual event, there was public outcry in Krasnodar that the initiative was tasteless (in more ways that one). The organization behind it, the culinary studio "Vilka" ("Fork"), subsequently released that it would be revisiting the event, maintaining its spirit and concept while making it more palatable to the community (also in more ways than one).

 

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