Cucumber Festival in Suzdal
Interestingly, cucumbers are not a native vegetable in Russia. It is said that cucumbers first appeared in Russia in the 12th and 13th centuries. Over the years, cucumbers can be found in a variety of Russian dishes. But Suzdal has become the main growing place for cucumbers in Russia. Many local residents make a living out of this business. So people in this city do not only eat a lot of cucumbers, they even have a Cucumber Festival.
Suzdal (Russian: Суздаль) was founded approximately in 1024. It is a historic city located in Vladimir Oblast in western Russia, 216 kilometers east of Moscow and 30 kilometers north of Vladimir. It is located on a hill among endless farmland. Its appearance has not changed over the years: cabins and golden domes reflected in the water complement each other, the meandering river flows lazily through the gentle hills, and horse-drawn carriages come and go along the flower-filled meadow. [1]
Since 2001, Suzdal has celebrated the Cucumber Festival every July (the second or third Saturday) [2]. As an international student from Beijing, I have always lived in the city and have never heard of the Cucumber Festival, which sounds a bit "weird" and a bit "rural style". My friends told me that on this day I could see or taste the best cucumbers grown by local residents or professionals, as well as some food made with cucumbers, pickled cucumbers, fried cucumbers, cucumber drinks, and beer.
So I started searching for some information about the Suzdal Cucumber Festival on the Internet and learned that the Suzdal Cucumber Festival was held on July 15th, so we left from Moscow to have the journey of our life. After about 5-6 hours of driving, we arrived in Suzdal, where everything was so green and festive. Most passers-by wore bright green clothes on that day adding to the festive atmosphere. On this day, we also saw many exquisite handicrafts, sang songs and tried dancing dedicated to cucumbers, listened to traditional folk music, played traditional Russian games, and even archery and more.
Most importantly, I got to experience everything cucumber-related, which was just like the festival in general, which was fun and weird. During the Cucumber Festival. Locals of Suzdal say that it has a long history of growing cucumbers, and the soil here is very good, so the cucumbers grown here are also the best in the world :)
Do check the Владимиро-Суздальский музей website for an introduction to the local Cucumber Festival.
I recommend you come and try all the cucumbers:)
Tips: During the Cucumber Festival, I also recommend you to take a walk along the river, look at the old wooden buildings and churches, and slowly visit this city with more than 300 historic buildings.
Recommended attractions in Suzdal
Suzdal Kremlin
The Suzdal Kremlin, built between the 10th and 11th centuries, is the religious and administrative center of Suzdal and the oldest part of Suzdal. In 1992, Suzdal Kremlin became a World Heritage Site (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
Museum complex "Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery"
It is said that Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery was built in the 13th to 14th centuries and is one of the most famous monasteries in Kievan Rus. During Soviet times, the monastery was forced to close and became a prison, prisoner of war camp, and asylum.
Museum of Wooden Architecture
The Museum of Wooden Architecture was founded in 1968 and was hand-built by Russian master carpenters. It is worth noting that all the buildings are actual replicas of the buildings where people lived and worked in ancient Russia, completely replicating the layout of a small village in ancient Russia.
How to get to Suzdal from Moscow
- Self-driving tour (Translate and notarize your driver's license)
- Moscow-Suzdal (Bus)
- Moscow-Vladimir (Train), Vladimir-Suzdal (Bus)
- Riding
Sources:
Visited by
