Today's post is dedicated to Russian Easter bread. Kulich, whose name is paraphrased from the Byzantine Greek κουλίκιον (=round-shaped bread) is usually accompanied with Russian Easter cheese. The saffron-colored version featured here is uncommon, reminding of Swedish Lussekatter. Although these breads have little else in common, Byzantine, Russian and Viking history are often intertwined.
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| St. Olga in Constantinople (from the Ratzivill Chronicle -15th c.) |
According to popular belief, Kievan Rus' -where the eastern branch of Vikings settled- was christianized by St. Andrew. Historically, the religious and cultural enlightenment of Moravia and its neighbors was achieved by two Greek Byzantine theologians starting in 863 -three years after the Byzantine army repelled the offensive of the Kievan Rus' against Constantinople. In order to better instruct the Eastern Slavs in Greek Orthodox faith, the Saints Cyril and Methodius devised the Glagolitic script (later replaced by the Cyrillic script, which became the official script of the Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian languages). The Slavonic Church borrowed not just the writing but also the religious practices, vocabulary, and traditions of Greek Orthodox Christians.
The alliance of the Byzantine Empire with the Moravian Slavs went on to include Kievan Rus', Serbia and -occasionally- Bulgaria. Between the 10th and 14th centuries, foreign guards composed of Northmen served in Constantinople, having travelled from Scandinavia especially for this. These men were called Varangians (a paraphrase of Vikings which generally meant 'people of Northern origin'). However, it took quite a while for ordinary people to convert in great numbers. Although the Russian princess Olga was baptized in the 850s, her son remained a pagan. Massive christianization of the Kievan Rus' was organized by the grandson Vladimir, who even married the Byzantine Emperor's sister in 988 devoting the rest of his life to charitable works. Meanwhile the Russian Orthodox Church would become the first in order under the Greek patriarchates. Even though it uses the Julian calendar, holidays are observed in almost the same manner -including edible offers.
Because the climate and history of Greece and Russia differ, ordinary eating habits also differ. Following culinary traditions in other parts of Europe, kulich is filled with candied orange and normally glazed with sugar while tsoureki is not. The Russian yeast-bread is also decorated with the letters X B, standing for Христос воскрес ('Christ is risen'). Unlike other holiday breads, kulich is baked in a cylindrical mold. Some versions, however, resemble πρόσφορον, a yeast-bread stamped with crosses that Greek Orthodox women offer to Church on special occasions. This bread is made of flour, salt, yeast & water and tastes rather simple; leftover pieces called αντίδωρον are delivered to people after Sunday mass, instead of the Eucharist.The stamped version of kulich probably tastes more like άρτος, the consecrated bread of great religious feasts which is dusted with icing sugar.
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