The history of Russia is multifaceted and colorful. Interesting facts pass through it through the red thread - about architectural monuments, cities and residents, people with extraordinary skills and talents. It was the latter who made the history of modern Russia with their own hands, glorified it in songs and poems.
Culinary excellence deserves special attention. This is not only world-famous dumplings and dishes of Siberian cuisine, but also Tula or printed Gorodets gingerbread.
Gorodets
The city was founded at the same time as Moscow. He always attracted the attention of not only historians and local historians, but also tourists. The colorful town is famous for craft art in various directions, such as wood carving, painting and other folk crafts. During the merchant boom in Tsarist Russia, Gorodets became the Old Believer capital of the Volga region and connected Moscow with the world famous Kerzhensky hermitages.
Modern Gorodets is the museum capital of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Here is a block of museums. In its complex there are such museums: local history, good, samovars, children’s, City of Masters and the Gingerbread Museum (Russia). Gorodets is a place where you should come to find out the interesting past of your homeland. Here you can get new vivid impressions.
The Gorodets Gingerbread Museum in Gorodets is known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders.
This small city on the banks of the Volga is famous for the resting place of Alexander Nevsky. The locals are proud of the fact that Gorodets founded Yuri Dolgoruky. This is a moot point. But, one way or another, the name of the Grand Duke attracts tourists here. And leaving the town, travelers will certainly buy gingerbread cookies as a gift. For three centuries, Gorodets has been famous for its gingerbread craft.
History
In the second half of the 19th century, a real gingerbread boom began in Gorodets. This was facilitated by the proximity of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. From here, goodies came even to Central Asia. The competition was great - 15 establishments baked printed cakes, and the assortment totaled more than 30 varieties.
Baking such goodies is associated with the Old Believers. Indeed, many gingerbread masters really belonged to this trend. Many well-known Nizhny Novgorod families (the Glazunovs, Baharevs, Gunyakovs) were engaged in baking gingerbread. Moreover, their goodies were delivered to the royal table. And sometimes the weight of baking reached one and a half pounds. These were the largest gingerbread cookies that the Gorodets Old Believer merchants presented to Nicholas II on a silver platter.
Weight and size - this is what distinguished Gorodets gingerbread. The main secret - the composition of the test and toppings - was transmitted only by inheritance. It’s not enough that the gingerbread was tasty, it had to be smart. Printed boards made this confectionery a real work of art.
What does Gorodets gingerbread begin with? The history and formulation of goodies cause a lot of questions and consist of interesting facts.
Recipe
Gorodets gingerbread begins with the preparation of raw materials for kneading dough. First, the flour is sifted, sugar is bred and heated, the mixture is filtered. Melted margarine and molasses are also mixed. The last ingredient is added to the dough for softness. No chemical disintegrants are used in production. Therefore, the shelf life is very small: in the summer - 20 days, in the winter - 30 days. This simple recipe is not one hundred years old.
The dough is kneaded for about 20 minutes, then it is weighed and rolled. Layers of baking spread on gingerbread boards. Then the bakers spread the filling of raisins and marmalade, gradually adding spices: cinnamon, anise, cloves, cardamom and ginger. Basically, all work on the preparation of gingerbread is carried out manually. Forms can be different, and the weight of a sweet product starts from 50 grams to 6 kilograms. The recipe is always the same, only the shape and weight of the gingerbread differ.
Manufacturing secrets
After the stove, the gingerbread cookies should cool slightly. It is important that the pretzel remains warm, then the sugar syrup will lie as it should, and the pastries will shine in the sun. This process is called duplication or glazing. Gingerbread cookies cover with hot sugar syrup and leave to dry for 8-10 hours. Ready-made Gorodets gingerbread is packed in a film, so it will retain its freshness longer. Although it is difficult to imagine that such a treat will not be eaten right away.
The form
The most popular forms of gingerbread are plant motifs, images of the sun and animals. Over time, various holiday inscriptions, patterns, paraphernalia of a kind of activity, etc. are more in demand. In Gorodets, gingerbread cookies are baked to order and for various special occasions. There are boards with forms for various occasions.
Gingerbread cookies with the image of Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky are in special demand among tourists. Willingly buy and "City of Masters." This is another attraction of Gorodets.
Board
The quality of the board affects the appearance of the gingerbread. Linden rivets are easy to use, birch rivets are heavier. But the sharper and deeper the figure is cut, the more beautiful the carrot.
If the form does not deteriorate, crack or chip, then it can be in work for more than fifty years. When a board with a running pattern becomes unusable, it is being restored. And if this is not possible, bakers order a new stave.
Folk craftsmen, woodcarvers, carve intricate cliches with symbols of birds, animals, patterns and inscriptions. This is quite painstaking work, as the drawing on the board should be done in mirror image using a whole arsenal of special tools. Before you start carving, the image is applied to tracing paper. Coming up with new forms, masters stick to old patterns. Sometimes they just make cues.
Museum
The sweet treat house was opened in 2008 and is located on the estate of the merchant house I. Ya. Petelin. The building itself was built in 1906 and became a model of the city estate. The intricate architecture of the building with elements of modernity, although not related to the history of local delicacies, is very similar to it.
What can you learn and see when visiting the Gorodetsky Gingerbread Museum? The exposition is dedicated not only to the history of dessert, but also to a rich recipe for sweets and gingerbread boards for their manufacture. The exhibitions reflect the history of the gingerbread craft of the 19th century, the Red Gingerbread artel of the Soviet period and the modern Gorpishchekombinat.
Exposition and reviews
The pride of the museum’s exposition is various gingerbread boards, photographs of finished products and various souvenirs, which visitors often mention in their reviews.
Here is an interesting board with two sterlet for printing a five-kilogram gingerbread. Fine graceful carving was made by the hands of Yegor Baharev himself from the dynasty of the same name. It was made back in the 30s of the last century and until recently was in operation. After making a copy of the valuable board, the original became an exhibit.
The roll for rolling gingerbread is also interesting for visitors' eyes, which at the same time could produce 72 gingerbread cookies with different symbols - sickle and hammer, geometric and floral ornaments. In this way, a gingerbread without filling or, as it was called at that time, a snack was obtained. A similar gingerbread was often served at the end of the holiday, then it was called “overclocking”. With his help, the hosts hinted to the guests that "it would be time to have the honor to know."
The Gorodetsky Gingerbread Museum will also acquaint visitors with finished products of various shapes and sizes - from 20 grams to 6 kilograms. The special attention of visitors is enjoyed by the dish on which the gingerbread was served to representatives of the royal family of the Romanovs. According to eyewitness accounts, it looks really royal.
Come visit
If you look at the Gorodets Gingerbread Museum, whose address is Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gorodets, ul. Lenin, house 2, you will definitely plunge into the world of sweet gingerbread childhood and fairytale magic. Visitors say that it is interesting for both children and adults.
Printed gingerbread today, like hundreds of years ago, brings a unique feeling of the upcoming holiday and, judging by the reviews, remains the best gift that you can bring from Gorodets.