If you are going on a trip along the Golden Ring, then you probably want to buy souvenirs for relatives. So many tourists wonder what to bring from Kostroma? The list of possible gifts is quite large. As a rule, Kostroma souvenirs are invariably associated with historical crafts that exist to this day.
Shopping features
If you are thinking about what to bring to Kostroma to your family, then you should not count on the abundance of modern boutiques in the city. Here you will find only a few shopping and entertainment complexes that are unlikely to please branded boutiques of eminent fashion designers. For fashionable things, going to Kostroma is definitely not worth it. But in the city you can buy wonderful souvenirs that will remind you of the trip and delight you.
What to bring from Kostroma as a gift? Conventionally, all gifts from these places can be divided into several groups: gastronomic products, souvenirs, textiles, jewelry, art goods. All of these things are related to local crafts, and therefore are of great interest.
Kostroma cheese
If you do not know what you can bring from Kostroma, you should pay attention to gastronomic delights. Tasty gifts will appeal to absolutely everyone. It is no secret that Kostroma is considered the cheese center of Russia. The start of production of this product was laid in 1878 thanks to the merchant Blandov, who founded the first cheese factory. Currently, the city has more than ten production units. Over the years, numerous new varieties of cheese have been developed. However, the most popular is the famous Kostroma cheese.
He became a real symbol of the city. The famous cheese actively competes with eminent foreign varieties. Very often it is compared with Gouda, but at the same time it is praised for a more noble taste and delicate texture. Therefore, guests of the city have no doubt what to bring from Kostroma from food. Cheese can be a great treat for relatives.
Elk milk
Not far from the city operates the only farm in the world that has been engaged in the cultivation of moose for more than 50 years. If you wish, you can visit the Sumarokovsky reserve and see with your own eyes amazing animals.
You will find not only an interesting excursion, but also elk milk. It can be purchased as a gift or for your own use. Elk milk is ahead of cow in amino acid content. And the protein and fat content are no less impressive.
The product has a special, slightly salty taste. Milk is incredibly good for the human body. With its help, diseases of the duodenum and stomach are treated. The product can be stored in the freezer for up to six months without loss of useful properties. Therefore, when you are asked what to bring from Kostroma, you can confidently answer that unique elk milk is the best gastronomic present.
Thursday Salt
If you have not decided what to bring from Kostroma, it is worth recalling the famous black salt, which can only be found here. Simple technology is very unusual for our days. First, a mass of rye flour and salt is prepared, which resembles the dough in consistency. It is wrapped in canvas or put in a container of birch bark, and then put in a hot oven for 12 hours. During this time, the flour manages to burn out, and remains black salt mixed with useful elements. After which the product is crushed. Ready salt has an unusual taste.
Sometimes, instead of flour, soaked rye bread is used. Local craftsmen also use recipes based on kvass, cabbage leaves and oatmeal. You can add mint, oregano and thyme to the composition. Previously, such salt was produced only on Pure Thursday on Holy Week, which is why it got its name. Traditions say that salt prepared on the eve of Easter has extraordinary power.
Peter's toys
What can I bring from Kostroma as a gift? Ceramic toys have long been produced here as souvenirs. It just so happened that where potters made pots, children's toys certainly appeared.
In the same way, cute clay whistles made in the form of the Slavic goddess Makoshi, figures of animals, people and birds were born in the village of Petrovskoye. Toys have a characteristic brown-green color. Whistles are not just a cute souvenir, but also a great toy for a child.
Felt boots
The city is famous for its amazing souvenirs. What to bring from Kostroma? In souvenir shops eyes just run up from the abundance of cute little things. For a long time in Russia Kostroma felt boots are famous. Fantasy and talented hands of local masters turn ordinary felt boots into a real work of art. In the shops, a variety of colors of finished products is striking. There are many techniques for the original design of shoes.
In specialized shops you can find boots with embroidery or with rhinestones and much more. Unique shoes retain heat well, and lanolin contained in sheep's wool relieves pain in joints and muscles.
Bast shoes
What souvenirs to bring from Kostroma? A popular gift are bast shoes. Of course, you don’t walk like them in the street, like in felt boots, but you can use them as a souvenir. An ancient craft for weaving bast shoes originated in the village of Semenovo. And to this day they are produced in the village. True, modern bast shoes are no longer woven from bast, but from birch bark. As a result, they are very distinctive and elegant. On the festival "Semenovsky Lapot" guests come not only from Kostroma, but also from Moscow, Kineshma and Yaroslavl.
Bast shoes can be a great decoration in your home. Such a gift can be presented to friends or relatives. A universal souvenir will appeal to many.
Slavic doll
If you still have not decided what to bring from Kostroma, photos of souvenirs will help to make a choice. An unusual gift can be a Slavic ritual chrysalis, which appeared in Russia before the advent of Christianity. She personifies the old custom of spring sacrifice to the god Yarila.
Such a doll was previously considered a very strong amulet. And in our time, craftsmen making such souvenirs try to observe all the ancient technologies for working with wood. Until now, bast and birch branches are used as the basis for creating figures. Kostroma's doll, like other amulets, is faceless. Ancient beliefs say that a doll with a face can find a soul, which means that it can be used as a tool for witchcraft. Therefore, Kostroma has no face. It is called to bring people only good.
Gifts from the Snow Maiden
What to bring from Kostroma? Guest reviews can help make the right choice. Among the most popular souvenirs that travelers recommend are Snow Maiden figurines. The character image came to us not from ancient times. He is only a few centuries old. Kostroma is a city with an amazing and rich history. He became the birthplace of the Snow Maiden. It was in the Kostroma province that the famous playwright Ostrovsky created this fabulous image. In the city on the Volga coast, a beautiful tower for the Snow Maiden was built.
Grandfather Frost from Veliky Ustyug arrives here on New Year's Eve to his beloved granddaughter. The Snow Maiden is glad to guests at any time of the year, she warmly welcomes all guests, delighting with fascinating stories and fun. In local shops you can buy a variety of souvenirs from the granddaughter of Santa Claus.
Jewelry
Kostroma jewelry is no less famous than boots or cheeses. In the old days, three to six local factories were engaged in the manufacture of products. They produced jewelry from silver and gold of the highest standard.
The most famous modern enterprise in the city is the Kostroma Jewelry Factory. He has been working since 1939. The company produces jewelry made of gold, platinum and silver. Cufflinks, rings, earrings and bracelets will appeal to many.
If you want to give yourself or a loved one an expensive gift, pay attention to the jewelry factory products. Since the company is located in the city, its products have an affordable price. Kostroma has long been considered the center of jewelry in Russia, so do not miss the chance to get a truly worthy gift.
Linen products
The real pride of Kostroma is flax. The city is unofficially considered the main center for flax production in the country. Experts note that every third meter of linen is produced in Kostroma. Flax in these places is very high quality. It features strong fiber. In local stores you can buy quality things: bedding and table linen, beautiful clothes with delicate lace and embroidery. Judging by the reviews, linen from Kostroma will last more than one year, give warmth and comfort to your home, and remind you of a wonderful trip to a wonderful place.
Linen fabrics have long been revered in Russia. They are very light and durable, they do not sit down during washing. The city’s store will offer you a wide range of linen products: linen, shirts, tablecloths, curtains, napkins, and much more.
Amulets
Kostroma is known for its amazing souvenirs. If you want to purchase a special amulet, you can visit one of the local art shops. They specially made to your order souvenir from natural materials. You can also purchase finished products of local masters. Very often amulets are made of flax. Such gifts are in great demand. In addition to standard figures in stores, you can find comic heroes of fairy tales and epics. For example, Grandfather Fir, Sivaya Mare or Horse in a coat may appear on the counter.
In the city you can also buy watches made of wood, tea houses and calendars with views of Kostroma. And about such simple souvenirs as postcards and magnets, and does not speak. They are sold literally everywhere.
Mascot
In shops and stores you can buy symbols of the Kostroma people, which all local residents believe in. For example, an old belief claims that objects such as a shovel for money, a golden frog or a toad on a coin will certainly bring financial prosperity. Family well-being and happiness will be provided by the golden fleece, shark of success or horseshoe. Button amulets protecting the home from evil spirits are no less in demand. Souvenir magnets in the city are in the form of a frying pan. This unusual appearance is due to the fact that the central square from the height looks like a frying pan.