At first glance, it might seem that the narrowly-themed expositions devoted to some everyday objects are not of particular interest. But it’s worth at least once to visit a similar museum, and you will change your mind. In fact, you can find out many incredible facts about the simplest and most familiar objects that will amaze your imagination. Still don't believe it? Visit, for example, the bread museum, and draw your own conclusions.
Is there a permanent bread exhibition in Russia?
Today, there are less than 20 major museums around the world dedicated to bread and other pastries. The inhabitants of Russia are doubly lucky, because in our country there are two unique collections dedicated to this food product. Where are these unusual displays? One bread museum is located in St. Petersburg, not far from the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station, the second in Moscow, in the historic Izmailovo Kremlin complex. It is noteworthy that the expositions are not interconnected, but have much in common. They tell the story of flour baking, provide ancient documents and recipes, and you can also see an impressive collection of samples of bakery products from different periods and traditions.
The first Russian bread museum (St. Petersburg)
The baking exhibition was opened in the city on the Neva in 1988. Already in 1993, the branch museum receives the status of a state, and, accordingly, a significant incentive for development. Bread products have been present in the culture of many civilizations since time immemorial. Even today, in an age of abundance and technological progress, the most honored and important guests are met with a delicious loaf and salt shaker (bread and salt). And this is no accident: how many proverbs are stacked about
bakery products, many signs and ceremonies are associated with them. Even in Orthodox traditions, “our daily bread” is mentioned.
The exposition tells the full and detailed history of this product. In the collection you can see the rate of bread issued in the besieged Leningrad, a variety of old recipes, utensils and appliances used to make baking. The exact address where the bread museum is located is: St. Petersburg, Ligovsky proezd, 73. The exhibition is open for visitors on weekdays (Monday to Friday), from 10.00 to 16.00.
Museum dedicated to bread in Moscow
The Moscow Bread Museum also talks about the traditions of baking the main product from antiquity to the present day. The museum complex offers several different excursion programs: these are lessons for children, and family trips to the world of bread, and even master classes. Having visited this unique exposition, you can try to cook your own pastries according to various recipes, decorate it beautifully and take it with you as a souvenir. If during the cultural program guests have an appetite, after the tour you can visit the buffet. The Bread Museum invites its visitors to enjoy real tea from the samovar and fresh pastries. In the buffet you can organize a festive tea party upon prior request. The Moscow Bread Museum is located in the interior, stylized as an old Russian hut. The organization works seven days a week, from Monday to Sunday, from 10.00 to 20.00. Attention: prior participation is required to participate in master classes.
Other bread collections and exhibitions
Many tourists who visited the bread museum get such a vivid impression that they want to learn even more about such an important food product. Are there any other collections in Russia devoted to the history and modern variety of bakery products? There are no more large state expositions of this subject in our country. However, any large bakery has its own mini-museum of products. Often such expositions receive guests, and sometimes excursions are carried out even in real production workshops.
You can also visit the mini bread museum in many institutions of preschool and secondary education. The tradition of creating their own exhibitions and collecting thematic collections is supported by many schools and kindergartens. And very often such expositions are dedicated specifically to bakery products as one of the main ones in the diet of mankind for centuries. What is especially nice, many mini-museums can be visited absolutely free on open days.