A monument to a hearty dish was erected in two Russian cities. This is due to the history of the development of remote territories and the harsh climate: before the appearance of stewed meat, frozen dumplings were taken on distant winter hikes.
In different countries there are similar dishes, for example, Uzbek manti, Ukrainian dumplings, Italian ravioli. When the explorers studied the territory of the Urals and Siberia, they liked the local dumplings. This word is Udmurt and means “ear of bread”. A well-coined name reflects the value and appearance of the product.
Homeland of dumplings
From the Urals, the present-day Komi Republic, dumplings spread throughout the rest of Russia. The owners of the Ural factories came to St. Petersburg and Moscow and missed their usual food. They came to restaurants and demanded to be served dumplings. As a result, the innkeepers had to expand the menu. Monuments to dumplings began to be erected only in the 21st century.
In 2004, a sculpture called a mouth-watering symbol of Udmurtia was opened in Izhevsk. Near the cafe, on a three-meter fork, there is a dumpling with a diameter of 0.6 meters. People passing by smile and look around several times, and some are photographed. At the festive opening of the monument, a mass dinner was organized with the eating of a popular Udmurt dish. Artist Alexei Shklyaev - the author of the idea - is pleased with the approval of Izhevsk residents and guests of the city.
Monument from the Surgut workers
Another monument appeared in Siberia in 2008. This time the residents of Surgut in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug distinguished themselves. A saucepan with a diameter of 1.5 m was filled with kilogram dumplings. Local craftsmen worked on the sculpture: a welder, a turner and a locksmith, and the workers became the initiators.
According to their idea, the pan is on a gas burner: this is how dumplings are prepared in the field. For decoration, a huge wooden Khokhloma spoon was added to the monument. In some Siberian cities, people are daily taken to work outside the urban area where oil and gas fields are located.
Canteens are organized there, but if they wish, the workers cook on their own. For them, the bread dumpling is a symbol of well-being, satiety and strength. After such a meal, you can do hard work at low temperatures.
On the territory of Russia, there are many places with a harsh climate where hearty food is needed. It is no coincidence that the described monuments appeared in places remote from the central region. Siberians and Uralians serve dumplings even on a festive table, and in the villages they mold them with the whole family and keep them frozen so that they will last for a long winter.
