Cucumber Day in Suzdal is a long—awaited summer holiday, which attracts guests from all over Russia. We visited the XX anniversary Cucumber Festival in Suzdal, we tell you everything: when and where the festival is held, tickets, program, atmosphere and treats. How did Suzdal become the cucumber capital of Russia, and when is Cucumber Day in Suzdal 2024?
How Suzdal became the cucumber capital of Russia
Until last year, like most of us, Suzdal was associated with churches and monasteries, but not with cucumbers. How did it happen that the pearl of Russia’s Golden Ring became its cucumber capital?
Cucumber cultivation in Suzdal began to be engaged in since the XII-XIII centuries, but the fashion for cucumbers came to the provincial city in the XVIII century.
Local historian Anania Fedorov wrote:
In Suzdal, due to the kindness of the earth and the pleasantness of the air, onions, horseradish, and especially cucumbers are abundant
In the 19th century, cucumbers occupied the third place in the ranking of the most popular garden crops in Suzdal, and after the invasion of the pest, the onion midge, they rapidly took the lead. Suzdal petty bourgeois gardeners began to acquire greenhouses and greenhouses for growing cucumbers. The fertile soils of the Suzdal Opole contributed to a good harvest.
The development of cucumber business in Suzdal was interrupted by the revolution of 1917. The artels of gardeners and gardeners began to be persecuted and by 1921 they were completely closed. The few who tried to sell cucumbers in the markets were chased by the police.
The second dawn of the Suzdal cucumber occurred in the 60s of the last century. With the advent of cheap polyethylene film and light greenhouses, it has become very profitable to grow cucumbers. Whole families, including children, were involved in the cucumber business in Suzdal. During the season, on an ordinary plot of 6 acres, it was possible to earn 2.5 — 5 thousand rubles — a huge amount at that time.
It is not surprising that in the period from the 60s to the 80s there were more passenger cars per person in Suzdal than in Georgia. Personal transport was effectively used for the common cause. Suzdal gardeners learned how to grow early cucumbers, took them to neighboring cities — Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, where they were sold at exorbitant prices. It was during these times that the cucumber became a symbol of the city and the expression appeared: “Whoever has not been to Suzdal has not eaten cucumbers.”
In 2001, Suzdal tourism decided to revive the former glory of the Suzdal cucumber, making it one of the gastronomic brands of the city. Since then, the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal has become an annual event, and Suzdal is again called the cucumber capital of Russia.
Cucumber Day in Suzdal 2024: when and where is it held
When is Cucumber Day held in Suzdal
The International Cucumber Festival (Cucumber Day) is held in Suzdal every third Saturday in July, during the cucumber harvest period. In 2015, the Suzdal Festival became the winner of the national award “Russian event awards” in the nomination “The best event in the field of gastronomic tourism”.
When is the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal 2024?
Cucumber Day in Suzdal is celebrated every third Saturday in July. In 2024, the Cucumber festival in Suzdal will be celebrated on July 13.
The venue of the Cucumber festival in Suzdal
The Cucumber Festival takes place at the Museum of Wooden Architecture (Pushkarskaya str. 28), Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve. On the day of the festival, all museum expositions are closed to the public, but the territory itself is interesting: ancient huts, mills, wooden churches.
The entrance for visitors opens from 11:00 — an hour before the official start of the holiday.
Tickets for Cucumber Day in Suzdal
Ticket sales for the Cucumber Festival will open the day before. The number of tickets is unlimited.
Ticket prices in 2023
- adult — 600 rubles
- children under 14 years old — 400 rubles
- pensioners — 400 rubles
- members of large families — 400 rubles
- children under 7 years old — free of charge
You can buy a ticket for the Cucumber Festival using the Pushkin card. Residents of Suzdal attend the event free of charge upon presentation of documents with registration at their place of residence.
A ticket for the Cucumber Festival can be purchased online on the website of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve or at the entrance to the ticket office of the Museum of Wooden Architecture.
Last year, before the start of the holiday, there was a long queue at the entrance to the museum of wooden architecture. It was not necessary to stand there. We scanned the QR code for online payment from the information board, showed the barcodes and received wristband tickets at the entrance. Paper bracelets are worn on the arm and work all day, you can use them to enter and exit the territory as many times as you want.
The program of the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal 2023
As soon as the program of the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal 2024 appears, we will publish it here.
The Cucumber Festival in Suzdal 2023 took place one day on July 15 from 12:00 to 19:00 at the Museum of Wooden Architecture.
The Cucumber Festival program is published in advance on the website of the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve, on social networks, on city posters and in hotels in Suzdal.
At the XXI Cucumber Festival 2023, the trio “Starostin, Klevensky, Mario”, the ensemble “Komon”, the creative association “Peter Valentinovich” and other musical groups performed. The traditional host of the holiday is Konstantin Vasin (Vladimir). the holiday program
Read how the previous XX Cucumber Festival was celebrated in Suzdal to have an idea how everything is happening.
If you are going to Suzdal for a holiday, then you need to take care of accommodation and transport in advance.
On the day of the Cucumber Festival, traffic is restricted on the roads of the city and the region. From 9:00 until the end of the event, the entrance to Suzdal from Vladimir is blocked (except for public and special vehicles). Vladimir-Suzdal buses were stormed and many of them could not come because of this. The central streets of Suzdal are also blocked all day, traffic and parking patterns are published on social networks.
All hotels and guest houses in Suzdal are crowded on the penultimate weekend of July, when the Cucumber Festival is held. Don’t wait — book in advance!
The hotels closest to the Cucumber Festival venue are
On the day of the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal, queues line up for all entertainment, regardless of their price: rent catamarans and SUP-boards, ride in a horse-drawn carriage, water walks. Museums and restaurants are also crowded. Therefore, if you want to come to Suzdal for a tourist purpose, it is better to choose other dates.
How the twentieth anniversary of Cucumber was celebrated
The XX Cucumber Festival was held in Suzdal on July 16, 2022 after two years of pandemic. There were a lot of guests, which was evident on Friday the day before. We wanted to get to the grand opening at 12:00, so we left the house in advance and did the right thing.
On the way to the Museum of Wooden Architecture, starting from Kremlevskaya Street, traffic jams formed. No one was in a hurry, everyone was distracted by souvenirs and tastings.
Cucumber Day 2022 in Suzdal turned out to be hot and sunny, so the first thing I bought after the entrance ticket was a paper visor with a cucumber for 50 rubles. Branded hats were sold from the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum-Reserve — a good idea to monetize the festival, every second guest was in them.
Before the beginning of the Cucumber Festival, it was possible to take photos at photo points without queuing and have time to visit a stationary toilet, which we also took advantage of.
A solemn procession at the Cucumber Festival
The opening ceremony began at the gates of the Museum of Wooden Architecture. The participants were happy to take pictures with everyone, I took pictures with the pop and jazz ensemble “Fortuna Brass”, which were at the very beginning.
They were followed by flag bearers with 20 flags symbolizing the 20th anniversary of the Cucumber Festival. Everyone was in festive green. Dress brightly to get good photos and participate in the contest “The best cucumber costume”.
The costumed procession was led by the traditional presenter of all Cucumber Days in Suzdal, Konstantin Vasin (Sidor Borage). He handed out fresh cucumbers, congratulated and invited to the party. Together with him, this year’s presenter was Svetlana Zeynalova.
The festive program
The procession reached the main stage, where the festive program immediately began. There were benches in the clearing, but many brought their blankets, folding chairs and settled down in the shade on the grass. Nobody forbade bringing their own food and drinks and picnics either – the atmosphere was as free as possible.
From 12 to 19 o’clock, the events followed one after another: performances by musical groups from different regions of Russia, fun contests, games, master classes, tastings. All this can be called “folk festivals” in one word.
Food and souvenirs at the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal
We watched the opening, listened to several musical groups and went around the shopping malls. Food and souvenirs were sold in the tents. I bought a magnet “With love from Suzdal” for 200 rubles with two cucumbers sitting in an embrace on a birch tree.
I also liked handmade wool brooches — from 500 rubles and cucumber jam in beautiful jars — 250 rubles from a farm restaurant. It is said that it was Ivan the Terrible’s favorite jam.
We bought the second unusual souvenir for 50 rubles at the entrance to the museum of wooden architecture, where the Russian Post opened a field office. Everyone could send a postcard “Cucumber Holiday”, issued in a limited edition. My postcard arrived in Moscow 6 days later.
There was plenty of food at the festival: from kebabs to sweets, but cucumbers were especially popular. The prices for salted and lightly salted cucumbers on Cucumber Day in Suzdal were simply amazing, they were sold individually or in portions.
The most expensive low—salted cucumber I saw in Pushkarskaya Sloboda is 80 rubles / piece. The day before, they cost 20-30 rubles in the Shopping Malls. Suzdal borage plants do not dump on holidays, they have “one day a year to feed.” It is said that in the main festive location — the Museum of Wooden Architecture — prices are always twice as expensive as outside its walls. We didn’t compare.
We did not succumb to the general hype, tasted for free and bought fresh Suzdal cucumbers at 150 kg per kilo right at the house of a local gardener. Be vigilant — imported Krasnodar cucumbers are sold in supermarkets in Suzdal!
In addition to the official Cucumber Festival at the Museum of Wooden Architecture, Cucumber Day is celebrated at other venues — in the hotel complexes of Suzdal. Participation in the events is free for everyone.
Cucumber Day in Pushkarskaya Sloboda
Pushkarskaya Sloboda Group is located next to the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Cucumber Day is celebrated there for 2 days and also on a large scale. Pushkarskaya Sloboda has its own creative approach to this event. The theme of each year is different. Book your rooms in advance to be in the heart of the action! view prices
The theme of Cucumber Day in Pushkarskaya Sloboda 2023 was called “Soviet Cucumber”.
How was Cucumber Day in Pushkarskaya Sloboda?
I’m telling you how last year’s Cucumber Day was held in Pushkarskaya Sloboda. We participated in the main events for one day — on Saturday.
Closer to lunch, we changed the situation, moving to the territory of the neighboring Pushkarskaya Sloboda hotel complex. The celebration started there the night before, and the Saturday program was called “ART Cucumber”.
As it was written in the poster: “Come all without hesitation! No tickets needed — show a good mood!” The event took place on the stage of the amphitheater, around which food tents and tables were set up.
We took drinks and watched the performance of the folk band “Red Wives”. Then the competition began, in which I won a house charm. Those who stayed at Pushkarskaya Sloboda Group of Companies could get to the evening music and dance program and see the fire show “Fried Cucumber”.
While we were walking and having lunch outside the festival, a cucumber doll was launched into the sky on balloons. The lucky one who finds it was waiting for a prize (they are still looking for it). We returned to the territory of the Museum of Wooden Architecture for the gala concert.
Gala concert at the Cucumber Festival in Suzdal
At 17:30, the famous pop singer, poet, composer, Honored Artist of Russia Vyacheslav Malezhik performed at the main venue of the cucumber festival. If you think that the 75-year-old Malezhik has long been forgotten, you are mistaken. As soon as he sang: “Provincial, provincial, and the escalator is running, and the escalator is not waiting,” everyone began to sing along and dance. Vyacheslav Malezhik sang “live” to the accompaniment of a guitar, it was very emotional.
The evening was closed by the singer of folk songs Marina Devyatova, the ambassador of Russian culture in the countries of the world with her team. It was a different repertoire and sound.
Come to Suzdal for the Cucumber Festival to see how a small old town becomes the center of the universe for one day, walk and have fun with everyone!
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