Slow Food in Russia is Officially Born!

On May 17, the founding congress of the all-Russian organization Slow Food in Russia took place in Suzdal (Vladimir Region). Seventy delegates from the cities of Tashtagol, Ufa, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and Saransk, as well as other regions of Russia, took part in the congress.

Paolo Di Croce, Secretary General of Slow Food, opened the congress and stated: “Slow Food is a global organization, but our work is based on the activities of local groups. The future of Slow Food lies in the emergence of local, regional, and national hubs, such as Slow Food in Russia. I am pleased to see at this congress the result of many years of work. In Russia, Slow Food is present in 43 regions, and this is an excellent starting point for the growing influence of the movement, both nationally and globally.”

“Today is a very important day, not only for Russia but for the Slow Food organization as a whole,” said Yuri Stolpovsky, the first president of Slow Food in Russia. “We have been working on this for the past 15 years. This is only the first step—we have a huge amount of work in front of us. But what I like about Slow Food is that we will do it all together, slowly and with pleasure!” Yuri Stolpovsky also emphasized his willingness to protect Russia’s food heritage by publishing a catalogue of Russian Ark of Taste products, and by establishing the Golden Snail Award for good, clean and fair producers, cooks, and representatives of the restaurant and hotel sector.

The delegates approved the Association’s Statute, which defines the main objectives of the organization:

• preservation, development, and promotion of cultural traditions of national and regional cuisine, as well as cultural gastronomic traditions
• safeguarding of biological diversity
• support of national food sovereignty
• distribution and promotion of healthy food in Russia
• promotion of healthy nutrition and a lifestyle that focuses on quality, diversity, and moderation
• establishing links between producers and consumers of clean and organic food
• legislative support for organic agriculture
• raising public awareness about relevant topics affecting the nutrition, environment, and food education programs.

The congress touched upon the issues of cooperation between Slow Food, the “Gastronomic Map of Russia” project, and local mass media; Slow Food educational projects for schoolchildren in the program “To the Origins of Taste”; and school gardens. Within the framework of the congress, an exhibition and tasting of Russian Ark of Taste products took place: Participants were invited to try Birch Mead Medovukha, Vjaznikovskij Cucumbers, Bashkir Wild Honey, Kostroma Black Salt, and many other products.

See the video recordings of the congress events

Russia has 26 convivia, 64 Terra Madre communities, 76 Ark of Taste products, and 20 cooks in the Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance. Thousands of like-minded people take part in events, support Slow Food campaigns, and share ideas about everybody’s right to good, clean and fair food.