The St. Petersburg Bread Museum was founded in 1988. This is the only museum of its kind in Russia and one of only 13 in the world! It is situated on the premises of the Bread Bakery Plant.
The museum's displays give an idea of the traditions of bread consumption in Russia, recounting the history of the baking and flour confectionery business and trade in the country in general and in St. Petersburg in particular, from the Petrine era to the present day. The exhibits include various household utensils, examples of bread-baking equipment, works of visual art, photographs, documents, advertisements, shop signs and assorted breads. There is also a model interior of a bakery shop from the 19th century. One of the most thought-provoking exhibitions is the one dedicated to the difficulties that the bakeries suffered during the Siege of Leningrad. Also in this display is an example of the ration of bread that each family would receive for a day.
Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash
The museum's director has admitted that one of the main aims of the museum is to teach those who now regard bread as a commodity, how sacred it was in the past. Although at first it may seem like an odd choice of museum to visit, it is really interesting to discover more about the history of Russia through its relation with bread.
