Russian Potluck

Russian cuisine is distinctive and unique, and as any other national one, it was formed under the influence of different environmental, social, geographical, economic and historical factors. The main feature of Russian cuisine is considered to be an abundance and variety of products used for cooking. There are numerous dishes made of dough such as pies, cakes, rolls, blini, etc. as well as unleavened dough, including dumplings and homemade noodles. Being a country of Orthodox Christian religion which implies numerous fasts, Russian cuisine offers a great number of vegetarian dishes including mushrooms, pickles etc. The Russian culinary palette is also rich in meat, poultry and fish dishes which are served on various occasions. Here are some of the more popular Russian dishes to whet your appetite:

Blinis or blintz are a Russian type of pancake or crepe. They are usually thin and big, they may be served with sour cream, jam, honey, or caviar or smokes salmon. Russians eat blinis folded or rolled with all sorts of filling such as mushrooms, cottage cheese, ground meat, cabbage and many other foods.

Sirniki are small blinis made of cottage cheese. This is a typical food for breakfast or brunch. Kasha is the most common meal in Russia. It is easy to cook, healthy to eat and everybody can afford it. Pelmeni are meat or fish dumplings originally coming from the region of Siberia. They are usually kept frozen and cooked in boiled water right before eating Varenniki are dumplings similar to pelmeni but they're usually stuffed with cheese, mashed potatoes, cabbage, meat, hard-boiled eggs or different fruits (cherry or plump). Pirog is a big pie stuffed with fruits, mushrooms, meat or fish. Borscht is a soup originally coming from the Ukrainian cuisine but now equally popular in Russia. It has a distinctive reddish-purple color because it’s cooked with beetroot and tomatoes. In Russia borsch is always served hot.
Herring under the fur coat - is a traditional Russian salad. It's loved in Russia but might appear a rather weird dish to foreigners. The salad has several layers: salted herring is covered with chopped onions, potatoes, carrots, beet roots and dressed with mayonnaise. Salad Olivier is usually known as Russian salad in the West. It is popular in winter season. Among its ingredients are boiled potato, peas, meat, pickled cucumbers, onions, eggs and carrots. Vinegrette is a traditional Russian salad made of boiled beets, potatoes, carrots, pickles, onions and sauerkraut. It is easy to cook and remains very popular especially in winter time. Holodets is a traditional Russian meal which is served during various celebrations. Pickled cucumbers have been known in Russia for centuries. There is a century old tradition in Russia to eat pickles as a “chaser” after drinking vodka, another tradition - to have them with potatoes. Beef stroganoff - a Russian dish very popular around the world. Small pieces of beef filet (usually strips) are sautéed in sour cream together with onions and mushrooms. Chicken Kiev is a popular dish of chicken breast rolled around butter. It’s often stuffed with grated cheese, mushrooms, herbs, egg yolk, then breaded and baked in oil.
Source: https://bridgetomoscow.com/russian-cuisine