Dishes and drinks from "Eneida": museum workers and philanthropists presented ancient Ukrainian recipes

Borscht, enjoyed during the time of Ivan Kotliarevsky, halushky with mushroom gravy, Cossack kulish, capons, knyshi, and baba-sharpanina — these and other ancient recipes are presented in the project "Old World Cuisine of Ukraine."

The cultural and educational project about the history, traditions, and gastronomic heritage of Ukrainians was created by the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine with the support of the Charitable Foundation "MHP-Hromadi."

The initiative resulted in an illustrated book with authentic recipes adapted to modern times and 12 video series "Taste with Aeneid" with step-by-step preparations of dishes mentioned in Ivan Kotliarevsky's work.

The project's goal: to demonstrate the authentic tastes of Ukrainians, which still meet world standards and are another confirmation of Ukrainian identity; to touch upon the history of Ukrainian life in the 18th century through the prism of traditional cuisine. 

We systematically support cultural projects because we are convinced that culture is our support in the most difficult times. And this project is not just about food, but about a deep understanding of oneself through taste, history, and symbols. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have already allocated over 82 million hryvnias to support culture — and we continue to do so with faith in our strength.

The writing of the book grew into an interdisciplinary collaboration of talented specialists: historians, researchers, ethnographers, professional chefs, photo artists, and a team of filmmakers. The book is illustrated with artistic photographs of dishes that were prepared according to the described recipes specifically for this publication.

"Today, when Ukraine is undergoing an extremely difficult process of realizing its own identity in the conditions of a brutal war, including through the restoration of true history (not rewritten by Russian imperial pseudo-historians), it is important to learn more about true Ukrainian culture. Why exactly I. Kotliarevsky's "Aeneid"? The answer is obvious: it is the first work written in living folk Ukrainian language. In an era when historical circumstances questioned the future existence of Ukrainian culture, it was "Aeneid" that laid the foundation of the literary language as a powerful element of national identity. The current realities of our country prove that the issue of language and culture is part of the struggle for independence, so the relevance of this work only grows, because the poem symbolizes the transformation of Ukrainian society, its ability to revive after catastrophes, struggle and adapt to new realities," says Oksana Povyakel, General Director of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.

In the video "Taste with Aeneid," which is part of the project, the dishes are prepared by famous Ukrainian chefs: veteran Yuriy Hrytsai and culinary expert Iryna Rudnevska.

"Co-authorship in the book "Old World Cuisine of Ukraine" became a way for me to preserve and pass on authentic culinary traditions to future generations. Because preserving gastronomic heritage is preserving our national identity," — Yuriy Hrytsai, veteran, chef, and project host.

"As a culinary expert who has researched Ukrainian culture and gastronomic heritage for years, I have long dreamed of bringing ancient recipes to life. This project is not just about food. It's about the connection between generations, gratitude to those who preserved what is ours, and love for those who continue to carry it into the world," says Iryna Rudnevska, culinary expert and host.

Each episode is a journey into Ukraine's culinary past, where viewers can learn how capons were prepared 300 years ago, how varenyky from Poltava differed from Galician ones, and why knyshi were served both at Christmas and at memorial services. An important element of the project is also the ethnic images of the hosts: Iryna's attire from the "Svarga" brand and from the private collections of Anastasia Kolodiuk and Tetiana Karandieieva, and Yuriy's image from Yevhen Pykhtin's private collection. Together with the production studio  Blue&Yellow  we created a series of atmospheric videos that transport viewers to Ukraine's gastronomic past.

All cooking videos are available on the MHP-Hromadi YouTube channel, and recipes are on the museum's website.