kulich recipe history culture origin

Kulich baked and presented in a traditional setting.

Kulich: Mystical Slavic Easter Bread

Published: April 1, 2023

Kulich (ะšัƒะปะธั‡) is a lightly sweet, yeast-risen bread baked with considerable amounts of egg and butter. It may also contain raisins, almonds, candied or dried fruit, lemon zest, and various spices including cardamom and even saffron depending on the recipe and personal preferences. It is a tall, cylindrical-shaped bread with a rounded top, and it is often decorated with icing or sugar and colorful sprinkles.

Central to Easter celebrations in Orthodox Christian traditions, kulichย is enjoyed in most countries in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe and throughout former USSR.

How It Got Its Name

(ะŸะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ะพะฝ ะฝะพัะธั‚ ั‚ะฐะบะพะต ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธะต?)

The name โ€œkulichโ€ originated from the Greek word โ€œkollix,โ€ which means โ€œa loaf of bread.โ€

The top of each loaf is called a โ€œะบะพั€ะพะฝะฐโ€ or a โ€œcrown.โ€ It is usually topped with a powdered-sugar frosting which is allowed to drizzle down the sides of the cake. The spikes created are vaguely reminiscent of Christโ€™s crown of thorns.

The letters โ€œะฅะ’โ€ also traditionally top the cake. They stand for โ€œะฅั€ะธัั‚ะพั ะฒะพัะบั€ะตั,โ€ or โ€œChrist is risen,โ€ the traditional greeting among Russians at Easter. The response to this greeting is โ€œะ’ะพะธัั‚ะธะฝัƒ ะฒะพัะบั€ะตั.โ€

When and How to Eat Kulich

ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ะบัƒะปะธั‡?

Kulich is traditionally eaten only on Easter. It is usually placed together with โ€œะฟะธัะฐะฝะบะธโ€ (Easter eggs โ€“ also called ะฟะฐัั…ะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ัะนั†ะฐ) and served together with โ€œะฟะฐัั…ะฐ,โ€ a very rich desert made from thick cottage cheese, dried fruits, nuts, butter, and more. Before consuming, all three items are traditionally placed in a single basket and taken to a priest to be blessed on the Saturday service before Easter Sunday. That Saturday is by far the busiest for Orthodox churches in Eurasia. It is said that the shape of the kulich represents the tomb of Christ, while the white color of the bread symbolizes his purity and resurrection.

Although today heavily associated with Easter and Christianity, the tradition of making kulich in spring dates back to ancient times when Slavic peoples celebrated the rebirth of nature. In Russian mythology, the goddess of spring and fertility, Lada, is said to have baked kulich as a symbol of the renewal of life. Similarly, in Ukrainian mythology, the goddess of fertility and harvest, Marzanna, is said to have baked kulich and other traditional foods to celebrate the arrival of spring.

The kulich is generally cut like a normal cake โ€“ into wedges by slicing it directly from top to bottom. However, there is a particular traditional method to carving a loaf of kulich: first, the crown is cut off, and then the loaf is sliced horizontally and then cut in wedges to be distributed to members of the family. The crown can then be placed back on top, keeping the aesthetic appeal of the loaf and preserving its moistness. In this manner, at each breakfast during the Easter Week, a small piece of the cake is eaten.

At Easter breakfast, when the Lenten fast is broken, the head of the household divides the blessed Easter eggs between all members of the household, and does the same thing with the kulich and paskha. Each portion is said to contain happiness for the upcoming year.

Paskha is an excellent accompaniment to the kulich as, by itself, the bread is very usually rather dry and a bit tasteless. The paskha adds flavor and fat when spread on the bread.

kulich recipe history culture origin
Kulich, paskha, and Easter eggs.
Photo source Photo source

It should also be mentioned that in some ways, the answer to the question โ€œhow do you properly eat a kulich?โ€, is that you donโ€™t. Thought to have a range of mystical properties, often several kulich will be baked for Easter celebrations. At least one is meant to be consumed by the family. However, others might be baked to give to the local priest as a tithing, others might be baked to be fed to farm animals to ensure their health and virility, still others might be baked and left in a traditional โ€œะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ัƒะณะพะป,โ€ or โ€œred/beautiful corner,โ€ which is where Russian houses traditionally kept icons, in honor of dead relatives.

How to Prepare Kulich

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะบัƒะปะธั‡?)

Kulich can take different shapes, but is usually round and tall. Special forms are sold called โ€œะฑัƒะผะฐะถะฝั‹ะต ั„ะพั€ะผั‹ ะดะปั ะบัƒะปะธั‡ะฐโ€ (paper forms for kulich) and those baking at home will generally use them. Baking kulich was one of the most important ceremonial Easter duties for the woman of the house, as the fate of the family was seen by some as depending upon it. Russians in particular have traditionally been a dramatic and superstitious people, and this applied even to the baking of a kulich. It was said that โ€œะตัะปะธ ะบัƒะปะธั‡ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะพะดะฝัะปัั ะธ ะฒั‹ัˆะตะป ะปะฐะดะฝั‹ะน, ั‚ะพ ะฒ ัะตะผัŒะต ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ ะฒัะต ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ. ะ ะตัะปะธ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะฒ ะฟะตั‡ะธ ะฝะต ะฟะพะดะพัˆะปะพ ะธะปะธ ั€ะฐัั‚ั€ะตัะบะฐะปะฐััŒ ะบะพั€ะบะฐ, ะฝะฐะดะพ ะถะดะฐั‚ัŒ ะฝะตัั‡ะฐัั‚ัŒั.โ€ (If the kulich rises well and is formed nicely, it means that the family will be alright. But if the dough does not rise in the oven, or if the kulich crust cracks, then expect disaster.)

The โ€œcrownโ€ is traditionally frosted with a thick, powdered sugar glaze, which is allowed to drip down the side. However, it might also be topped with a chocolate glaze or not topped at all. In fact, in some peasant households in Russia, the top was often not glazed, but rather was simply marked by cutting a cross into the dough as it baked, similar to English hot cross buns.

kulich recipe history culture origin
The top of a kulich is often decorated with the Cyrillic letters โ€œะฅะ’โ€ which stand for โ€œะฅั€ะธัั‚ะพั ะ’ะพัะบั€ะตั.โ€ This translates as โ€œChrist is Risen.โ€

Baking kulich is a time consuming process, requiring time for the dough to rise at various points; the classic kulich was typically prepared a few days before Easter. While many Russians today continue to bake kulichย from their traditional family recipes, some save time by using quick-rising yeast.

Many other Russians simply place orders at their local bakery or, perhaps most commonly, simply buy one of the vast variety of kulich that appear at grocery stores and even roadside stands during the Easter season. At most stores in Moscow, one can find everything from cheap, locally produced kulichย to imported Italian panettone, which is similar enough to the kulichย that it is often eaten as a substitute for it.

In any case, the kulichย is an ancient Russian tradition that still plays a strong role in Russian culture today. This Easter, try to make one yourself!

Letโ€™s Cook!

ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!

ะšัƒะปะธั‡ โ€œะžั€ะธะณะธะฝะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะนโ€ โ€œOriginalโ€ Kulichย 
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹
  • ะ˜ะทัŽะผ, ะพั€ะตั…ะธ, ั†ัƒะบะฐั‚ั‹ โ€“ 50 ะณ
  • ะ’ะฐะฝะธะปะธะฝ โ€“ 2 ะณ
  • ะœะฐัะปะพ ัะปะธะฒะพั‡ะฝะพะต ะฝะตัะพะปั‘ะฝะพะต โ€“ 150 ะณ
  • ะกะพะปัŒ ะฟะพะฒะฐั€ะตะฝะฝะฐั โ€“ 3 ะณ
  • ะ”ั€ะพะถะถะธ โ€“ 50 ะณ
  • ะฏะนั†ะฐ ะบัƒั€ะธะฝั‹ะต โ€“ 4 ัˆั‚.
  • ะœะพะปะพะบะพ โ€“ 400 ะณ
  • ะœัƒะบะฐ ะฟัˆะตะฝะธั‡ะฝะฐั โ€“ 1000 ะณ
  • ะฆะตะดั€ะฐ ะปะธะผะพะฝะฐ โ€“ 20 ะณ
  • ะจะพะบะพะปะฐะด ะผะพะปะพั‡ะฝั‹ะน โ€“ 100 ะณ
  • ะšะฐะบะฐะพ ะฟะพั€ะพัˆะพะบ โ€“ 50 ะณ
  • ะกะฐั…ะฐั€ โ€“ 20 ะณ

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต

  1. ะ ะฐะทะฒะตัั‚ะธ ะฒ ั‚ั‘ะฟะปะพะผ ะผะพะปะพะบะต ะดั€ะพะถะถะธ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ 1/2 ะผัƒะบะธ, ะฒัั‘ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะธ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั‚ั‘ะฟะปะพะต ะผะตัั‚ะพ.
  2. ะฏะธั‡ะฝั‹ะต ะถะตะปั‚ะบะธ ั€ะฐัั‚ะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ ะดะพะฑะตะปะฐ ั ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะพะผ ะธ ะฒะฐะฝะธะปะธะฝะพะผ. ะšะพะณะดะฐ ะดั€ะพะถะถะตะฒะฐั ัะผะตััŒ ัƒะฒะตะปะธั‡ะธั‚ัŒัั ะฒ 2 ั€ะฐะทะฐ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ัะผะตัะธ ะฒะผะตัั‚ะต. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ั€ะฐัั‚ะพะฟะปะตะฝะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพ, ั†ะตะดั€ัƒ ะปะธะผะพะฝะฐ, ะฒะทะฑะธั‚ั‹ะต ะฒ ะฟะตะฝัƒ ะฑะตะปะบะธ. Oัั‚ะฐะฒัˆัƒัŽัั ะผัƒะบัƒ, ะฒั‹ะผะตัะธั‚ัŒ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ, ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั‚ั‘ะฟะปะพะต ะผะตัั‚ะพ.
  3. ะšะพะณะดะฐ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะฟะพะดะฝะธะผะตั‚ัั, ั‚ะพ ะฒ ะฝะตะณะพ ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ะพะผั‹ั‚ั‹ะน ะธ ะฒั‹ััƒัˆะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ะธะทัŽะผ, ะพั€ะตั…ะธ, ั†ัƒะบะฐั‚ั‹, ะธ ะบะฐะบะฐะพ-ะฟะพั€ะพัˆะพะบ. Xะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ.
  4. ะะฐ ะดะฝะพ ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปะธ ะฟะพะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ะบัƒัะพะบ ะฟั€ะพะผะฐัะปะตะฝะฝะพะน ะฑัƒะผะฐะณะธ. ะ—ะฐะฟะพะปะฝะธั‚ัŒ ะบะฐัั‚ั€ัŽะปัŽ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพะผ ะฝะฐ 3/4. ะ’ะตั€ั… ั‚ะตัั‚ะฐ ัะผะฐะทะฐั‚ัŒ ัะนั†ะพะผ. ะ—ะฐั‚ะตะผ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ั„ะพั€ะผัƒ ั ะบัƒะปะธั‡ะพะผ ะฒ ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะบัƒ, ะฝะต ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ะณะพั€ัั‡ัƒัŽ. ะ’ั‹ะฟะตะบะฐั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ะธ 150-180 ะณั€ะฐะดัƒัะฐั… ะพะบะพะปะพ 50-60 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.
  5. ะ“ะพั‚ะพะฒั‹ะน ะบัƒะปะธั‡ ะฒั‹ะฝัƒั‚ัŒ ะธะท ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะบะธ ะฟะตั€ะตะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ะฝะฐ ะฑะปัŽะดะพ, ะธ ัะฝัั‚ัŒ ะฑัƒะผะฐะณัƒ. ะ’ะตั€ั… ะบัƒะปะธั‡ะฐ ะฟะพัั‹ะฟะฐั‚ัŒ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฝะพะน ะฟัƒะดั€ะพะน, ัะฒะตั€ั…ัƒ ัƒะบั€ะฐััŒั‚ะต ะปัŽะฑะธะผั‹ะผะธ ะพั€ะตัˆะบะฐะผะธ ะธ ั†ัƒะบะฐั‚ะฐะผะธ.
Ingredients
  • Raisins, nuts, candied fruit โ€“ 50 grams
  • Vanillin powder (may be substituted with vanilla extract) โ€“ 2 grams
  • Unsalted Butter โ€“ 150 grams
  • Salt โ€“ 3 grams
  • Yeast (cake) โ€“ 50 grams
  • Eggs โ€“ 4
  • Milk โ€“ 400 grams
  • Sifted wheat flour โ€“ 1000 grams
  • Lemon zest โ€“ 20 grams
  • Milk chocolate โ€“ 100 grams
  • Cocoa powder โ€“ 50 grams
  • Sugar โ€“ 20 grams

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add 1/2 of the sifted flour, mix well and put in a warm place.
  2. Mix the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla. When the yeast mixture has expanded to two times its original volume, combine the two mixtures. Add in the melted butter, lemon zest, and mix. Add the remaining flour, knead the dough, and place it in a warm place.
  3. After the dough rises, add washed and dried raisins, nuts, candied fruit, and cocoa powder. Mix well.
  4. At the bottom of the pan, place a piece of wax-paper. Fill 3/4ths of the pan with dough. Glaze the top of the dough with egg. Then, place the ะบัƒะปะธั‡ dough in the oven, which is not too hot. Bake at 150-180 degrees Celsius (302-356ยฐF), for about 50-60 minutes.
  5. Remove the baked ะบัƒะปะธั‡ from the oven, extricate from the dish, and remove the wax-paper. Sprinkle the top of the ะบัƒะปะธั‡ with powdered sugar, and garnish with your favorite nuts and candied fruits.

Our Favorite Videos about Kulich

Make a kulichย with Russian celebrity chef Alexander Seleznev! For those interested in learning more about paskha, Alexander can help you out there too!

This 9-minute video by โ€œะ“ะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ ะ”ะพะผะฐโ€ (Gotovim doma) shows a simple, quiet, step-by-step guide on how to prepare kulich.ย It takes you through the process of preparing the dough and baking kulich.ย Learn Russian cooking verbs (ะฝะฐะปะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ, ะฝะฐะบั€ั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ, ะฟะตั‡ัŒ, ะธ ั‚.ะด.) while seeing the action on video. This recipe is particularly long, but it also offers baking tips and suggestions, and allows you to observe the texture of the batter at every stage in the process. The original recipe can be found on the website of โ€œะ“ะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ ะ”ะพะผะฐโ€ here.

โ€œะกะปะธะฒะพั‡ะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพ? ะ ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพะต ะผะฐัะปะพ? ะœะฐั€ะณะฐั€ะธะฝ?โ€ (Butter? Vegetable oil? Margarine?) As with many popular holiday fares, for which each family has its own recipe, it all boils down the personal preferences. This is a clip on kulichย and the Easter celebrations from the Russian program โ€œะ’ะบัƒัะฝะฐั ะ•ะดะฐโ€ (Delicious food).

Youโ€™ll Also Love

Passing Finals Week in Russia: Olgaโ€™s Blog

After an eventful year starting her new major and facing down a serious hospitalization, Olga faces perhaps the still most stressful part of any semester: passing finals week. For most degree courses in Russia, it is not possible to pass the class without passing the final. Because degree programs are so rigidly structured, trying to [โ€ฆ]

0 comments
free russian lesson health care sickness

Sickness in Russia: Olgaโ€™s Blog

Although she passed her entrance medical checkups at the start of the semester, Olga still developed a serious illness that affected her ability to attend classes and participate in her internship with SRAS. With a diagnosis of stomach ulcers, Olga was hospitalized for two weeks. In the following text, Olga details her experience of falling [โ€ฆ]

0 comments
Medical certificate spravka Russia state medical examinations free russian lesson

State Medical Exams in Russia: Olgaโ€™s Blog

Medical commissions and state medical examinations are fairly common in Russia. Students entering university programs have to undergo a battery of tests before entering university. Failing a test can mean that a student might need to undergo treatment before entering his or her university program. Olga Dmitraschenko entered Moscow State University in 2006, after completing [โ€ฆ]

0 comments
Russian Alphabet History Eh ะญ

The Russian Alphabetโ€™s Secret History

The history of the Russian language and its alphabet is long and fascinating. Here are a few anecdotes from the Russian languageโ€™s history. The following is based on an article from Russian7.ru. It was translated to English and adapted for greater clarity for an English-speaking audience by SRAS and SRAS intern Sophia Rehm. The Unprinted [โ€ฆ]

0 comments
University majors programs Russia free russian lesson

University Majors in Russia: Olgaโ€™s Blog

Deciding on a university major in Russia tends to be a serious and permanent decision. In part because most faculties in Russia have their own entrance exams, changing a major involves not just โ€œdeclaringโ€ a new major, like in the US, but often involves essentially a whole new application to the university. Further, degree programs [โ€ฆ]

0 comments

About the author

Eugenia Goh

Eugenia Goh is an international studies major at the University of Denver. She studied for a semester with SRAS in Kyrgyzstan on our Central Asian Studies course before transferring to Moscow to study for another semester on our Russian Studies Abroad course.

View all posts by: Eugenia Goh

Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson

Josh lived in Moscow from 2003, when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS, until 2022. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our Internship Programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

View all posts by: Josh Wilson