Russian Bazaar

 Pozharsky cutlet

Let us debunk another urban legend: the Pozharsky cutlet was NOT named after Prince Pozharshky, who, together with Minin, liberated Moscow from the Poles in 1612. In reality, this dish was developed by a different Pozharsky family, the owners of an inn and restaurant in the town of Torzhok. There are various myths about how exactly the cutlet recipe was made, but the most popular one mentions a certain French traveler who gave the recipe to the Pozharsky family in exchange for a night’s stay. Even Alexander Pushkin, the great Russian poet, tried the Pozharsky cutlets at the restaurant during a rest stop in Torzhok. He mentioned this anecdote in an 1826 letter to a friend.