"Born out of a get-together": a Russian farmer on the history of the Cheese! Feast! World!"

On August 30, the gastronomic festival Cheese! Feast! World!" About 400 farms from more than 40 regions of Russia took part in it. One of the organizers, cheese maker Oleg Sirota, told RT the history of the emergence and development of this event, and also admitted how many times he tried to pass his cheese on to Vladimir Putin for testing. In turn, one of the guests of the festival, the lead singer of the "Hands up!" and restaurateur Sergey Zhukov shared his ideas on the development of gastronomic tourism in Russia.

Gastronomic festival “Cheese! Feast! World!" held in Istra near Moscow for the fifth time. According to one of the organizers, cheese maker Oleg Sirota, since the Governor of the Moscow Region began to help organize the event two years ago, this event has become the largest farming festival in Russia, and one of the largest in Europe.

Sirota told RT how this idea was born: “Five years ago, our festival was born from a small farmer's get-together. We are gathered here to celebrate the anniversary of the imposition of the sanctions (Russian response to Western sanctions. - RT ). But, as in the old proverb: they buried their mother-in-law - they broke two button accordions. "

The gastronomic festival “Cheese! Feast! World!"

Popular support

In August 2015, says the cheese maker, 20 farmers decided to organize a small fair. But instead of the expected thousand people, 15 thousand came to it. Oleg recalls how everything was quickly sold out that year.

“People walked for several kilometers, in the heat, with strollers. They did not even go for products, but to support us, our farmers. On that day, we realized what people need and that we will succeed. On that day, I know, more than a dozen people also decided to start farming, ”he admits.

In 2020, winemakers from the south of the country, honey producers, and other Russian farmers, and even artisans were invited to the festival, so that, if desired, one could buy something with which it goes well with, for example, honey or wine.

Oleg considers the products from Yegoryevsk to be the ideal honey for his cheese: “Our fellow countrymen from the Yegoryevsky district of the Moscow region took the third place in the quality of honey in Russia, even bypassed the Altai Territory”.

In the pavilion of the Cheese! Feast! World!"
© RT

The farmer is the farmer's son-in-law

When asked what it is like to be Sterligov's son-in-law, Oleg Sirota replied: “German Lvovich is a cool guy. His posts, his book "From City to Country" spurred many to move to the countryside and engage in agriculture. He is a bright person, he has both supporters and opponents. He has quite radical views and does not hesitate to express them. But, thanks to his activities, many villages and villages began to revive. "

At the same time Sirota complained that Sterligov has his own environmental standard - to milk cows by hand: “We cannot agree on how to properly milk a cow. Therefore, he has his own way, I have my own. "

"We need to sell what we have grown"

Oleg also spoke about the difficulties farmers faced in connection with the coronavirus pandemic: “In general, the industry has not suffered, but small businesses have suffered. Because we have sold and are selling our products mainly at fairs and festivals. And some farmers only make cheeses for restaurants and cafes. It hit us hard, because we simply did not have the opportunity to sell our products. It was accumulated in warehouses and cellars. "

According to Sirota, now many farms find themselves in a difficult situation: “They are balancing that at least kill cows. Because they need to be fed, they need to be milked. We have to pay on loans, no one has forgiven us and is not going to. You have to pay salaries. It is necessary to carry out a sowing and harvesting campaign. And this requires money. And for them to be - we need to sell what we have grown. "

Oleg Sirota's Istra cheese dairy.
© RT

Cheese cauldron

The farm of Oleg Sirota constantly employs about 200 people: milkers, cattlemen, cheese makers, drivers, sellers. According to the farmer, one cheese cauldron gives impetus to the whole chain that starts the economy.

“There are ten people at the cheese kettle, ten more cows are milked, five tractor drivers. These 25 people give jobs to drivers, salespeople. They give work to our machine builders, because all our tractors and milk tankers are Russian. This is how the whole economy starts working, ”explains Oleg.

Cheese for the President

The farmer recalls that several times he tried to pass his cheese to Vladimir Putin for testing, but he could not succeed. To this end, Oleg stubbornly participated in events with the participation of the president, but each time the head of state's security prevailed over the ingenuity of the cheese farmer: “I know how to get to the event. But I don't know how to get a head of cheese in there to give it. This is such a sport. It seems to me that both I and the security personnel participate in this sport. They catch me all the time, and they find cheese all the time. "

And every time the cheese was confiscated from the farmer, he was assured that the gift would be handed over to its destination. “We, peasants, are simple people: they told me - I believe. But I felt that I was being deceived. And there was hope. "

And then one day, when Oleg was already desperate to realize his venture, he came to take part in a meeting of the Valdai Club without a prepared cheese head: “There I asked the president:“ Vladimir Vladimirovich, did they give you the cheese or did you eat it yourself? ” The President says: “We ate it ourselves. Where is the cheese? Come on now. " And then I understand that I have no cheese this time. "

But Sirota was not upset for long: “And at the last meeting with the president, when the cheese was taken away from me again, Putin promised that my cheese would be on his New Year's table. And now I wonder if he tried my cheese or not? This is my hobby: someone drinks, someone jumps squatting, and I try to present my cheese to the president. "

A head of cheese prepared at Oleg Sirota's Istra cheese factory for Vladimir Putin.
© RT

Oleg Sirota prepared a head of cheese at the cheese dairy, especially for Putin: “We have had one cheese for four years now, it is waiting for the President. This head only gets better over the years. And on it the inscription is barely visible: "Cheese Putin". I am sure that he will come someday and try for himself the results of the decision he made five years ago when he introduced counter-sanctions. "

Festival guests

Lead singer of the group "Hands up!" and part-time businessman and restaurateur Sergey Zhukov admitted to RT that the gastronomic festival, during which business meetings and round tables are also held, is very useful for the development of small and medium-sized businesses.

“Where else can we so simply discuss questions that are usually not accepted to ask: Who will help a businessman to survive? Who will save us from taxes? How can we do something good and get something good for that too? Here you can ask questions head on and get answers to them. In my opinion, it is a great idea to continue to gather so openly, ”he said.

Zhukov also spoke about his experience in the restaurateur business, which he and his wife do: “About 30 cities where our projects have been launched: bars and restaurants“ Hands up! ”, Pastry shops“ Love and Sweets ”. I love to help, like the kind Carlson: I flew in, pushed, did something. Everything else is done by my wife and a large team. ”

In the pavilion of the Cheese! Feast! World!"
© RT

Request for nostalgia

The concept of bars "Hands up!" Sergei Zhukov and his wife, according to him, laid down a person's request for nostalgia for youth: “We have finally found the ideal format for people of different ages: we use nostalgia as our main dish - it is always there. Remembering your student years is much more pleasant than thinking that you have to go to work tomorrow. "

Sergei admitted that they need a lot of products for confectionery, which are produced by farmers, but so far, unfortunately, it is not always possible to agree on sufficient volumes of supplies: “Everything from which confectionery is made: milk, cheese, honey - this is all that produced by our fellow farmers. But we do not always coincide in appetite. We need a lot of products, and the guys can give high quality, but not much. "

"Milking a goat, a cow is priceless!"

The musician also shared the idea that came to him during a business meeting at the festival: “Why don't we develop farming tourism like in Italy? I am ready to connect families with children to come to all who are represented here today at the festival. To do tasting not once a year, but on an ongoing basis. Put your grandmother in a beautiful dress, who will talk about cheeses. Milking a goat, a cow is priceless! "

Sergey Zhukov - soloist of the group "Hands up!" and restaurateur about the pandemic, creativity and business

"Love is eternal"

Zhukov also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic hit his business quite painfully: concerts were canceled from March until next spring, about 70% of pastry shops across the country were closed. However, in the singer's work, this large-scale phenomenon, according to him, is unlikely to be reflected: “There are no worse songs on the wave of something. I don't like people who - something happened - and come on: about fires, about politics ... "Hands up!" sang about love and will sing love songs. We don't care, there is a virus, there is no virus. Love is eternal. "