Golubchiki

A French provincial restaurant in a 19th-century merchant building, adjacent to an artist's studio.

"Golubchiki" is a restaurant born from the synergy of passionate and creative individuals. The building itself, located in the heart of the ancient Russian city of Tarusa (celebrating its 777th anniversary in 2023), was purchased and saved from demolition by the artist Lavrentiy Bruny. In collaboration with architect Alexander Brodsky, they gave the building a new lease on life, and next to the cozy terrace, Bruny's countryside studio was created. "In every action, in every deed, we must strive for beauty," says Lavrentiy. "When I acquired this dilapidated building, my primary concern was to preserve it for the city, for the people, for the beauty of life." The collaboration of these two creative and kind friends has yielded wonderful results, and today, at 22 Lenin Street, you will find a pristine two-story mansion that retains the spirit of old Tarusa. This space, radiating warmth and perfectly designed, was destined to become a gathering place not only for local residents but also for numerous visitors to the city on the Oka River. The idea to revitalize the space by opening a cafe came to Lavrentiy and his wife, Polina, almost immediately, but it took time to realize this vision. Eventually, they invited friends from Moscow: restaurant PR specialist Elena Bogdan and chef Sergei Gorbarenko. In addition to the perfectly prepared space, the team was given complete freedom of expression.

"Golubchik" is a traditionally Russian term of endearment. It appears frequently in the works of Tolstoy, Saltykov-Shchedrin, and others. We decided to revive this word, which vividly describes our desire to embrace, nourish, and cherish everyone. Because today, everyone desperately needs peace and care. We, in a way, took up the torch from the Bruny family, who were driven by love and creativity, launching this restaurant with the sole purpose of creating and being useful to people. We are immensely grateful to Lavrentiy and Polina for this!" - comments Elena Bogdan. "The concept of French provincial cuisine seemed appropriate in a region that is considered the Russian Barbizon (a village of artists in France). Tarusa is a place with a strong cultural identity and energy. Lovers of the works of Paustovsky, Tsvetaeva, and Akhmadulina have visited here many times and constantly return; the city regularly hosts significant festivals and exhibitions - we understood that this audience craves not only entertainment but also good food. And, of course, we all come from "Jean-Jacques," and our love for that environment and its people will forever remain in our hearts," explains Sergei Gorbarenko.

The project fully launched in mid-July 2023, focusing on early breakfasts. During the colder months, dinners by the fireplace have become popular, and the "Golubchiki" team is happy to accommodate guests throughout the day with advance reservations. Croque madame, quiche Lorraine with zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes, duck confit, French onion soup, tarte tatin with pears - these are dishes that are always in demand and popular all over the world. Today, in their Russian transcription, these dishes retain their charm, reminding us that the French influence in Russian gastronomy is still relevant. "Golubchiki" is more than just a restaurant. This project is a kind of manifesto, with the key thesis being the importance of developing local gastronomy not on a craft scale, as is currently the case, but on a mass scale. In addition to working in the restaurant, I continue my work at the STANFOOD culinary academy. Every day, we encounter a catastrophic gap in the level of training, and frankly, in the standard of living between chefs in the capital and in the provinces. Locally, people persevere in their profession, and opening projects with experienced chef mentors in their hometowns is a real action, the importance and necessity of which we see firsthand. A young man, a student at the local culinary college, works at "Golubchiki," and I am well aware of the level of education and the need to support local institutions. At this stage, as a debuting restaurateur, I plan to collaborate more closely with the educational institution. I hope that my colleagues from the academy will support this. Restoring the prestige of the profession is important to elevate to the level of a national idea. We just need to leave Moscow and start doing things," concludes Elena Bogdan.