The History of ‘Fish Day’ in Russia

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The History OF FISH DAY IN RUSSIA
VICTOR OLERSKIY Member of the Board of Directors
at Russian Fishery LLC
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Fish Day
in Russia
The History of
The Russian concept of Fish Day was initially
introduced in 1932, as a response to drastic
reductions in meat production and cattle farming
under Soviet rule. The con- cept lasted just two
years at this time but was reintroduced in 1976
with more success.
Victor Olerskiy
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Meat-Free Menus The idea of Fish Day revolves
around pro- moting the eating of fish and
seafood by having a set day of the week where
meat is excluded from the menu at all public
places of eating, including canteens, fac-
tories, plants and other public catering areas.
Smoked Fish Fish Day proved unpopular as the
dishes served were often inedible. Some admin-
istrations tried to save money by smoking the
leftovers, which resulted in the cre- ation of
popular bar snacks.
Fish on a Thursday Thursday was chosen as the day
of the week for Fish Day. It was said that this
was because it had been proven statistically
that people eat more fish on a Thursday.
However, many believe this choice came down to
the traditional Christian fasting days being
Wednesday and Friday, mean- ing meat would be
off the menu for three consecutive days.
Victor Olerskiy
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Victor Olerskiy
Visit the blog of Victor Olerskiy to discover
some of the best places for trophy fishing in
Russia.