Apollinary Vasnetsov and the menus of the coronation dinners in Moscow in May 1896

Menu of the dinner for the volost elders, 18 May 1896, at the Petrovsky Palace on the occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II, printed in colour lithography at the Levenson quick-printing house from sketches by Apollinary Vasnetsov, younger brother of t.

Apollinary Vasnetsov, like his brother, took part in the decoration of the celebrations for the coronation of Nicholas II, and was among other things the author of the sketches for the menus of the state dinners which were given for the various estates in Moscow from 14 to 26 May 1896.

The menu for 18 May: Poltava borscht, kulebyaka, cold whitefish, veal with fresh herbs, roast chicken and game, cucumbers, a raspberry sweet and dessert.

The Moscow kulebyaka was made narrow and tall, filled with forcemeat in rows, so that with each bite the flavour changed from layer to layer. Roast fowl is first set on a spit, and then roasted in its own juices and melted butter. A sweet of berries is served in glassware, the berries sprinkled with sugar and doused with wine, sherry or Madeira.

The dinner for the volost elders was given in Petrovsky Park and was laid for 820 people, who were accommodated in four marquees. The elders came to the imperial dinner from all over the country, and Nicholas II honoured them with his personal presence, going round the tables and delivering a speech.

Despite the appalling events earlier on the morning of that very day on the Khodynka Field, where between 1,300 and 4,000 people died in the crush, Nicholas II did not cancel the festivities marking his own coronation, nor even the events of that day, even those held directly at the scene of the tragedy. The dinner for the elders took place as well.