Why is the pretzel a symbol of Vyborg?
This is connected to events that took place in the Middle Ages. But even today, you can buy delicious, aromatic pretzels in almost every coffee shop in Vyborg.
In the second half of the 14th century, a Franciscan monastery was built in Vyborg. Over its centuries-long history, Vyborg itself has been part of Sweden, the Grand Duchy of Finland, and the Russian Empire. According to legend, during one siege, a severe famine struck the city. The monks of the Franciscan monastery turned to heaven in a collective prayer, asking God to grant them hope and salvation. Suddenly, flour rained down from the sky, creating a veritable blizzard of flour. The monks collected it and baked bread, which they distributed to the hungry. From the last handful, they baked bread for themselves, shaped like a figure eight. The shape resembles the monks themselves, walking to prayer with their hands folded on their shoulders.
The monks' recipe has been lost, but they are still baked with a small amount of salt and sugar, but several aromatic spices are used.
Another version is more prosaic. The monks—townspeople called them "gray brothers" because of the color of their clothing—baked pretzels, the recipe for which they kept secret. The monks distributed the pretzels to the poor and also sold them, using the proceeds to repair the monastery buildings. The recipe for the wheat pretzel included numerous spices—nutmeg, cumin, marjoram, cloves, and cardamom.
In 1710, the Swedes were forced to surrender Vyborg to the Russian Empire, and Peter the Great tried the pretzel. He liked the baked goods and ordered them to be delivered to the royal court. The pretzels became so popular that they continued to be baked even after the monastery was closed.
Another curious fact about pretzels. The so-called "Pretzel War" of the 19th century, fought between the Vaittinen and Löppönen bakery families, has gone down in Vyborg's history. Both families claimed to possess the monks' historic recipe. There were no winners. Maria Vaittinen died in 1865, and her tombstone was inscribed with the words: "her pretzels are beyond compare." Mrs. Löppönen's pretzels won a gold medal at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, but supporters of the Vaittinens successfully overturned the award.
With such stories and a love of pretzels, Vyborg had only one path—to become a "pretzel city." But that's not all. Last year, a statue of a monk was erected on one of the city's old streets. Rumor has it that he leaves his post at night and wanders the city. If you meet him after sunset, your wildest dreams will come true.
