A month-long gourmet festival that opened in the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on July 3, has brought a combination of Russian food, performances, oil paintings and artworks, to the folks in China’s Northeast.

The sponsor of the event, the Wanda Realm Hotel, says that visitors can get a taste of many kinds of authentic Russian food such as pickled cabbage, salads, caviar, and borsch from three specially designed menus, each of them with more than 20 dishes and that the hotel has tried to let visitors experience Russian culture with a Russian style of service, decoration, music and activities.

People can learn how to make Russian dishes with the help of Russian girls and see how Vodka is produced while sampling some on the spot. There are also nearly two dozen oil paintings by Russian artists on display, with artists on hand to create works.

One highlight of the event is a 52-cm-tall Matryoshka doll, the province’s largest, on display at the art exhibition along with exhibits of accordions, military uniforms and telescopes from World War II.