World Pelmeni Day is a cultural and gastronomic festival held annually in Udmurtia, in Izhevsk. The festival is dedicated to pelmeni, a traditional dish in Udmurtia.

The goal of the project: to develop a brand identity for the festival, which combines a modern style that attracts new young audience and the traditions of Udmurt culture, as well as to emphasize the unity of the people of Udmurtia.

The target audience of the festival: Residents of Udmurtia, especially young people who, due to the peculiarities of the times, are moving away from traditions, but still feel their involvement in the Udmurt culture. Also tourists from other regions of Russia and businesses — dumpling producers, artisans, cafes and restaurants.

Traditional Udmurt patterns were hand-drawn for the identity. Patterns are an important part of the culture and visual identity of Udmurtia. They are present almost everywhere: from clothing to household utensils and even books. It is the patterns that will allow us to connect the modern style of the festival with ancient history and traditions. The dumpling is the main star of the festival, so it became the central figure in the identity. Minimalistic and very abstract, taking on different shapes and sizes. Sculpting is a special process by which dumplings are born. Sculpting conveys history, keeps alive traditions and the experience of ancestors. Sculpted typography is used both in headings and in the logo in combination with modern grotesque.

The idea is based on the well-known idiom: “made of different dough”. Udmurtia is indeed home to completely different people who are “made of different dough”, but they are all one nation with a unique culture and traditions. And the festival is a reason to remember this, because pelmeni is a generalized image of unity. The identity combines hand-drawn Udmurt patterns, abstract dumpling shapes, and molded typography. With the help of different dumpling shapes and patterns that symbolize the filling, we convey the main idea: “We are made of different dough, but we are all dumplings.”