Klassiki Picks is our series of curated watchlists personally selected for our subscribers by celebrated filmmakers, writers, and actors. We’re delighted to welcome Alissa Timoshkina to the hot seat for the this latest edition. Alissa is a chef, writer, and historian whose work has put Eastern European cuisine back on the map. Originally from Siberia, with Ukrainian-Jewish heritage, her food and events have been featured in The Guardian, The Independent, Vogue, and many more. Her cookbooks – Salt and Time: recipes from a Russian Kitchen (2019) and the new Kapusta: vegetable-forward recipes from Eastern Europe (2025) – explore the diversity and tradition of food from across the region. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Timoshkina and Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules established the #CookForUkraine social media initiative, which has since raised over two million pounds for UNICEF, Legacy Of War Foundation, and Choose Love.

In this subscriber exclusive, Alissa introduces her selection of four titles for Klassiki Picks, taking in Poland, Georgia, Armenia, and Russia and stretching from the 1970s to the present. Available to Klassiki subscribers from 5 June - 3 July 2025.