San Javier

San Javier was founded in 1913 by around three hundred families from Russia, members of a religious community who left for the Río Negro and brought with them the crops and customs of where they came from; they are generally credited with introducing sunflower cultivation to Uruguay. The village keeps a Russian museum, a dance group, and a food tradition of pirogi and other dishes, with an annual festival in the middle of the year.

The main sights

• The Russian museum - the record of the 1913 settlement and its founders.
• The dance group - the folk troupe that keeps the settlers' repertoire.
• The food - pirogi and other dishes still cooked in the village.
• The sunflower connection - the crop the settlers are credited with introducing.

When to go

October to April is most comfortable. The village festival falls mid-year and is the fullest time. The museum keeps limited hours.

Things to know

The village is small and quiet with few facilities. The museum opening is irregular and worth checking. Little of the original architecture survives.

Nearby

Young is east, and Fray Bentos is south.

Key facts