Pelmeni is a traditional Russian dish. It is believed that original chinese version ended up in siberia somewhere in 15th century.
Pelmeni is an ideal dish for siberian climate, with those temperatures pelmeni can stay fresh all winter.
For a long time pelmeni were traditional only for people living in siberia and ural. Pelmeni are the main dish of festive tables in those regions.
The word "pelmeni" was given to this dish only in 19th century. With road development in Russia, people started to move between regions and cultural ties became stronger, and the word "pelmeni" was generally accepted as the name for this dish.