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History comes alive In Moscow the last ten days of May are traditionally celebrated as the Days of Slavic Writing and Culture. This festival is associated with the names of brothers Cyril and Methodius, educators and inventors of the Slavic alphabet. In Russia the day of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius has been celebrated on May 24 since 1863. The national public holiday in Bulgaria (Bulgarian Education, Culture and Slavic Writing Day) is also celebrated the same day. July 5, the Slavic Missionaries Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius Day, is the only religious and national holiday in Czech Republic. Mass celebrations and festivals take place in Moscow in honour of this memorable day. They aim to revive and cherish Russian traditions and inspire respect for the culture and historical past of Russia. For the third year running, “The Street of History” festival has been held in the centre of the capital, on Tverskoy Boulevard, within the framework of the Days of Slavic Writing and Culture. The event organizers are the Moscow City Interregional Relations and National Policy Committee, the Russian Slavic Foundation and “Ratobortsy” Old-Time Amusements Agency.  So, on May 23 we could find ourselves in both the distant and recent past of Russia. Various historical epochs came alive in front of the audience, with the people having a chance not just to watch but to be actively involved in the activities, games, contests and competitions. One of the sites was devoted to the Great Patriotic War. Note that 2010 is the year of the 65th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet People over the Nazi Invaders and the end of World War II. Club members showed the war-time paraphernalia to the interested visitors, history buffs were examining soldiers’ everyday items and arms of the Great Patriotic War time, soldiers’ letters in triangular envelopes, and listened to the gramophone records The site devoted to the X century, the epoch of Kievan Rus, and the acceptance of Christianity by the Kievan Prince Vladimir the Great, saw lots of families with children. It is during such festivals that one can have a look at a potter’s wheel and watch a pitcher being made out of wet clay, or a blacksmith forging iron. In a small impromptu smithy modern blacksmiths were seen using bellows to make fire and forge ironware. As part of “The Street of History” festival a concert of folk music was held. Zhivaya Voda (“Life-Giving Water”) gusli music band performed the Russian epic songs, and Teufelstanz band performed folk music and European national dances. By the way, harp is the closest “relative” of gusli. Similar instruments were played, sometimes with a bow, by Serbs and Bulgarians, Croatians and Slovenians, Poles and Czechs.  Visitors of “The Street of History” festival took an opportunity to have their pictures taken in the costumes of the period with old Russian arms, and buy hand-made jewelry made of brass and silver. Valour and daring could be exhibited in a shooting gallery made in an Old Russian style — visitors tried to shoot arrows straight at the round shield—like target made of willow bark. Another event within the framework of the Days of Slavic Writing and Culture, “The Valor of Warriors”, was held between May 21 and May 23 in the Izmailovo Kremlin, a cultural and entertainment complex. It was part of the ХIII Inter-regional Festival of National Traditions and Martial Arts which introduced the traditions of the old Rus and Russia of the 18th −19th centuries. Craftsmen showed their wares: visitors could appreciate the skills of chain-mail armorers and gunsmiths, potters, wood carvers and gold-thread embroiderers. Warriors displayed their strength in the show contests of historic fencing, Russian wrestling and fisticuffs. This year the traditional schedule was complemented by the festival of Lezgin dancing, horsemanship contest and gala St.Trinity costume ball. The festival was held under the auspices of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the RF, Moscow Government, Moscow House of Children’s Public Organizations, Moscow City Interregional Relations and National Policy Committee, Moscow Department of the Federal Drug Control Service of the Russian Federation (FSKN), Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport and Tourism (RSUPES&T). |
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No “Keep your hands off!” museum signs are seen around at such festivals. You get a chance to try doing things yourself: make a bowl from wet clay or hit the anvil with a hammer. Then you can go on to check your marksmanship and dexterity in the pitch for lapta or gorodki, Russian national games, or visit a traditional Russian kitchen, with girls dressed in national costumes displaying needlework, sharing old recipes for various dishes and offering handywomen to try their hand at weaving or crocheting. 
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© 2010 Department of Foreign Economic |