The Russian Federation encompasses 85 'federal subjects', 22 of them being republics and over 185 ethnic groups. This diversity enriches Russia's cultural patrimony. Every nation has its own traditions, songs and folklore. To display this capital, the channel 'Culture' founded the "Вся Россия" фолклорный фестиваль, where ballets and choirs from all over Russia perform their traditional pieces. We watched some extracts of it in class and I wanted to share that with you. The most famous folklore ensemble in the whole of Russia is Хор имени Пятницкого. This choir was founded in 1911, and focuses solely on Russian traditions and folklore (Russian in the ethnic sense). In the video above, they perform the first song in a traditional wear associated mainly with the Yaroslavl Oblast. Альбина Дегтярева! This artist is from Yakutsk in the Sakha Republic. About 40% of its territory is located above the Artic circle and the region is known for its extreme temperatures, its natural resources, for its sceneries, its lakes, mountains...simply for its nature. In the following clip, Albina uses a барган or Jew's harp, which consists in a metal tongue attached to a frame. She places the tongue in her mouth and plucks it with her finger to produce a note. With the instrument, she imitates the sounds of nature. Close your eyes and you'll imagine yourself lost at night in the Taiga. This performance is an example of Yakuts' folklore. Чеченский государственный ансамбль танца "Вайнах" This ensemble was founded in 1939 and is based in Grozny, the capital of the Republic of Chechnya, in the North Caucasus. It's a ballet which showcases the character of the Chechen people: strong, brave, proud. They perform in concert halls all over Russia and often abroad. You can see below one of the pieces they presented in Ukraine. And FINALLY as an extra, I want to share with you the most famous Russian folk song. Stop anyone in the street and ask them if they know this song, the answer will be YES. It was originally composed by Alxandra Zheleznova-Armfelt in 1896-1897, the original title being Ой, не вечоръ, то-ли не вечоръ. A young soldier has a disturbing dream, and his captain interprets it as an omen of their defeat. What's interesting is that the original lyrics of the song made reference to Stepan Razin, a Cossack leader who led an uprising against the tsarist power in the 17th century. This is part of Cossack folklore, a people descendent of peasants who fled from their masters, and dispersed all over Russia to find their freedom. They later formed semi-military communities and were charged by the tsar of the protection of borders. The majority of Cossacks supported the tsarist regime during the civil war that took place from 1917 to 1922, fighting in the tsarist army. Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!
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This weekend, my landlady drove my friend and I to her cottage house, her дача. She really wanted me to see the 'real Russia'. We stopped on the way to see a provincial church and got to talk with the lady in charge of the church, who was more than happy to explain to foreigners what the orthodox faith was about. My landlady insisted on us videotaping the baptism which was then taking place in the temple. She even bought us candles to light. Everyone in the church was very friendly. We then stopped a number of times because Valida wanted to greet some friends. It was interesting to see how different the houses where in the village, some very big and new with a very simple and common architecture, others tiny, colourful and very old. They all had a lot of character. Brandnew Land Rovers and old Ladas went and came on the same country lane. We arrived at the village at around noon. The datcha was lovely. Three rooms and the kitchen on the first floor, an empty room on the second with a superb view on the Volga river. Valiya showed us around her garden, rightly-so proud of all the vegetables and flowers she was growing. We had half a watermelon (I know: it's a LOT) and went for a walk on the embankment. On our way back, Valida decided to adventure on an unknown road back to the village. The result? Us walking through a swamp with city shoes and miserably dragging our cold and tired selves back to the house. After eating more watermelon we read a bit and had a nap, while our 70-year-old host was energetically working in the garden. (I pray to be just as active at her age!). She said she wanted to sort everything out in her Dacha before winter. In fact, between the month of March and November, she visits the village every weekend, but past November, что ей делать в деревне? Well, I'll link Pushkin's answer for you to enjoy. Then followed a visit of the village, of a small farm, and some words shared with the neighbours.
We drove back to the city with the feeling of having shared for a day the camaraderie, warmness and support nurtured among the inhabitants of that tiny village! To learn more about the reason Russians are obsessed with Dachas, click on the link below. HTTPS://UNDERSTANDRUSSIA.COM/DACHA/
We finally got to Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast. Very rural place, quite empty, 'interesting looking' shops and rain...I was then starting to reevaluate my decision to visit the place, unable to view the beauty of what was said to be the tourist centre of the Golden Ring. But as we walked into the centre, the sight of the City Citadel (the Kreml) erased all my doubts. Rostov has a magnificent architectural heritage dominated by churches, monasteries and cathedrals as it was till the 17th century a centre of religious learning and missionary activities. This history began when Prince Vladimir of Kiev, the Christianizer of Russia, gave the Rostov lands to his son Yaroslavl, now known as 'Yaroslavl The Wise'. This one started an effort to convert the largely pagan population of the region, introducing numerous Christian missionaries. Even after the Mongol capture of the city in 1237, most cathedral and monasteries remained and were preserved. Most of the churches were rebuilt in the 19th century and the town was designated a historical preserve in 1970 becoming a touristic attractive site. So imagine those breathtaking buildings in the middle of a deserted, somehow stuck in the 70s gloomy provincial town! That's a view I would recommend! The most beautiful frescos I have ever seen in my life
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AuthorThird year student at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. Studies Russian, German and International Relations. Loves traveling. Loves languages. Loves to share. Hence, this BLOG! Archives
January 2018
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