The Maslenitsa (the Pancake Festival) is celebrated in March in the last week before Lent. During this period special performances are held. Tourists have a chance to taste blini (Russian pancakes), to take part in traditional national winter games, to go sledding. By the end of the festivities a big doll made of hay is burnt. The doll symbolizes winter. The Maslenitsa festivities are held in many cities and towns around Moscow.
The Festival of the Cossack Folklore has been held at the last week-end of each summer month (June. July, August) at Starocherkasskaya Cossack village since 1986. Music and dance ensembles from all districts of the Rostov Regions and also from other regions of Russia take part in this colorful folklore festival. Artists exchange experience of their search and collecting work, held master classes. Products of local craftsmen are exhibited at the fair arrange at the festival grounds. The main event of the festival is a gala concert of all participants.
Sabantuy is a traditional Tartar feast that has more than a thousand-year history. Sabantuy means in Tartar literary “Plough feast” and was originally dedicated to the sowing campaign. There is no fix date when Sabantuy is celebrated, but usually it takes place in first part of summer. Sabantuy features national Tartar songs and dances, comic contests and sports. The most significant competition is a national wrestling on the belts «Koresh». The winner traditionally gets the most valuable prize of Sabantuy. The main Sabantuy festival takes place in the capital of Tartar republic, Kazan. Sabantuy is included in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
The World of Siberia Festival of Ethnic Music and Crafts yearly held since 2003 at Shushenskoye ethnographic village in July is the largest festival in Russia providing its numerous guests with opportunity to join the best samples of ethnic music in authentic atmosphere of a Russian village of late XIX-early XX cc. located in the South Siberia. Representatives of all genes and trends of actual music art connected with ethnic subjects are welcome. Live music and high quality of the performance is the only condition for all participants of the festival. In the City of Masters traditionally arranged on the festival grounds craftsmen present their hand-made articles and you have a chance to take part in master classes and purchase original authentic souvenirs.
This festival is held every two years in the village of Yelo in the central part of the Republic of Altai. Visitors can watch horse parades and races, theater performances. You can listen to the folk songs and national musical instruments, the narrators of the epic and the masters of throat singing. There is a possibility to take part in traditional Altai games and contests. There is also competition-review of national stylized costumes, contest of children’s and youth creativity and competition of ails (yurtas, gers — nomad’s traditional conical huts). During the event the guests can visit the City of Masters Fair and purchase souvenirs.
“Day of Russia at the turquois Katun” is an ethnical all Russian festival dedicated to the national holiday Day of Russia and traditional culture of peoples populating Russia. The festival is held annually from 8 to 12 June in one of the most picturesque places of Altai on the banks of the Katun River at the tourist and recreation complex “Turquois Katun”. The festival allows you to plunge into the world of the traditional culture, take part in mass festivities, games and amusements, purchase works of folk craftsmen, watch national dances, take part in master classes on traditional crafts, taste dishes of national cuisine , get acquainted with the culture and life of the peoples of Altai.
Every year the Yhyakh traditional Yakut people New Year celebration connected with June solstice, holiday of renewing of the Nature and the Man is held at Us Khatyn area not far from Yakutsk. Central activities of the festival is competition of narrators of Olonkho heroic epic of Yakuts and Okuokhai — simultaneous round dance and song symbolizing the Circle of Life. The celebration is ended with sunrise watching as a symbol of purification of the soul.
The holiday is celebrated in Russian regions with aboriginal population, including Kamchatka and Khabarovsk regions. Aboriginal population of the Khabarovsk Territory is Tungusic peoples of Evenks, Nanai, Oroch, Udege. Aboriginal population of the Kamchatka Territory includes Tungusic people of Evenkis, Paleosiberian people of Chukchi, Koryak, Itelmen, Aleuts and specific ethnic and cultural group of Kamchadals. Every year beginning August festival of native peoples is held in Khabarovsk and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Programme of festival includes master classes on traditional crafts and demonstration of national costumes. Everyone will be able to play traditional games of the indigenous peoples populating the Khabarovsk Territory and to taste dishes of their national cuisine. The festivities are attended by folk groups, masters of decorative-applied art, and representatives of indigenous communities.
In the second half of June Even Folklore Festival devoted for Even traditional celebration of the summer solstice, the so-called Even New Year is held in some regions of Russia, e.g. in Magadan region and in Kamchatka. In Magadan the festival is called Khebdenek and in Kamchatka it’s called Nurgenek. Usually the celebration is arranged with the observance of national traditions and all obligatory rites and rituals (among them is Kheide – dance in a ring symbolizing solar circle), concerts, game and sports programs, competitions between reindeer herding communities for the best preparation of tea, fresh fish-soup, traditional national dishes, etc.
The First Fish Festival is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of June in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and in Esso. It is very ancient celebration of all Kamchatka aboriginal peoples (Itelmens, Evens, Koryaks, Aleuts) for whom the fish is the main provision. They believe that if they meet adequately the first fish using special rituals and so lure the fish to the northern rivers they guarantee good catch in the summer season. The best folklore ensembles perform their festive programmes for participants and guests of festival. Everybody who wish can take part in interesting funny competitions and games. Guests have a chance to taste Kamchatka ukha (traditional fresh-fish soup). The holiday is followed by demonstration of national hairstyles and costumes.
Every year Itelmens celebrate the end of summer season and thank the nature for good harvest, meat, fish, mushrooms and berries, bring gifts to Khantai (fish deity: half fish, half human), scare away evil spirits and clear themselves of sins. In the end of September the Alkhalalai folklore holiday is held at the Pimchakh Itelmen ethnographic complex located near Sosnovka village not far from Elizovo town. The programme of the event is designed for audience of all ages and interests. In addition to traditional Itelmen rituals concert of folklore ensembles, master classes for manufacturing of Khantai figurines and products made of fish skin, children’s animation programme, different contests (the Best Handler of Salmon, the Miskh (the best mistress), the Itelmen language songs etc.), exhibition of masters of applied arts products, tasting of national cuisine etc. are arranged. The highlight of the festival is Open Championship of Indigenous Peoples of Kamchatka Dancing. It is a dance marathon which begins at midnight and lasts until noon of the next day!
The Khololo (the Seal Day) is traditional celebration by the Koryak people devoted to the end of hunting and fishing season. The celebration is held in November in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and at some villages populated by Koryaks. Many ancient customs, ritual dances and songs are combined at the Khololo celebration. Guests of the Khololo have a chance to taste original Koryak cuisine, to see national Koryak holiday clothes and tambourines playing. National force, dexterity and prowess competitions are indispensable part of the Khololo holiday.
The Naadym is a Tuvan version of the Naadam traditional festival of Mongolian stock-breeders (arats). The Naadym is held in the mid-August not far from Kyzyl city. This celebration is associated with annual tribal sacrifice in honour of the head local spirit and spirits of the ancestors.. Programme of the holiday includes the national wrestling kures, racing, archery, lifting of heavy stones, competitions for the best national yurta (ger), the best national costume and the best equipment for the horse, performances of folklore dance and song ensembles. At the grandiose fair arranged on the grounds of the festival you can taste dishes of national cuisine and purchase authentic original souvenirs: livestock utensils, national clothes, different felt products, Tuvan musical instruments and handmade products of local craftsmen.
The Tun Pairam is one of the most ancient Khakassian folklore holidays. This holiday celebrated in late June – early July is devoted to the first milk of new season (first milk of new year grass) and first ayran (traditional sour-milk beverage of Turks, Arabs, Bulgarians, Iranians) made of the first new year milk. Celebration is held at the Sagai Glade (120 km from Abakan). Traditionally the inhabitants of several aals (traditional Khakassian cattle-breeding villages) gathered in the morning at the nearest mountain top where they put birch trees, a hitching post, light a big fire and accomplished ritual performances. The most revered man sprinkles animals, ritual fire, birch trees, hitching post with new ayran blessing the heaven, the earth and asks the cattle and dairy products don’t come to an end. After the end of the ritual part of the celebration strength and agility competitions are arranged. Archery, racing (chris) and lifting of stones (kapchan tas) and traditional wrestling (kures) are very popular. Sport competitions are traditionally followed by performances of folklore ensembles of Khakassia.
The Ustu-Khure located in town of Chadan (220 km to the west from Kyzyl) is the largest Buddhist monastery in Tyva. The annual festival of live music and live belief has been held in Chadan each July since 1999. A motto of the festival is kindness, tolerance and simplicity for the good things of life. Musical program of the festival is a kaleidoscope: traditional Buddhist mystery plays (Cham Dance), authentic ethnic music, throat singing, jazz, ethno-rock, folk, instrumental chamber music and electronic motives, world stars and enthusiasts from rural cultural centers. The simplicity of the living conditions at the tent camp, closeness to virgin nature and to the Buddhist monastery ruins, joint music-making by the participants from different countries of the world create a specific unforgettable atmosphere and unique image of the festival.
