BELARUS-ETHNIC FESTIVAL Belarussians celebrate ethnic festival with dancing and bonfires

Record ID: 146558

  • Title: BELARUS-ETHNIC FESTIVAL Belarussians celebrate ethnic festival with dancing and bonfires
  • Date: 16th July 2015
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE DANCING AROUND BONFIRE
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belarus
  • Country: Belarus
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9OPFYBWONWBI5HPACUBK64LVJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Belarussian enthusiasts brought joy to the streets of a small villages in the Minsk region, reviving old traditions with dancing, singing and jumping over bonfires.
    Participants of regional festival 'Petrovski fest' came from all over Belarus to take part in old rites, bidding a farewell to spring and welcoming summer, traditionally celebrated on St. Peter's day (July 12).
    One of the organisers, a choreographer of ethnic dances and the head of a folk dance group Verabeiki, Sergei Vyskvarka, told Reuters that the festival appeals to a broad range of people.
    "In the five years of this festival there was never less than 50 people each year, usually 150 people. They are not from folk dance groups or organisations, they are ordinary people, who are interested in our traditions, they are from different cities - from Grodno to Vitebsk, Gomel, Polotsk, I don't know, it is impossible to mention every one of them. They are just students, notably University of Culture attended the festival just once, in general they are economists, engineers, programmers, physicists, mathematicians," he said.
    Young women wearing traditional costumes twined flower wreaths and walked along the streets of the village, singing songs and performing folk dances.
    Aleksandra Lashuk, a philology student at Belarus State University, said she was delighted to take part in the festival.
    "I like it very much, all these five days that we are here, I'm excited and fascinated. I don't want to go sleep, don't want to stop dancing. We have a wonderful dance teacher and the atmosphere is just amazing," she said.
    The highlight of the festival was an evening gathering, where dozens of people held hands danced around a bonfire.
    Anton Yankovsky, who had travelled from the city of Grodno, to take part in festivities, said celebrating the country's folk traditions brought people closer together.
    "It's not my first time at this festival and festival of this kind. Since my university years I love authenticity, it is where depth and, talking in Belarussian, breath, nature, natural people's behaviour and natural communication come from. I like very much that at festivals like this you can feel all of it - there is some kind of unity between us in dances and rites like this, just in village walks, songs."
    The bravest among the participants jumped over the bonfire, as other sang.
    According to old traditions lovers get married or engaged on St. Peter's day. To test the strength of their love couples jumped over the bonfire together - it is believed that if they do not break their grip and touch the ground holding hands, their love will last.
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