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Bright Colours of Sholokhov Holiday

The all-Russian literary and folklore holiday “Sholokhov Spring” has become very popular: again the country of Vyoshenskaya was visited by dozens of professional and amateur folk groups which entertained the folks and guests of the stanitsa.

As always the Museum-Reserve hospitably opened the doors of all of its facilities to the visitors. The guests could take tours “The Don Nature” (Lebyazhy Yar) and “Kruzhilin Village is Homeland of M.A.Sholokhov”.

As novelty of this holiday “Vyoshenskiye Vesnushki”, a children part of the holiday, was held in Stanitsa Karghinskaya, which is closely connected with the young years of Sholokhov’s biography. The whole village, said about by the writer to be “…the upper Don most beautiful Village of Karghin” hosted the dear guests.

The children entertained the guests with their sincere performance, songs, dances, reciting from Sholokhov’s works and interactive open air games. The Karghin page was a good beginning of the holiday!

In the evening, in the Palace of Culture of Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya, a journalistic and artistic recital “Testament for Generations” was held; it attracted a great attention of the writer’s admirers. It began with a theatrical composition on the works of M.A.Sholokhov. The theme of war in Sholokhov’s stories and novels resonated with current events.

A.M.Sholokhov, Director of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov, welcomed the holiday participants and underlined the importance of uniting peoples and keeping the cultural space unity on these difficult days.

The presentation was followed by a big concert performed by folk groups in honour of the great writer’s birthday. The audience mostly enjoyed the performance of Russian chorus and folk groups from Omsk, Voronezh, Sebastopol and Stavropol.

The main day of the holiday, Saturday, May, 24, coinciding with the writer’s birthday, began with a cheerful theatrical reveille. Festive folk groups singing and dancing went from the Palace of Culture to the central square attracting and inviting the viewers to join the general merriment. In the square the performers competed in singing and dancing. The viewers mostly enjoyed Cossack groups from Kazanskaya, Chertkovo and Surovikino. In the park, masters of arts and crafts attracted the guests with their goods and souvenirs matching different tastes.

Of great attraction were book stalls with Sholokhov’s books selling best.

In the People’s House of the Museum-Reserve several presentations were held: two different exhibitions were opened – “Russian Gold Embroidery Art”   (from the Russian Ethnographic Museum, Saint Petersburg) and ”M.B.Grekov. An Artist of the Unknown War” (from the Rostov Regional Museum of Local Studies). The exhibitions will run in June and July.

Another event was a presentation of the first issue of the new journal “The World of Sholokhov”. The idea of it was conceived in the time of working over “Sholokhov Encyclopedia” to be devoted to literary works of the modern Sholokhov studies and to publish materials concerning various aspects of Sholokhov’s art and allied subjects. The presentation was made by A.M.Sholokhov, Chairman of the Editorial Board, Y.A.Dvoryashin, Editor-in-Chief, and A.A.Dyrdin, Chief Editor. They shared their views on the goals and objectives of the new edition, answered the questions of pressmen and readers.

The holiday makers overcrowded the central square and park alleys. The hosts of the makeshift Cossack kurens (houses) invited guests in and tried their best to entertain them variously to outdo their neighbours. Each kuren was represented by an amateur concert group.

The official delegation headed by I.A.Guskov, the First Deputy Head of the Regional Administration, visited each kuren. All they were very interesting, but mostly attractive was the house of the Bokovsky District with its hospitality and bright performance of the folk group “Pravoslavny Don”.

In the evening the people began moving to the embankment of the River Don. The stage platform attracted with its lights. The concert was joined by the Omsk Russian Folk Chorus, Voronezh Russian Folk Chorus, Cossack groups of the Rostov and nearest regions, professional and amateur folk and variety show groups.

The gala-concert seemed to have passed in one go. It was followed by a holiday firework. The dark night sky over the Don broke out to flower in thousands of multicoloured lights.

The wonderful firework ceased, the holiday crowds went to the central square to enjoy a variety show program of the pop-group from Matveyevo-Kurgan District.

Good-bye, “Sholokhov Spring-2014”, we are looking forward to “Sholokhov Spring-2015”!

Alexey Kochetov