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At Karghin Fair Revived after 100 Years

The first step on the way to revival of Karghin Fair on Protection Day has been done! It took place on Sunday, October, 12.

The feast of the Holy Virgin Protection has been honoured in the Don province since old times. Also, Cossacks associated this event with 1641, with the famous “Azov Siege Sitting”, when they, numbering 5300 soldiers, for a long time had been containing the 150-thousand Turkish army. The besieged Cossacks were worn out by fightings, illnesses and fatigue. Then, on October, 1, having prayed they decided to get out of the fortress to strike the last blow at the Turkish. Suddenly a thick fog lay down over the coast, and under this protection the Cossacks moved on the enemy. The fog cleared, and they got surprised to see the Turkish camp abandoned: the enemies were retreating to get aboard their ships. Seeing the Protection of the Holy Virgin help them the Cossacks caught up with the Turks and gave them battle. With a large loss the enemy retired from the Azov region.

On Protection Day Cossacks marked an army holiday of Voysko Donskoye (the Don Army) and a regimental holiday of the 12^th Don Cossack regiment formed of Cossacks of Migulinskaya,Vyoshenskaya and Kazanskaya.

Before the Revolution, in Karghin Village, one of the villages of Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya, on that day a big fair famous in the region was held. There was selling and buying, entering into contracts. The holiday-makers coming with their families had a great fun. After the Revolution and the Civil War the Fair wasn’t held. But its traditions are still preserved: after nearly a century’s break the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve and the Bokovsky District Administration of the Rostov Region decided to revive the glory of the Karghin Fair.

The guests from all the provinces arrived at the mill farmyard of T.A.Karghin. Like in old times, the Fair came to life gaining strength, became clamorous and seething in a colourful swirl. Children and even adults teetered on big swings decorated with colourful ribbons and flags. The public enjoyed the circus performance; the little ones rode on a small train around the mill-house. Different master-classes attracted lovers of arts and crafts.

Fair selling is another peculiarity. As it was in the past, there worked a tearoom, eating house, a manufactory shop of merchant I.A.Ozerov, a grocery shop of K.K.Kopylova and a shop of the Unified Consumer Society. There were various viands, souvenirs and presents for children…

The visitors called in the makeshift Cossack houses, rode on horses and a pony, watched strongmen competitions.

On the occasion of the upcoming Protection Day and the revival of the famous Karghin Fair the public was greeted by A.M.Sholokhov, Director of the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve, and Y.A.Pyatikov, Head of the Bokovsky District Administration. The hosts of the best households in Stanitsa Karghinskaya were given presents and letters of thanks. Following it the Fair public was attracted by the show ”How Kruzhilin Bulls were Sold in Karghin Vllage”. The auction, though with humour, was quite real. A pair of bulls were “fought for” by men from Chuvashia and Voronezh Region. They started from 120 thousand a pair. Finally, the Chuvashians won the auction paying 255 thousand for the bulls called Grishka and Mishka.

Then the public enjoyed the performance of different song and dance groups.

Everyone had a fun and attraction to his liking at the Karghin Fair on Protection Day. The revival has started and Stanitsa Karghinskaya, which is inseparably linked with the name of Sholokhov, has got its long-awaited holiday!

Alexey Kochetov