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Sholokhov Museum will Hold a Holiday “Steed is the Dearest for Cossack”

On May, 10, a literary and ethnographic holiday “Steed is the Dearest for Cossack” (traditional games of Don Cossacks of Vyoshenskaya), dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of the Great Victory and the 110^th anniversary of M.A.Sholokhov is going to be held.

A reconstructed Cossack camp of the early XX century will be set up at the hippodrome of the Museum-Reserve. The guests will learn what kind of life Cossacks lived in the Setrakov Camps described by M.A.Sholokhov in the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don”. The guests will see cleaning and saddling of horses, rollcall and arrangement, traditional competitions of Don horses including separate elements and kinds of Cossack physical and combat training, shooting, cold weapon practice and techniques, horse management. Early in the XX century such competitions included horse racing, fancy riding, weapon flanking, slashing rods, fist fight and other kinds of battle. All these will be shown on the holiday by brave horsemen.

From early age little Cossacks were trained for military service and defence of the Motherland. The guests will be shown the stages in training Cossack warrior: infant, adolescent and youth. Young Cossacks on ponies will show their skills.

The Museum workers will give demonstrative master-classes on flanking, horse mounting and lance and whip wielding. The farrier will show his skills when working with a horse.

The holiday form will include equestrian events: smooth racing and show jumping. For those looking for experiences a “Cossack cavalry charge” will be demonstrated. The fancy riding including the main techniques used by Cossacks in battles will produce an unforgettable impression. The guests will have an opportunity to try themselves in javelin and knife throwing, in archery, rifle shooting and slashing rods.

In master-classes the young guests will be shown how to make figurines of horses from clay, gypsum, cloth and grass. The children will be able to make and paint souvenirs, to draw a postage stamp, to try wood carving and pottery, to master sand art and grattage techniques.

During the holiday, the guests will be offered tours about the Stables, a ride in a carriage and on ponies, a souvenir shopping and field kitchen meals.

In the evening the guests will be entertained with a horse show about friendship and devotion of Cossack and his faithful companion, a destrier. The author and director is Evgheny Tkachuk (Moscow), a stunt director is Sanat Berkaliyev (Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya).

We welcome residents and guests of Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya to the holiday “Steed is the Dearest for Cossack”.

Viktor Boldyrev