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The Holiday Uniting People

“Only those who are alien to Russian culture can be not fond of Sholokhov”, – these words written by the well-known writer, playwright and journalist Anatoly Sofronov reflect not only his opinion. Millions of readers of Sholokhov’s works are in solidarity with him. And this is confirmed by the holiday dedicated to the birthday of the great writer gathering annually late in May, in Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya, thousands of those who value the name of Sholokhov, who value his work.

The holiday “Sholokhov Spring” has been popular for 33 years, it is included in the National Event Calendar and was awarded several prestigious awards. It is held annually under the support of the Russian Federation Ministry for Culture, the Rostov Region Ministry for Culture and the Rostov Regional House of Folk Art.

This time the All-Russian Literary Folklore Holiday “Sholokhov Spring-2018” dedicated to the 113th anniversary of the writer’s birthday started on Friday, May 25, with the children’s performance in the open areas of the two stanitsas inseparably connected with the name of M.A.Sholokhov – Vyoshenskaya and Karghinskaya. At noon, the young folk groups’ performers of the Sholokhov District educational and cultural institutions began their concert in Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya. A little later the “Children Sholokhov Spring” started in Stanitsa Karghinskaya.

Besides, the Karghin public enjoyed the performance of the young actors from Moscow, Volgograd and different parts of the Don country. The educational program for children “Old Mill Workshop” presented an exhibition of radio controlled models created by the schoolchildren-craftsmen of the Rostov-on-Don Children's Technical Centre. There were interesting workshop classes, riding on ponies, carousels, swings and an adventure game “Daring Little Cossacks”. The children enjoyed the puppet show performance. The “Children Sholokhov Spring” continued in the central square of Stanitsa Karghinskaya, where the children took part in the literary and musical program “Let’s Make the World Brighter!”

On that day, a journalistic and artistic recital “I will have Finished “And Quiet Flows the Don”!” was held in the Palace of Culture of Stanitsa Vyoshenskaya. The composition performed by the creative group of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov brightly told about the difficult fate of the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” and its author. The concert part of the program included the

performance of the best song and dance groups and ensembles from Rostov-on-Don, the Rostov Region, Stavropol and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The main day of the holiday, May 26, was opened by the theatrical reveille – a festival singing and dancing procession of the local and guest folk groups along the street to the centre of Vyoshenskaya. The residents and guests gathered in two open performing areas to watch and see the concerts. The viewers freely “travelled” from one concert area to the other.

The Museum structures attracted tourists wishing to go on an excursion and to learn more about the life and work of M.A.Sholokhov.

Near the central square there was an interactive area “Entertaining Hamlet” offering its informative and entertaining program “Visiting Don Cossacks”. There the guests could try themselves in pottery, painting on ceramics and wood, and other arts and crafts. The visitors could see an exhibition of old photos and made photos of themselves in the interior of the “old photo studio of the early XX century”. There were other attractive activities and children's fun accompanied with cheerful music. And, of course, there worked a field Cossack kitchen.

On that day, a merry folklore festival “I was Born in the Don Country…” took place in Kruzhilin Village, the homeland of the writer. All the performances were dedicated to the author of the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don”, who is well-known to both old and young.

The writers and poets of the Rostov, Voronezh and Volgograd regions gathered on Saturday in the People’s House of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov for the literary club session. They remembered Sholokhov’s traditions, shared their creative findings, told the colleagues about their new publications.

In the People’s House an hour later, a ceremony of signing an agreement about the creative cooperation between the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve and the Rostov branch of the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S.A.Gerasimov took place. A.M.Sholokhov, Deputy Head of the Committee for Culture of the RF State Duma, estimated this event as significant. The agreement was signed by O.A.Anistratenko, Director of the Museum-Reserve, and T.N.Seledtsova, Director of the branch of the Institute of Cinematography.

On the festival days the central park alley was occupied by booths of souvenirs, articles of arts and crafts, toys, old Cossack attributes and symbolics.

There one could find and buy a Cossack hat, a sabre, a whip, a hood and a horseshoe for happiness! That is why the exhibition of arts and crafts was named “Fair of Masters”. “Sholokhov Spring”, as usual, offered a great choice of handmade products.

In the afternoon the central square turned into the area of the competition and game program “Perky Kuren”. Each makeshift “Cossack house” from the neighbouring districts competed others with its quick dances and merry songs. The public encouraged both “their” performers and their “rivals”. In a word, friendship won.

The holiday “Sholokhov Spring-2018” was visited by the delegation headed by V.V.Rudoy, Deputy Head of the Rostov Region Administration. The delegation visited the House-Museum at the Estate of M.A.Sholokhov, laid flowers at the writer’s tomb. Then they visited the fair of masters, makeshift “Cossack kurens” to listen to good Don Cossack songs and have a talk with the “hosts”.

At 8 p.m., a big floating stage by the River Don bank united the best performers who came to the festival. The soloists and folk groups attracted to the gala concert thousands of residents and guests of Vyoshenskaya, who stormily applauded to the song and dance masters. The audience was greeted by V.V.Rudoy, Deputy Head of the Rostov Region Administration and A.M.Sholokhov, Deputy of the RF State Duma. Then, the floor was given to Seryozha Gorin, the winner in the contest “Our Sholokhov”. He brilliantly performed a fragment of the short story “Birthmark” by M.A.Sholokhov.

The gala concert “The Fate of a Man is the Fate of the Country” performed at the Don embankment was a great success. The impressive final mass scene of the concert was accompanied by 113 lights floating along the River Don to symbolize the 113th anniversary of the writer’s birthday and was followed by the grandiose fireworks that illuminated the high sky of Vyoshenskaya.

The holiday of “Sholokhov Spring” was ended with the youth pop program shown in the central square.

We’ll see you around in the homeland of Sholokhov!

Alexey Kochetov