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Sholokhov Museum Welcomes to “Kruzhilin Toloki”

On September 2, 2018, a literary ethnographic holiday “Kruzhilin Toloki” will be held in Kruzhilin Village, at the Cossack Estate of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov. The holiday will take the hosts and guests 100 years back to the atmosphere of the old Cossack village to learn more of the history, culture, life and traditions of the Upper Don Cossacks.

The holiday is included in the National Event Calendar of Russia and is the winner of the Grand Prix National Award in the field of event tourism “Russian Event Awards” in the nomination “The Best Event for Spreading the Folk Traditions and Trades”.

The friendly, merry and hospitable Kruzhilin Village will show “living illustrations” to Sholokhov’s works and invite to join the unique reconstruction of the peaceful life of Cossacks.

Last year, the guests of the holiday celebrated a merry “Wedding in Kruzhilin Village” and now they will learn about the customs and traditions associated with baptizing a child. The main sign of Cossack well-being and the “Lord blessing over the family” was children. So, in old times, the sacrament of baptism was attached great importance. Many customs and rites in the Upper Don region have been preserved by now.

Having toured around the estate and the house, where in 1905, Misha Sholokhov was born, the guests will learn about the roots of the Sholokhovs family, about the history of the village and the fate of the church, where the would-be Nobel Prize winner was baptized.

The artistic and ethnographic composition “The Cossack Kin will Never Cease” will tell how our forefathers announced the birth of a child, how they gave him his name, how they chose the godparents, how they brought up children according to Cossack traditions from early days. During the workshops, museum classes and competitions the guests will learn how to embroider christening shirts for a boy or for a girl, will learn what the baby was presented with in old times, how Cossack mothers rocked the babies to sleep and about the difference in upbringing boys and girls.

Young guests of the holiday will take part in old amusements and active games, will learn to play “biryulki”, paint matrioshkas and doves, make beanbag toys and dolls.

Needlewomen will take part in the competition “Christening Gift” having knitted baby’s bootees and a cap. The popular vote will determine the most skillful master to win the prize.

In “School for Young Parents” you can try yourself in bathing and swaddling a baby, singing lullabies, washing and ironing linen and riding a little Cossack in a retro pram on a path with obstacles.

“Toloki” is a good old tradition of a collective work to help the neighbours. This year, the guests of the holiday will cooperate to make a wattle fence. There will be a kind of a workshop held by the museum workers and a competition in diligence and skill, and an opportunity to make a long fence within a record time.

Both children and adults will want to go back to old times and try to plough the earth on an old bukar-plough drawn by oxen, to thresh and winnow grain, then grind flour on the millstones. Besides, anyone can master pottery, make ropes and a fishnet, paint wooden spoons, spin on an old spinning wheel, crochet and knitting.

Exciting culinary lessons will be given by Kruzhilin cooks, who will show how to make butter, dough for domestic noodles, roll it thinly and cut into strips, how to make fruit jelly, pancakes and fragrant Don herbal tea.

The Cossack farmstead of the late XIX–early XX centuries will show the Don Cossack husbandry, agricultural tools used and farming cattle and poultry. One can learn to milk a cow, feed lambs and poultry.

The visitors will be able to have photos taken in Cossack dresses, in the interior of the old photo studio and receive a vignetted photograph in the style of the last century.

During the holiday which has become widely popular outside the Don country you will see and learn a lot of new things, hear old Cossack songs, ride on pony, in a carriage and on horseback, taste dishes of the Cossack field kitchen and take original souvenirs for memory about the fascinating holiday of “Kruzhilin Toloki”.

You are welcome to Kruzhilin Village on September 2!