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Welcome to “Karghin Fair on Intercession Days”!

On October 7, 2018, the National M.A.Sholokhov Museum-Reserve jointly with the Administration of the Bokovsky District of the Rostov Region holds a literary ethnographic holiday “Karghin Fair on Intercession Days” in Stanitsa Karghinskaya, in the “Farmstead of Timofey Karghin”. The holiday will take place from 9.00 to 14.00.

In the XIX – early XX century, Karghin Fair was the most famous in the Don region. It was held on Intercession days, when the Army Holiday and the Holiday of the 12th Don Cossack Regiment were also celebrated. During a week or more, there was a brisk trade in a variety of goods, visiting actors gave their performances, strongmen competed, children and adults watched “a heavenly performance” in the amusing panorama, rode on horses, swings and carousels. Cheerful, noisy, rollicking, hospitable – such was Karghin Fair.

Nearly a century later, the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov revived the Karghin Fair for the first time and retained as far as possible its former appearance. The farmstead of Timofey Karghin, the well-known Cossack at that time throughout the neighbourhood, became a place for holding the unique event. He was the owner of the roller mill, and early in the XX century he was one of the organizers of the fair.

This year the literary ethnographic holiday will be held for the 5th time, and, as usual, it will be full of entertaining events. The guests will learn about the old fairs traditions, features of the trade early in the XX century, will take part in the contests and workshops of arts and crafts, strongmen competitions and will hear Cossack folk songs. There will be traditional attractions for children, pleasure boating along the Chir River, excursions about the old roller mill of Timofey Karghin, which was depicted in the novel “And Quiet Flows the Don” by M.A.Sholokhov.

The residents and guests of Stanitsa Karghinskaya will take part in the opening ceremony of the new bridge over the Chir River, which will become a symbol of good changes and a way to new fascinating pages of the holiday. The bridge will lead to the “Vernissage in the Garden”, where the visitors will take part in planting the “Garden of Russian Writers Named after M.A.Sholokhov”, will see attractions and show “Don Cossacks”.

A real travel to the past will be exhibitions telling about the development of trade and crafts as well as the art of cinema and photography late in the XIX – early XX centuries in the Upper Don region. At the exhibition “Visiting Karghin Masters” the guests will see a real merchant’s shop, carpenter’s and cobbler’s workshops, the exhibition “The Magic World of Cinematograph” will tell about and show masterpieces of the silent film, the exhibition about the history of photography will be followed by a photo shoot in the old photo studio, and the guests will learn about the traditions of distilling in the Don region during the excursion-tasting.

The spectacle-auction “Buy a Ram!” will amuse the audience and give a chance to buy the famous Edilbaev rams. Besides, there will be culinary lessons and competitions.

All the bright and fascinating pages of the holiday can’t be spoken about in full. Come and see! You are welcome on October 7, 2018, to the Karghin Fair on Intercession Days!