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Guests from Bavaria on Don Land

On August 26, 2019, a group of German tourists from Bavaria visited the Don land. The program of stay in the homeland of the great writer Mikhail Sholokhov was very rich and interesting.

Acquaintance with the National Sholokhov Museum-Reserve began with the village of Karginskaya, where the guests were met by an employee of the museum, who presented them the house of the Sholokhov’s family. The tourists visited the memorial class in the parish school where Mikhail Sholokhov studied, sat at the desks, felt like students of that time. During the master class “Write beautifully with your pen, solve examples vividly”, guests were very careful in writing the letters of the Russian alphabet based on the model of an ancient handwriting manual. They examined the farmstead of Timofey Kargin, where the roller mill and cinema «Ideal» are located, on an interactive tour they learned the traditions and peculiarities of drinks-making on the Upper Don. During tasting drinks, opinions were divided: someone gave preference to samogon (pure vodka), someone liked “horseradish” vodka, and someone noted the bright cherry flavor of the liquor.

In the village Kruzhilinsky, the delegation was gaven a tour around the Sholokhovs' estate and the house, where in 1905 the writer-to-be was born. On the Cossack farmstead of the museum-reserve, the Bavarians tried to weave ropes on an old Russian tool “prosak”, plow the land on bulls, grind grain in an old hand mill with stone millstones. The tourists were especially impressed by the traditional dishes of the Don Cossacks, their distinctive and unique taste.

In Vyoshenskaya, the members of the ensemble “Donskoye Siyaniye” introduced the guests to the songs and dances of the Don Cossacks, and also demonstrated flanking with a saber. The foreigners enthusiastically accepted the culture of the Don and with pleasure participated in Cossack dances.

The second day began with a visit to St. Michael the Archangel Church, where the rector Priest Father Roman personally presented the decoration and history of the church to the tourists.

The foreign guests were interested in how the village lives, where and how the youth spend their leisure time. This day, the Germans got acquainted with the history of the village of Vyoshenskaya, its sights, visited the registry office of the Sholokhov district, a sports complex, and a regional cultural center.

Don Cossacks are known as dashing riders and horse connoisseurs. The Bavarians were able to get to know the traditions of the Don horse breeding at the stables of the Museum, where they saw the real Don horses, learned how the Cossacks outfitted the horse, and took a ride in a pleasure carriage.

The most beautiful viewpoint on the high bank of the Don is 12 km away from the village of Veshenskaya - Lebyazhy Yar that Mikhail Sholokhov loved to visit with his guests; it became a place for a picnic and emotional communication of the guests from Bavaria. They admired the panorama opening from this place and the beauty of the great river.

The day ended with a boat trip along the Don and a meeting with the farmer. The host’s warm welcome, the sincere interest of tourists, the friendly atmosphere and lively conversation - this was how dinner was held in a private farmstead.

The days on Sholokhov’s land passed quickly and left our dear guests an indelible impression of the Don expanses, of the places connected with the life and work of the great writer Mikhail Sholokhov, of acquaintance with the history and cultural traditions of the Upper Don.

Nadezhda Rasskazova