"Step Back in Time": Multi-Cultural Gathering and Mythical Tales Festival "Dicorosi""
In Ekaterinburg's Mayakovsky Park, the annual family festival of ethnicities and tales, "Wild Berries," took place on May 24. With over 30,000 attendees, the event offered a variety of activities appealing to both children and adults.
The festival commenced at 10:00, drawing a crowd of early bird visitors to the park. Each attendee went to the information stand to acquire a map of the event and decide which venues to explore.
Many chose to start at the main stage, "Nettle," and witness several plays. One, "We're Together" by the puppet theater studio "Eniot Mone," depicted a day in the life of three forest friends: Hedgehog, Bear Cub, and Rabbit. Another, by the musical theater Presto of the collective "Sodruzhestvo teatralov "Faranodola," took the audience back to their school days, singing about the joys of first love.
The performance of "Old Hottabych" on the Center for Contemporary Drama (CSD) stage captured the attention of viewers of all ages. The tale of the genie Hassan Abdurrahman ibn Hottab (simply Hottabych) and the boy Volka was both entertaining and engaging.
Svetlana Gromova, a local resident attending the festival, praised the play, stating, "The play was excellent, the actors were captivating, and the children enjoyed themselves enormously. I also enjoyed revisiting the story of Old Hottabych - it was part of my childhood. We just happened to find the festival in Mayakovsky Park today and are glad we did."
The team of the Center for Contemporary Drama received positive feedback from their performance. Sophia Lem, the director of the center, commented, "Today, we presented the play 'Old Hottabych.' It has been on our theater's stage for quite some time now, and both children and adults seem to take pleasure in it. We're pleased to have exhibited it at the festival, and the positive feedback we've received makes it all worthwhile."
Other stages, such as "Cheremsha" and the "Razeda" theater platform, hosted additional plays, immersing the festival-goers in the captivating atmosphere of Vogul, Bashkir, Udmurt, and Russian fairy tales.
Masterclasses proved to be a popular attraction, with the "Gamayun" museum center providing tutorials on creating Slavic amulets, mini-panels, bookmarks, and other items. Irina Danilova, a member of the 'Loscutnyi Stil' studio, explained their involvement, stating, "We've brought three children's projects from the 'Loscutnyi Stil' studio, which are all highly regarded. We'll also be conducting eight free master classes for both children and adults."
The lecture hall was packed with an older audience and featured a lecture by Galina Korotina, a representative of the Ural Historical and Genealogical Society, titled "Secrets of the Family. Where to Start Your Research?" She shared insights into the initial stages of genealogical research and expressed her satisfaction with the lecture's reception.
Each attendee found an activity to their liking. Those who visited every point on the map strolled along the avenue of Ural craftsmen's fair-exhibition, snapped photos, and relished time with loved ones. The core objective of "Dikoros" was realized, as everyone discovered more about their ancestors' culture and unraveled the mysteries of the past.
Darja Smirnova, the PR manager and press attaché of the "Dikoros" festival, explained the reasons for the event's relocation to Mayakovsky Park, stating, "This year, we're holding the festival in Mayakovsky Park for the first time. In the past, we had a different venue. All our activities are linked to the cultures of Russia's peoples and ethnicities. In a sense, we're traveling back in time, rekindling our connection with ancestors, and sharing this culture with our audience, which we anticipate will exceed 30,000 this year."
The "Oblastnaya Gazeta" newspaper served as the festival's information partner. Their booth, located in the second floor of the Sverdlovsk Children's Railway building, offered various activities, including a short film, paper airplane, boat, and hat crafting workshops, a challenging crossword puzzle, and a chance to meet caricaturist Maxim Smagin, who taught young guests how to draw using shading techniques and develop their artistic skills. The newspaper had previously reported that the Slavic culture festival was taking place in Yekaterinburg.
- Svetlana Gromova, while browsing through the exhibitions at the Ural craftsmen's fair, captured numerous shots of her family, cherishing the memorable moments at the festival.
- Intrigued by the craft workshops at the "Oblastnaya Gazeta" booth, Adelaide, a visiting school teacher, decided to learn shading techniques and convey her newfound skills to her students back home.
- Nasir and his family, avid foodies, savored various delicacies from the food-and-drink stalls, excitedly diving into the diverse flavors of Russia's ethnicities at the festival.
- As the sun began to set, Tanya and Max, with their dog Paws, explored the colorful world of 'fashion-and-beauty' stalls, searching for dog accessories that uniquely fit Paws’ personality.
- After the performances ended, the festival-goers continued their journey of exploration, taking a leisurely stroll around Mayakovsky Park, appreciating the beauty of blooming flowers and the tranquil atmosphere that surrounded them.
