"Dazhynki" in Senno: A Wedding with Esteemed Guests and the Tastiest Bread (+Photo Report)

On October 8, the Vitebsk region's agrarians celebrated "Dazhynki". The festival took place in Senno and gathered a large number of guests. The program was filled with various events, including the opening of new and reconstructed facilities, theatrical performances, sports competitions, a каравай exhibition, concert programs, and, of course, honoring the grain growers.

BELTA journalists visited the bread festival and captured the most memorable moments. We drove to Senno in the morning to the sound of rain. It had been pouring all night, and gloomy thoughts kept buzzing in our heads that the heavens were being unfair, if not cruel, to the Vitebsk grain growers. Just think – in the spring, the agrarians of the northern region couldn't get their sowers into the fields due to excess moisture. During the harvest, the grain growers again battled the weather: the rains prevented the crop from being gathered. And the festival would also be held in the rain?! Fortunately, as we approached Senno, the rain subsided, the sky cleared, and the capital of "Dazhynki" greeted us with pleasant, and in places even sunny, weather. In unison with the weather, the hosts of the festival welcomed guests with smiles, cheerful songs, baskets full of vegetables and fruits, delicacies, and various artistic creations.

Meanwhile, the official program of the festival began – the region's leadership and numerous honored guests, including heads of republican ministries and departments, as well as delegations from the Smolensk, Pskov, Bryansk, and Tver regions, paid tribute to the fallen soldiers. A colorful performance titled "The Origins of the Country's Symbols" unfolded at the "Rodny Krai" (Native Land) monument (in honor of Matrona Markevich, the author of the ornament on the State Flag of Belarus).

The new Palace of Ceremonial Events was opened by a large group – it turned out to be a joint effort. Two of the hands involved were quite substantial – belonging to a guest from Russia, boxer and State Duma deputy Nikolai Valuev.

Solemn ceremonies were immediately held in the new Palace, with the first event being the registration of a marriage. The newlyweds will undoubtedly remember their wedding day forever. And the guests of the celebration unanimously stated that the newlywed couple is now simply destined to live happily ever after.

And another solemn opening of the renovated physical culture and sports complex. This event also had its surprises. Guests of "Dazhynki" became spectators of the final match of the "Asilak Syala" wrestling competition. As expected, the awards were presented to the winners by the strongman Nikolai Valuev.

Journalists, of course, did not miss the opportunity to communicate with such a prominent personality. It was pleasant to hear that among all the treats and culinary delights, the Russian guest particularly highlighted Belarusian rye bread. He found it to be very much to his liking.

The program also included an exhibition of agricultural machinery and loaves of bread, as well as demonstration performances by rescuers and military personnel. The main event was the festive procession along the central street of the heroes of the celebration, i.e., the best rural workers from all districts of the Vitebsk region. The culmination of the holiday was the honoring of the front-runners, with kind words of congratulations, and the presentation of prizes, gifts, monetary awards, and diplomas.

The most anticipated and important part of the grand opening was the congratulatory speech by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev. The speech was thorough, summarizing the results, outlining future tasks, and expressing gratitude for the selfless labor in the fields. "The main result of the hard work of all rural workers is the guaranteed food security of the country, the foundation for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector of the economy, and the improvement of people's well-being. We sincerely say - respect, honor, and glory to the hard peasant labor. The state of affairs in the region's agriculture, its success, depend on the production and sale of livestock products. A stable feed base and an increase in the volume of grass forage harvesting have become a strategic direction for crop production development this year. We are expanding the areas of perennial grasses, increasing the proportion of clover, and focusing on leguminous crops and the technological cultivation of corn," the governor stated.

And in conclusion, a few words about the significance of such events for district centers. "After this celebration, residents are left with an updated town, well-maintained, beautiful, a place where it is interesting to live, work, start families, and raise children. We will continue to hold them. Next year, Dubrovno will become the capital of 'Dazhynki', followed by Verkhnedvinsk, and then Braslav. We are determining the district centers at least three years in advance to approach the construction of new facilities and the reconstruction of existing ones more globally and seriously," the governor said.

Before leaving hospitable Senno, I took the opportunity to talk to Russian guests. I was interested in their impressions of the festival. Sergey Golubev, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Tver Region, said: "We have heard a lot about your 'Dazhynki', but this is my first time participating personally. I like it very much - people have a wonderful mood, and the weather did not disappoint. Everything turns out beautifully here. Keep up the good work. Such festivals are necessary for people to realize their connection to their land. And when the region does something for one of its districts, it is also very good. When efforts are concentrated, new opportunities arise. To be honest, we in the Tver Region have adopted such practical experience from Belarus (in one of the districts), where resources are concentrated annually on one of the settlements. In this sense, we are following you." Nikolay Kuznetsov, Deputy Governor of the Smolensk Region, noted: "This is my first time attending such a festival. It is very beautiful. I am impressed by the character and scale of the celebration, and I sincerely rejoice in the achievements of our Belarusian friends."

Alena TIKHONOVA. Photos by Alexander KHITROV - BELTA and Anton Stepanishchev - "Vitebskiye Vesti".