"Apple Savior" in Sharkovshchina was remembered for its photo zone, quests, and good wishes from guests
Representatives of foreign delegations praised the aromatic treats of local craftswomen, crowded around the wish stove, taking bites of juicy apples, and making wishes. The main one being the longevity of the festival in Alashki, the highlight of which is the unique rural flavor and the atmosphere of home comfort and family hospitality.
– I participate with great joy in such festivals that take place in the border areas, – noted Vladimir Klimov, Consul General of the Consulate General in Daugavpils of the Embassy of Belarus in the Republic of Latvia. – They always leave warm, vivid memories, you feel pride in the Belarusian people who love and know the history and culture of their country.
The "Apple Spas" in Alashki did not appear by chance. Amateur breeder Ivan Sikora dedicated his life to the development of domestic horticulture. Thanks to him, a support point of the Belarusian Research Institute of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing was created in Alashki. Ivan Pavlovich bred hundreds of varieties of apple trees, pears, and hazelnuts.
Elena Krasovskaya, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in the Republic of Lithuania, wished for the number of festival participants to increase manifold every year.
And the head of the culture department of the regional executive committee, Petr Podgursky, noted that such an apple harvest as in Alashki is not found anywhere else in the Vitebsk region. A significant contribution to this is made by the employees of the Ivan Sikora memorial museum, who take care of the old garden, which originally had over a thousand apple trees of different varieties, and are establishing new nurseries.
The local brand was to the liking of the guests, who brought various apple-themed souvenirs as gifts to the organizers of the celebration. Wanda Keizika, Executive Director of the Daugavpils Regional Duma, inquired whether the young apple tree brought earlier from Daugavpils had taken root in Alashki. She also recalled that "Apple Spas" is celebrated in the midst of the harvest season, which is why she came as a guest this time with fragrant bread.
The head of the Pskov district, Natalia Fyodorova, expressed confidence in the further strengthening of cultural and tourist ties and wished the Sharkovshchina region development and prosperity.
An "Apple Quest" was developed for the festival participants, featuring 10 themed areas, including sports and circus zones. One of the stops in the engaging interactive game was a literary quiz in the library courtyard.
Everyone could explore the works of folk artists, visit the honey fair, and photo zones. Under the shade of old apple trees, a master class in the eastern martial art of spochán, as well as in baking pancakes and golden potato draniki on a log, was held.
The culmination of the festival was the creation of the "Souvenirs of Friendship" exhibition. Guests painted whatever they wished on flat clay apples. Some made commemorative inscriptions, while others depicted the symbols of their countries.