Amateurs of the quiet hunt will compete with their baskets at the mushroom championship in the Polotsk region

August 28, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Championships can be different: football and hockey, dancing and eating contests, wood chopping, computer games, and even mushroom picking. It is precisely such a mushroom picking championship that will be held for the first time in the Polotsk district, the deputy chairman of the Polotsk District Executive Committee, Petr Petkevich, told a BELTA correspondent. The village of Dretun and the adjacent vast forest area have been chosen as the venue for the competition. According to Petr Petkevich, the local surroundings have long been considered the unofficial mushroom capital by residents of Polotsk and Novopolotsk. It is said that there are more than enough forest gifts for mushroom hunters from both cities and surrounding villages. 80 teams will start on August 29 at 7 a.m.: dairy plant workers, teachers, doctors, and district executive committee employees. After receiving instructions and familiarizing themselves with the championship conditions, the enthusiastic mushroom pickers will head to the forest. They will have only three hours to gather the gifts. The jury, competent in mushroom matters and, incidentally, elected from among the participants themselves, will determine the champion and winners in several nominations. Petr Petkevich revealed that commemorative diplomas will be awarded to all teams, and the main prize will be a good mood and a full basket for each mushroom picker. The organizers of the unusual championship are the trade unions of educational and healthcare institutions, the district executive committee, and public organizations of the district. Interestingly, championships for gathering forest gifts are quite popular in Europe. In Finland, competitions are held not only for picking mushrooms and berries but also for forest flowers, while Lithuania hosts a night mushroom picking championship. -0-