Kupalle was celebrated in Polotsk region according to ancient canons

According to ancient canons, Kupala Night was celebrated at the rural estate "Yakim and Manya" in the village of Ekiman, Polotsk district. The festival attracted the attention of not only numerous local residents but also foreign guests. Experience has shown that the reconstruction of archaic folk rituals can be successfully used for tourism development.

– We live far from our Motherland, so we were very happy to come to Polotsk region to see how the traditions of our ancestors are being revived here. The impressions are the most wonderful. Everything was so interesting, well thought out, that one can only learn from it! – did not hide her admiration, Zhanna Romanovskaya, head of the Belarusian Culture Center from Daugavpils.

She noted that in Latvia, folk heritage is highly respected and the development of culture of national minorities is supported. In particular, our compatriots were invited on July 9 to present Belarusian Kupala Night on the central square of Daugavpils for the residents of the entire city.

To worthily pass such a responsible test, representatives of the Belarusian diaspora decided to draw inspiration from their historical homeland. And the master class was given to them by the participants of the folklore group "Vargan" under the leadership of Olga Yemelyanchik, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Tourism at Polotsk State University.

– We show people the authentic style of celebrating Kupala Night with its distinctive local flavor. We sing songs recorded in Belarusian Poddvina, learn dances that were once danced in the village. The elements of the ritual are not invented, but real, as close as possible to the original, – explained Olga Antonovna.

The Kupala event so captivated those present that the spectators instantly turned into participants of the festival: they wove wreaths, danced in round dances around the bonfire, and enthusiastically joined in the singing and games. Guests from Daugavpils performed not only Belarusian but also Latvian songs that accompany the similar holiday of Līgo, also dedicated to the summer solstice and the peak of nature's power. Until late at night.

A magical atmosphere reigned on the high bank of the Daugava. The festival concluded with a wondrous fire show performed by the historical costume theater "Polotsk Soyuz".

The Polotsk region, according to Natalia Sinitsa, a specialist from the Department of Education, Sports and Tourism of the Polotsk District Executive Committee, possesses rich creative potential and today offers diverse examples of developed animation programs for tourist groups. The reconstruction of ancient rituals can become one of the calling cards of the village of Ekimani, which is currently seeking new incentives for the development of domestic and inbound tourism through the preservation and popularization of unique historical and cultural heritage. One of the initiatives of the EU UNDP international project "Support for local level development in the Republic of Belarus" is being implemented on the basis of the Ekimani village council.

Larisa Malashenya, photojournalist. "Vitebskiye Vesti".