A reconstruction of a late 19th - early 20th century wedding will be seen in Dubrovno on October 24

A reconstruction of a late 19th - early 20th century wedding will be showcased at the regional review contest of the Vitebsk region "Vyalikaya Vyasel'nitsa" in Dubrovno on October 24. This was announced by Lyudmila Dudareva, head of the department of ideological work, culture, and youth affairs of the Dubrovno District Executive Committee.

"Vyalikaya Vyasel'nitsa" will gather researchers of Belarusian folk traditions, customs, and rituals from the districts of the region, as well as from the capital, in Dubrovno for the third time. The wedding festival is held in the district center once every three years; the previous ones took place in 2009 and 2012. The program of the current festival includes a review contest of wedding rituals, an exhibition of wedding attributes, a photo exhibition from family albums, and a demonstration of wedding attire. The main and most spectacular event of "Vyalikaya Vyasel'nitsa" promises to be the wedding reconstruction.

"This will be a regional wedding of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Our bride is from Dubrovno, the groom is from Horadok, and the matchmakers are from Liozna, so the festival will showcase elements of wedding rituals from these three districts of the Vitebsk region. We will prepare the bride for the ceremony and conduct the ransom according to the Dubrovno tradition, while the meeting of the bride and groom by their parents at home will be held as it was customary in Horadok. Bright elements of the ritual tradition of the Liozna district will also be woven into the wedding. In addition, on the way from the church to the house, we will demonstrate a ritual that we call 'tyarats' zaytsa' (tearing the rabbit), also known as 'rohatka' (barrier). By blocking the young couple's path home, the villagers demanded a ransom. In the Dubrovno region, this action was accompanied by songs, and the festival guests will hear some of them," noted Lyudmila Dudareva.

A traditional Belarusian wedding cannot do without a karavai (ritual bread). For the reconstruction, the ritual dish will be baked according to an ancient recipe preserved in the village of Lyady in the Dubrovno district. This karavai was traditionally decorated with apple branches dipped in dough, on which colorful ribbons and sweets were attached.

"Only guests who match the era – dressed as was customary in the Vitebsk region over 100 years ago – will be able to witness the bread-sharing ceremony, observe the guests' 'brekhnya' (banter), and taste the wedding 'prysmaki' (delicacies). Therefore, our guests are currently searching for or ordering such elements of the Belarusian costume as 'andarak' (a type of skirt) and 'khustka' (headscarf) from folk artisans. The bride and groom themselves will also adhere to the dress code. For instance, in the Dubrovno district, the bride's wreath indicated her family's status (complete or incomplete family, wealthy or poor). We have such a wreath, found during one of the expeditions, but it would be improper to place a museum exhibit on the bride's head. Therefore, artisans have recreated a similar wreath, and other costume elements have also been restored based on fragments found in ethnographic expeditions," the interviewee noted.

Folk folklore groups "Kudzelitsa" (Dubrovno district) and "Gleyena" (Gorodok district) will help contemporaries feel the atmosphere of a traditional Belarusian wedding. After the wedding, guests and participants of the celebration will be welcomed at the district House of Culture, where a photo exhibition from family albums will be organized, and a demonstration of wedding attire, rituals, games, and dances will take place.

The event is organized by the Vitebsk Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art, and the Dubrovno, Gorodok, and Liozno District Executive Committees.

Alena Tikhonova, BELTA.