The republican holiday «Kupala» («Alexandria Gathers Friends») will traditionally take place on the first weekend of July in the agricultural town of Alexandria in the Shklovsky District on the bank of the Dnieper River. Since ancient times, this river has united the East Slavic peoples, serving as a common waterway on the trade route «from the Varangians to the Greeks».

The beautiful Kupala holiday will be celebrated in Alexandria for the sixteenth time. Throughout its existence, the Mogilev Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art and Cultural and Educational Work has developed the basic concept of the event. This year, «The Tree of Life» will be the centerpiece of the holiday.

— Our exhibition and fair will also be held under the sign of this folk symbol, — said Inna Balauneva, deputy director of the Methodological Center. — Each region of the Republic of Belarus will bring its own farmstead. As for our region, we have organized a regional competition called «The Tree of Life», and each district is making its own symbol. The results will be announced on Kupala Day in Alexandria.

The regional competition will feature creative teams from craft centers, children’s art and craft schools, club institutions, as well as individual authors. The competition will be held in three categories: «World Tree» (volumetric compositions of the symbol, made using any technique), «Symbol of Life» (panels of any shape), and «Connection with Ancestors» (a towel with an image of the tree of life).

— The essence of the holiday is to show the diversity of Belarusian folk heritage and involve as many people as possible in order to spread knowledge about symbols, traditions, signs, and rituals, — emphasizes Valentina Volchkova, head of the department of the Mogilev Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art and Cultural and Educational Work.

Every year, the institution comes up with new ideas. Once, it was a towel that revealed the diversity and beauty of Belarusian culture. There were also Kupala flowers, amulets, folk costumes, rituals for each season, belts, and children’s toys.

— A lot of research work is being done, — says the specialist. — There is no need to invent something new; it is enough to turn to the past and find something to build on. Sometimes we find such unique items that they have not even been preserved in museums. Some people turn to the Academy of Sciences to find a sample from their region and make their own product in accordance with tradition. The Methodological Center summarizes this experience and preserves it for future generations. The same Kupala belt has been preserved thanks to such efforts. The same applies to traditional costumes that have been reconstructed, as well as headdresses and towels. The bearers of these traditions pass away, but the information remains in the institution’s booklets. This is how folk heritage is preserved in the regions.

The current symbol, «The Tree of Life», is one of the most widespread talismans. It was used by our ancestors in drawings, paintings, ceramics, embroidery, and woven fabrics. «The Tree of Life» is familiar to us from the same towels, where sometimes birds, flowers, vegetation, and even people appear instead of leaves on the branches. Each region has its own symbol, but the meaning is the same: the connection between generations.

The basis of the Kupala holiday in Alexandria is folk art. Bright, beautiful, and distinctive, it is widely represented at the exhibition-fair and enlivens everything else at the holiday. It is embodied in form and color, can be guessed in the design elements, and is woven into the storyline of the script. This is what makes the Kupala festival in Shklovshchina unique and one of a kind. No wonder it’s getting so much attention, even abroad.

The grand opening of the national festival «Kupala» («Alexandria Gathers Friends») will take place on the small stage, as always. Throughout the day, there will be a stage called «Belarus. Unity. We» will be open, where creative delegations from the regions and Minsk will present a concert program of various genres. There is a proposal to repeat the idea of the Great Kupala Round Dance called «Let Friendship Spin Around».

There will be many other interesting events. The regional methodological center has counted at least 20 such events that attract large crowds.

Thousands of guests always come to the picturesque meadow. This year, the organizers have already made sure that everyone who wants to join the holiday can do so.

We remind you that on July 5 and 6, the Belarusian Railway will launch 14 additional economy-class trains, which will run on the Kopys-Mogilev and Kopys-Orsha routes.

Nelly ZIGULYA