“St. John the Baptist Night”

“St. John the Baptist Night”

as part of the 1st International Annual Folk Festival in Kolomenskoye

26t June 2010

It is not by mere chance that the idea to organize an International Festival appeared.

St. John the Baptist, or Ivan Kupala Day in Russian tradition, also known as Ivan’s Day, is an old folk festival celebrated in Russia, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine in days of summer solstice, and noteworthy for its rites, games, and amusements.

The 1st International Annual Folk Festival was opened in Kolomenskoye on a small stage at the Moskva River embankment.

The show presenter told about the Ivan Kupala Day traditions of different nations. In the concert program there were performances of Ukrainian, Polish, Belarus, and Lithuanian folk song ensembles.

The Festival organizers invited Dmitry Pokrovsky ensemble that performed Cossack songs and songs of South Russian gubernia’s (old name for “provinces”).

Late in the evening, the high point of the event came: show presenters invited all interested persons along with the actors to put flower crowns to the water.

The actors of Dmitry Pokrovsky ensemble headed the demonstration to the quay with the crowns in hand. The Folk Festival ended in a surprise for the audience.

The guests could see special effects on the water. The program was named “Magic Fern Flower”.