Скачать или смотреть Traditional Cossack culture celebrated at festival

(1 Oct 2013) Traditional Cossack culture is enjoying something of a revival in Russia - especially among younger generations.
Hundreds of people have gathered for the first-ever All-Russian Cossack Festival - a celebration of all things Cossack, from horse-riding and swordplay to traditional music and cuisine.
STORYLINE:
The song is Cossack - as are the colourful costumes.
Welcome to Kotelnikovo, in the heart of southern Russia's Volgograd region - and home to the All-Russian Cossack Festival.
The festival - which is taking place for the first time - has brought hundreds of people together for a dazzling display of Cossack culture and cuisine.
Among those taking part is the Russian group "Slavyanka," whose lead singer Yelena Petryatsova says she's thrilled at the scale of the event.
"We are having such a large-scale event for the first time here in Kotelnikovo. We are very happy about it," she says.
"There are many craftspeople here, lots of people gathered. I think such events must take place more often in our region and in Kotelnikovo, in particular."
The Cossacks - who date back to the 15th century - were formidable horsemen and soldiers who lived in Eastern Europe and Asiatic Russia.
Serving in the czarist cavalry, they spearheaded Imperial Russia's expansion in exchange for privileges, including the right to govern their villages.
In the hope of gaining greater independence, many Cossacks sided with anti-Bolshevik forces during the Russian Civil War.
As a result, they were all but destroyed by the Communist state.
In the post-Soviet era, though, many in Russia are increasingly looking to the past - and seeking to revive old traditions.
In the 2010 census, about 650-thousand Russians declared themselves Cossacks.
Folk music is a big part of the All-Russian Cossack Festival - with colourfully costumed congregations gathering for traditional Cossack songs.
"We travel a lot through villages in the region and write down the songs of the grandmothers," says Lubov, who sings in a band called "Kurmayar."
"We are Cossacks by birth, so we sing the songs of our fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers," she adds.
But it isn't all singing and dancing at the festival.
Boys show off their sword-handling skills.
Artistic swordsmanship is an age-old tradition which many boys learn from a young age.
Also drawing the crowds are weight-lifting, tug-of-war and arm-wrestling.
But it's the horse-racing that draws the biggest cheers - the event a notable nod to the equestrian tradition of Cossack culture.
As well as flat races and steeplechases, crowds are wowed by a demonstration of "twig cutting," which sees Cossacks try to slice off willow reeds with a sabre while galloping past on horseback.
For the winners of each event, there are glittering prizes to be won.
Andrey Konovalov - who had thrilled the crowd with his masterful "twig cutting" - walked away with a trophy.
Elsewhere there's an impressive display of Cossack military uniforms - many of them worn by young adults and children.
Among them is Alexander Shmalev, a Cossack who says he's proud his community is "beginning to rise up, to be revived".
"Children, young boys and girls like me are beginning to believe in the Cossack (traditions), and our elderly people can be certain that we will keep everything as it used to be," he adds.
But the All-Russian Cossack Festival is also a feast for all the senses, and festival-goers are treated to a mouth-watering range of local cuisine.
As well as bread, pancakes, potatoes and pies, there's smoked fish, dried fish, and fish with red and black caviar.

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