Most photos are by Alexandra
The center of activity is the dancing square, where total strangers embrace enthusiastically.
The ice sculpture guys from Kirovsk are making the festival’s largest Kozulya. From ice, naturally. The chainsaw-armed guys were another pivotal point of the event.
“Take the books free”
Half a mile of cars parked along the main road as evidence of the scale of the event.
A fence where you can leave your name and where you are from. Finland and Norway are noticed among foreign destinations.
An improvised cafe featuring fish: cod and herring.
Below is a variety of scarecrows seen in the backyards of villagers.
The entire arts and crafts community seems to be in Kuzreka. Here are our old familiars: Ira and Valentina of the Bagryanitsa (“purple robe”) workshop. Further, Ira is presented here as a free guide to someone who needs local support and is prepared to be very patient with Ira’s English.
A fireweed tea maker/trader
Garden plants adapted for far north
Food from Finland
Near 200lbs ice kozulya
A round-dance that attempts to entice all who come across its pass
A game where a man has to crawl under dansers’ legs:
And another one, where the head of the “snake” is to catch its tail:
And yet another game, where women circle a group of men and hug the nearest one when the music stops. The intrigue is introduced by the fact that there is one man less than women. I didn’t quite get the rules but the point was to introduce an element of competition into the game.
Been there ourselves on August 9, 2014. Left impressed with event’s authenticity and frivolous yet gentle fun.