Russia Day: The Unity That Gives Confidence
On June 12, Lyubinsky Avenue in Omsk turned into a stage for the traditional Parade of Nationalities. After the parade, 4 interactive ethnic townlets opened their gates — Slavic, Turkic, Eastern, and Western — inviting everyone to discover the diverse cultures of Russia’s regions.
This grand folk celebration, organized by the Omsk House of Friendship, crowned the International Forum of Border Territories of Russia and CIS Countries under the motto “May Our Friendship Be Sincere and Honest!”
Forming the Column
The Parade of Nationalities brought together about two thousand participants
The gathering point is Partizanskaya Street
This year, the column includes guests from 7 regions of Russia and 2 regions of Kazakhstan
The Yakutia delegation always draws attention in Siberia
Their outfits and smiles can brighten any celebration
Nearby, representatives of Cossack culture took their place
Just ten meters away, the Caucasian groups are waiting for the procession to start
You can spot the Omsk Latvians by their wreaths made of wildflowers
Here is the snow‑white papakha on a young man’s head again
The young women just need to freshen up their lipstick to shine in the parade
The young men make sure their musical instruments are in tune
And, of course, everyone needs to remember to take a commemorative selfie before the start
Green and gold make a striking contrasting backdrop for the tricolor flag
Residents from 28 districts of Omsk Region came to celebrate Russia Day
And now, the clock shows exactly 12:30 PM — it’s time to set off!
Parade of Nationalities
The column steps onto Lyubinsky Avenue
Today, the national flag is the main symbol of the festive procession
It is this flag that unites more than 190 nationalities across the vast country
The drummers from the “Sun” team set the rhythm for the entire procession
The guests from Kazakhstan are happy to be part of this large‑scale event
Omsk residents wave back at the artists from the “Native Land Gems” ensemble from Stakhanov
The main mission of the three‑day forum is to foster good‑neighborly relations
Events like this help strengthen cross‑cultural ties…
…and also promote interregional and interstate exchanges
The column makes several stops along the route
During these pauses, photographers manage to capture the most expressive portraits
And the breaks give spectators a chance to examine the costumes and accessories in detail
The guests from Yakutia are practically guaranteed to be a hit
Probably no one here creates more cheerful noise than these enthusiastic young men
Youth, beauty, and national flavor — that’s what will stay in people’s memories
Parade participants keep greeting the residents of Omsk
Most of the route has been covered
The educational value of the event is hard to overestimate
Time to hurry: the official opening of Russia Day will begin in a few minutes
The Polish Cultural Center “Polonaise” manages to smile for the press while marching
Meanwhile, the Baltic participants pose for photos without slowing their pace
They’ve passed the Drama Theater: just a hundred meters left to the main stage
Dreamy smiles light up their faces
What is a festival without Cossacks and Cossack women?
Perhaps the largest part of the column comes from the districts of Omsk Region
Their creative groups will perform on the main stage and all along the avenue
Sometimes, the wind makes the flags seem to form a canopy over the marchers
Bringing up the rear are the students, including cadets from the Water Transport Institute
Following the trends of the 21st century, spectators record the event on their cameras
And yet, the parade is over. The ceremonial part lies ahead!
Main Stage
The prologue is perfectly set by a performance from the “Siberian Patterns” dance ensemble
The National Anthem of Russia, just like last year, rings out in the brilliant rendition by the “PrimaVera” choir
The opening ceremony features top officials from the regional authorities…
…as well as representatives of the clergy
Vitaly Khotsenko, Governor of Omsk Region, greets the residents of Omsk and wishes them a happy holiday
His speech about the unity of the world’s largest country is met with applause
The festive concert “Let the Song of Friendship Fly Over Russia” begins
Representatives of Omsk Region’s national‑cultural associations join hands
This choreographic piece is titled “The Bridge of Friendship”
From the very first minutes, the “Snowstorm” song and dance ensemble wins over the audience’s hearts
Their act “Wide Street” showcases all facets of Russian culture
Enkhe Erdyneev (Novosibirsk) delivers a heartfelt performance about the Buryat people
The creative baton passes to the Georgian dance ensemble “Imedi” (Novosibirsk)
And here we see “Snowstorm” again, this time with another mini‑spectacle
The folk dance leaves no one indifferent — not even the performers themselves
Among the first to take the stage is Saule Musipova from the Pavlodar Regional Philharmonic
The folk ensemble “Amusement” (Udmurtia) brings a lively, spirited song to the program
Colleagues not involved in the act can film the performance in Omsk for social media
As the digital backdrops change, a complex Tatar dance unfolds before the audience
The Omsk State Children’s Ensemble knows how to dazzle with visual special effects!
If the guests respond with enthusiastic applause, it means the concert program has been put together just right
Ethnic Townlets
Let’s take a stroll along Lyubinsky Avenue! In the Slavic Townlet, Kalachinsk greets visitors with the traditional bread‑and‑salt ceremony
Nearby, songs in Ukrainian ring out
Many of the amateur performers’ melodies are familiar to everyone from childhood
Craftsmen are busy with brisk trade, and some of the forum participants are among the buyers
Valentina Snegireva is the creator of these charming painted Russian nesting dolls
In the next tent, ceramic musical instruments find new owners
The leathercraft master from the “Gomerowsky” project draws the attention of everyone who walks by
Traditional games easily gather a crowd eager to try their luck
Without even noticing, we’ve moved into the Turkic Townlet, where we meet representatives from Uzbekistan
Not far away is a traditional Tatar feast
Right next to it are handcrafted items by Omsk Kurds, rich in national flavor
Fascinating how their artistic vision also reflects real‑life culture
Many creative groups aren’t satisfied with just the stage — the whole square becomes their performance space
The next act opens with a short theatrical sketch
It’s a Kazakh dance with bowls
Unprepared spectators are amazed by the grace of the young dancers…
…and by how they manage to balance the bowls on their heads throughout all the movements
But the real surprise comes at the end — the audience bursts into applause when they see it
The Tataro‑Bashkir ensemble “Umyrzaya” never fails to deliver a vibrant performance
The Turkic Townlet features many vocalists singing in a variety of languages
Public order is maintained in part by community volunteers
Let’s continue down Lyubinsky Avenue: ahead lies the Eastern Townlet
The Jewish ensemble “Klezmer” easily holds the attention of Omsk residents for a long time
Another hundred meters on, we come across the “Coffeehouse” photo zone in the Western Townlet
Right on the pavement, there’s an impromptu dance floor with German folk music
The steps are simple, but it’s so much fun to follow along!
A little further on, a bagpiper captivates everyone with an unusual take on Soviet‑era melodies
The stage in the Western Townlet is never empty
The lovely dancers of the “Bächlein” ensemble from Azovo are getting ready to amaze the audience…
…while the “Nachtigall” group performs rousing folk songs
A lyrical touch is added by the vocalist from the Polish Cultural Center
The artists are happy to pose for photos with anyone, especially with fellow performers
The Cossack ensemble in the Western Townlet looks unusual, but the audience really enjoys it
The wreath‑weaving area is a real crowd‑puller
The craftswomen from the Latvian National‑Cultural Center “Zvaigznite” share their secrets
It seems this is the perfect headpiece for girls on Russia Day!
Time to head back toward Victory Square — past the endless rows of craftsmen
You’d be hard‑pressed to find a type of folk craft that isn’t represented at this fair
The photo zone in the Eastern Townlet lets visitors try on Korean outfits and accessories
Meet the artist Mikhail Maksimov from Kargopol, Arkhangelsk Region: the avenue has become his workshop today
This sketch will soon become a full‑fledged work of art
Today’s inspiring city views will also live on in thousands of photographs
In the Slavic Townlet, performances by regional creative groups continue
Here you’ll also find distinctive photo zones that are very popular with visitors
The interactive areas in this part of the avenue close with a performance by the “Ermak” ensemble
Musical Finale
On the main stage, instrumentalist Alexander Selyun takes the spotlight
The grand finale is entrusted to the Siberian Choreographic Ensemble “Rus”
Vocalist Anna Eroshenko knows dozens of patriotic songs by heart
The ballet dancers skillfully handle a wide range of props…
…and showcase the most spectacular moves of folk dance
Performing alongside the adults are the young members of the children’s studio
Undoubtedly, this multi‑hour concert was bright and unforgettable
Over Victory Square, the final song “Russia — This Is Us” rings out
Nearly 70,000 people visited Lyubinsky Avenue on Russia Day!
