The Heartbeat of “Siberian Summer”
The second edition of the “Siberian Summer” festival lit up Kalachinsk on July 20. From the speed of the culinary contest to the vivid strokes of Urals‑Siberian painting, from the swaying rhythm of round dances to the soulful voices of folk performers — the day wove a tapestry of local traditions and community spirit.
Round Dances
The festival takes place in the beautifully decorated Yuri Gagarin Park
The first activity is Siberian round dances, open to all guests
To make it easier for newcomers, the organizers chose dances with simpler patterns
Forming a processional arrow-shaped round dance, the participants move along the alleys, singing
The rules are straightforward: each pair walks between two rows of singers, moving from the end to the front
When the rows run out, two members of the pair stand at the sides, and everyone then walks past them
At the final stop of the route, the organizers lead a few more circular dances
Many of those holding hands now will take the stage a couple of hours later
The round dance participants feel that very sense of unity that helped their ancestors
Fair
Fair stalls lined the area, with artisans enthusiastically showcasing their goods
Visitors can buy toys, clothing, souvenirs, and accessories
Young people often appreciate items made in traditional style
With no customers around yet, there’s time for creativity — the green lawn itself sparks new ideas!
Members of the “Shield of the Fatherland” club put on demonstration shoots, astonishing the audience
Their focus is on the everyday life of the Shirvan Regiment during the Patriotic War of 1812
Dumplings
The district housewives’ competition “Siberian Dumpling” gets underway
Everyone wants a photo with the culinary contest’s mascot
Eight teams are making dumplings using family recipes
Without wasting a second, Elena Artamonova and Anastasia Bel get to work
They represent the Sorochinsky Rural Cultural Center (RCC)
Zoya Timokhina from the Tsaritsyno RCC has decorated her table with flowers and jam
The first dumplings appear just 10 minutes after the start
Valentina and Maria Kotova (Voskresensky RCC) are completely focused
The edge is perfectly neat — it definitely won’t fall apart in the boiling water!
Veronika Sorokina and Darya Sidorenko (Glukhovsky RCC) work in perfect sync
Almost 20 minutes have passed, and it looks like the second batch of dumplings is nearly ready
The housewives are inspired by performers of folk songs
Another symbol of the contest is the stove: not real, but very photogenic
By the 25th minute, almost every team is sending their dumplings into the boiling water
Stirring at the right time and in the right way is an art in itself
You probably shouldn’t look at this and the following photos on an empty stomach
For some, the spirit of competition is still in the air
Though it’s more productive to think not about rivalry, but about those who will enjoy the meal!
The Kotov family’s dish is almost completely ready
Sour cream and herbs with dumplings — a perfect match both in color and taste
Of course, a table like this deserves to be shown off
Now it’s time to reveal the details of the culinary concept to the contest judges
By the way, the filling doesn’t have to be potato — variations are encouraged
Each cook presents her dish in her own unique way
Galina Khudorozhko from the Lagushinsky RCC knows everything about her culinary masterpiece
As the jury moves to the next table, guests of the festival are treated to dumplings
And if a team’s dumplings are all eaten, all that’s left is to take commemorative photos
While the jury is deliberating, you can try to uncover the secrets behind the dishes you liked
Amazing — even the contest mascot got a serving!
The best sign of quality is when the cook happily eats her own dumplings
All contest participants received diplomas in various categories and prizes
“Siberian Dumpling” was held for the first time, but it has every chance of becoming an annual event
The Grand Prix went to Galina Khudorozhko and her young helpers!
Urals-Siberian Painting
A master class in Urals-Siberian painting is held as part of the festival
This is how peasants decorated their interiors and household items over a hundred years ago
Today, this applied art is being revived by enthusiasts
You can achieve a decent result in painting in just one session
Everyone can create a composition under the master’s guidance
But no two paintings will ever turn out the same: creativity is creativity!
Concert
The long-awaited interdistrict contest "Ethnomusical Wave" begins
By the organizers’ plan, the best performer today will take home the traditional cup…
…so all contestants must hold it in their hands before the concert
What an upbeat start! The “Sorochinskaya Fair” ensemble presents a song from the Tarsky District
The “Young Woman” group from Krestiki chose a song from the Novosibirsk Region
The wind adds charm to the folk image of Svetlana Bykova from the “Joy” Cultural Center
The program would have been incomplete without the Kalachinsk veterans’ choir “Ladies”
Songs from the Voronezh Region are vividly performed by Lyudmila Drobot (Sherbakulsky District)
The audience responds eagerly to artists who win hearts from the very first notes
Now performing solo is Tatiana Koval
This soulful composition is called “Fly, Little Feather”
As part of the “Wild Tea” ensemble, she also treats the audience to a Cossack song
Vocalist and accordionist Andrei Kuchkovsky from the Gorkovsky District is on the stage
The “Meeting” ensemble (Voskresensky RCC) shares the heritage of the Nekrasov Cossacks
A story about rustling willows is told by Fauziya Volodina from the Okoneshnikovsky District
Once again, an old song composed in the Cossack lands sounds at the festival
It’s from the repertoire of the “Ashberry” ensemble (Berezovsky RCC)
In moments like these, the performers’ energy instantly reaches the audience
Olga Podkolzina (Lagushinsky RCC) performs a Komi-Zyryan song
Silva Rozintova (Kovalevsky RCC) turned to the heritage of the Estonian people
Klavdiya Balatsun from the “Ladies” choir is today’s most experienced vocalist: she is 87 years old
Nearing the finale, Nikolai Moiseenko from Kalachinsk represents Cossack culture
The ensemble from Krestiki, already familiar to us, takes the stage again with a Siberian old-timer folk song
Valentina Bondareva from the “Freedom” ensemble is one of those closing the program
Now all performers are on stage, and the traditional cup awaits the announcement of the contest results
There are many diplomas, and, as it turns out, several first places too!
So it was decided not to award the honorary prize to anyone until next year
All the emotions of victory have been lived through, and commemorative photos have been taken
The festive locations in their colorful decorations are emptying out
Next time, Kalachinsk will welcome guests for the Town Day Celebration in August
