Summer Gathering: Siberians and Their Traditions
In late June, the fourth annual Siberian Culture Festival “Sletye” (literally — “Summer Gathering”) took place in Bolsherechye Village of Omsk Region. Over the years, some festival activities have become permanent fixtures, while the organizers keep introducing new formats each year. For example, in 2025, alongside the beloved round dances and a traditional wedding reenactment, visitors witnessed for the first time the craft of carpet weaving brought to life by skilled artisans.
This long story covers two of three busy event days.
Gastronomic Journey
The gastronomic journey “Taste of Sletye” kicks off early Saturday morning
Districts of Omsk Region showcase traditional Siberian cuisine
Locals from Pochekuyevo warmly treat the festival guests
Takmyk is getting ready to welcome the jury that will name the best rural cooks
The farmstead rows offer not only delicious food but also plenty of fun
A stylized Gypsy camp is one of the crowd’s favorite festival scenes
The hostesses invite everyone to the tea table…
…while the youngsters encourage visitors to join in traditional games
Grab the ribbon and spin your way to family happiness
Residents of Mogilno‑Poselskoye fill the festivities with good cheer
Along with the cheerful mood come sweet spiral buns…
…and fresh birch sap
Starokarasuk draws inspiration from Ukrainian culture
A spinner from Serebryanoye shares the secrets of an old craft
Her fellow villagers run an art workshop for children
Conversations about the region’s history naturally unfold along the alley
Household items and tools help imagine how our ancestors lived
The Omsk Region village of Chebakly represents friendly Yakutia
But back to the tables: Siberian food should be not only beautiful but also hearty
Kurnosovo rural settlement knows how to present dishes with flair
Just take the stuffed pike — it’s worth it on its own!
The competition atmosphere inspires the villagers to show their best
No guest should leave without a taste of the treats
You’ll want to try everything: pastries and drinks alike
Meanwhile, a professional jury evaluates the participants’ skills
It’s headed by Yulia Litvinenko from Novosibirsk, Vice President of Chefs Team Russia
The cooks gladly share their cooking techniques
The chefs pay special attention to recipes from the old‑timers’ cuisine
Later, the professionals will recreate the tastiest dishes in a hands‑on masterclass
The “Taste of Sletye” gastronomic journey will be remembered for its abundance and generosity
Those who’ve finished tasting are welcomed by the “Ancient Siberia” open‑air museum
It offers not only cozy spots to relax…
…but also several festival venues!
Ural‑Siberian Painting
The Ural‑Siberian painting contest “Door to Tradition” has been running for half a day
This year, 7 teams of artists from the Omsk Region and other parts of Russia are competing
The new doors must be decorated the way people used to do it a hundred years ago
Colors and motifs were chosen following a reference — an old painted spinning wheel
Still, each creative group has its own color palette
The work demands focus and physical effort
These craftswomen seem to have perfectly divided the roles
Sometimes it’s convenient to go over the entire panel with an accent color without changing the brush
After two and a half hours, the panel starts to look complete
All that time was spent on diligent work
A hallmark of the folk painting style is the use of underpainting and contrasting colors
The process goes hand in hand with discussions at every stage of painting
The final version may differ from the initial sketch
The team from Kalachinsk applied an aged‑effect technique
The young artists from Omsk opted to blend traditions with modern trends
Such a door would look great in a contemporary design interior
Details give the painting liveliness and individuality
By the way, the character’s beard appeared thanks to a tip from the audience!
Finally, it’s possible to take in the whole piece at once
The team from Tara is also close to finishing the decoration
The painted doors will find their place in the houses of the “Ancient Siberia” territory
The young artists’ work turned out more delicate than the old examples
Birds make a wonderful addition to traditional Ural‑Siberian painting
The calligraphic wish fits perfectly into the floral ornament
Furniture is another type of object the craftswomen transform
They use the same motifs and the same stylistic approach as for the doors
Residents of Bolsherechye brought stools themselves to be decorated
To make the pattern last longer, it should be varnished
Anyone can learn the techniques of this folk craft
After the masterclass, everyone will take home a colorful miniature
Carpet Weaving
For the first time at “Sletye”, the carpet weaving contest “Spun and Laid” is taking place
Modern looms are used — crafted to mirror the design of traditional ones
The craftswomen represent Tyumen, Tara, Bolsherechye, and Krestiki
Ahead of them lies a day and a half of intense yet fascinating work
During this time, each weaver must create her part of the shared rug according to the pattern
The weavers’ costumes match the spirit of the old times, just like their craft
Wool is dyed by hand using dyes known since the 19th century
The rug’s base consists of threads made from natural fibers
A beater comb is used to form rows of colored wool
It’s crucial to count the rows precisely according to the scheme to keep the design accurate
Each wool thread represents a single cell in the pattern
Tyumen preserves the history of Siberian carpet weaving and keeps the craft alive
It’s heartening to see young people taking an interest in the traditions of the older generation
These are the threads prepared for laying into rows
After the lunch break, the team from Tara gets back to work
The Omsk Region village of Krestiki is famous across Siberia for its rugs
Carpet weaving traditions here are passed down from generation to generation
The team has clearly divided the production tasks among themselves
Winding the wool thread onto the beam must be even and neat
In the next step, it will be cut and turned into pieces
This fragment shows the color combination typical of Krestiki rugs
Spectators often approach the craftswomen to share their impressions and ask questions
The Krestiki locals gladly talk about their homeland and invite everyone to visit
On the tour, visitors can see a collection of rugs and try Chaldon cuisine
After chatting with the artisans, tourists can take genre photos
The historic houses at the “Ancient Siberia” museum are also open to visitors
There’s still a moment to spare before the next part of the packed festival program
Siberian Wedding
The ornate horse harness tells us that a lively Siberian wedding is ahead!
Guests have already gathered near the groom’s house
And here he is, in the cart with his friends, ready to go get the bride
The wedding procession travels along the village’s main street
Meanwhile, final preparations are underway at the bride’s house
The matchmaker keeps the gate locked and isn’t quick to open it at the knock
The groom must show he’s truly determined to take the bride away
After getting the necessary assurances, the matchmaker opens the gates
The groom’s best man is the key figure in the wedding rituals
Specific ritual songs mark every stage of the wedding
The ransom has been paid, and the bride’s brother shakes hands with the groom’s best man
The bride’s head is covered with a veil
The couple receives their parents’ blessing
Bringing out the dowry is a cheerful, playful part of the rite
The guests watch with smiles as the chest “sometimes moves, sometimes doesn’t”
For a moment, it seems everyone has almost forgotten about the bride and groom
Yet the matchmaker has her own way to get the dowry carried out smoothly
The old chest is an important part of the interior and a keeper of valuable things
It's not a sin to show off the bride’s handicraft skills
And now the wedding procession is on the move again
The guests send the couple off with a joyful farewell song
From time immemorial, a wedding was a major event for the whole area
The bride and groom are the day’s main heroes
No village celebration is complete without an accordion player
The procession stops at the church
The wedding ceremony takes place: from this moment, they are husband and wife
The wedding procession keeps moving — guests hurry to the groom’s house
The groom’s parents welcome the newlyweds
First, in a playful way, they determine who will be the real head of the family
As we can see, the newlywed wife has won that round!
The final major wedding rite begins
The young woman’s hairstyle and headdress must change
They braid her hair into two braids…
…and for the first time tie a headscarf around her as a married woman
All this time, special ritual songs are sung
They’re performed by the young female guests present
In the finale, the wedding pie is cut into pieces
Guests give any amount for a slice — the money goes to support the new family
With that, the wedding ends, and everyone gets ready for the next festival events
Evening Rehearsal
The rehearsal of the Great Siberian Round Dances kicks off on Saturday evening
The central square can barely fit all those eager to recall the right moves
It’s the sheer number of participants from across the region that makes coordination essential
Some hesitate to join but watch the large‑scale performance with keen interest
A round dance isn’t always a simple circle, and it isn’t always just one circle
Some would like to take part but can’t leave their trade stall unattended for long
The steady, meditative song makes it easy to admire the beautiful costumes
At some point, a downpour forces everyone to seek shelter on the stage
The dancing ends in a hurry, but singing can still go on!
Great Round Dances
On Sunday morning, folk culture enthusiasts head to the bend of the Bolshaya River
It’s a processional round dance: couples walk between two facing rows of people
After going all the way down the “street”, the couple splits to either side and waits for their next turn to walk through
This way, the couples keep moving endlessly, and eventually everyone reaches the destination
The weather sets the mood for a truly memorable folk festival
By the way, in the old days, round dances often helped young people find their match
With no doubt, the picturesque meadow is the perfect spot for this part of the festival program
Even the meadow’s inhabitants seem happy to see guests in bright costumes
The first ornamental dances are slow and flowing
Suddenly, the pace picks up: the circle swiftly transforms into two half‑circles
It’s fascinating to watch this transformation unfold
To turn the half‑circles back into a single circle, everyone runs back to their original places
After such fast formations, a short break is welcome
According to the lyrics of some songs, pairs of young men and women step into the center
The festival goes on, creating a full sense of being transported to the century before last
And now the dance pattern changes again
The lead dancers know all the complex movement paths; everyone else follows them
Meanwhile, some people in this song just have to stand still — luckily, not for long
In all Siberian round dances, people hold hands
This creates a real sense of unity with fellow locals and with the world at large
The round dance brings people closer, strengthens bonds, and helps put any grievances aside
In a photo, the dynamics of this mass dance can be captured with a long exposure
Only the lead singers stay still while everyone else moves swiftly around them
The whirl of colors and emotions is mesmerizing on its own
During the pause, there’s time to take in the participants — tourists are among them
Of course, the keepers of folk culture are there too
It’s great that a large part of the crowd is young people
For the next round dance, everyone needs to split into smaller groups
As they pass through the “gate”, the dancers “tangle” the chain
“Untangling” is fun but quite tricky, especially if you’re doing it for the first time
Then the “untangled” groups line up into two neat rows
The “Green Grove” starts playing — a calm, soothing song
On certain lines of the chorus, each side bows to the other, and the pattern repeats
The next dance breaks up the monotony of the bows
More than an hour has passed since the start, yet the excitement hasn’t faded
The whole concept worked well because there are about a hundred like‑minded people around
Toward the finale, the round dance returns to the classic circle shape
In the center, girls, young women, and even “grandmothers” take turns dancing and hopping
“Drake is blue-gray, drake is blue-gray” — the melody of this song sticks in your head instantly
It’s followed by the well‑known dialogue: “Hello, Kostroma! — Hello there!”
For a few verses, everyone asks after each other’s well‑being and improvise their answers
It ends with Kostroma pretending to fall ill and then feigning to be lifeless
That’s when they grab her to expose the trick and “refresh” her in the nearest body of water!
Luckily, no real dunking happens, and that’s where the round dances end
Tired but happy, the participants take keepsake photos
Meanwhile, Omsk chefs have prepared a “sizzler” for them
It’s a huge scrambled egg with cracklings that sizzle as they fry
This festival dish hits the spot after hours of folk activities in the fresh air
Neither the young nor the adults are ready to call it a day just yet
Round dances of this scale and in this setting happen only once a year
The same tradition keepers will gather again by the river in the summer of 2026
Final Concert
The final part of “Sletye” is a concert with awards for the standout participants
The performance by the Omsk “New Village” ensemble can brighten up any celebration
Everyone in the group understands each other with just a half‑word or a glance
Cossacks from the Cherlaksky District effortlessly draw the audience into the world of bold, spirited prowess
Regulars at Cossack culture festivals, they always win a round of applause
The guest performer from Tara is just as skilled at holding the audience’s attention as any other artist
Between songs, the audience is reminded of the festival’s main themes
Victoria Bagrintseva, director of the State Center for Folk Art, wraps up the results with genuine enthusiasm
Diplomas are awarded to the craftswomen from the carpet weaving contest…
…and also to those from the Ural‑Siberian painting contest
People exchange congratulations and share their impressions of the three eventful days, both on and off the stage
Not everyone takes first place, but a certificate of participation is definitely a valuable addition to any portfolio
The program continues with an impromptu duet of accordion players from different villages
The same lead singers who guided the round dances now inspire us in the concert format
To wrap things up, another lively folk dance unfolds right in front of the stage
It’s a bit sad, after all, to see a festival of this scale drawing to a close
The stage costumes will be waiting for their next reunion with the fans
All year round, the museums and the zoo in hospitable Bolsherechye will continue welcoming tourists
How will we remember “Sletye”?
Clearly, as a place of power for craftsmen, artisans, and culinary experts
And, of course, as a magnet for everyone who loves folk culture!
