Gorny Shield village rejoices in Sabantuy festivities
Celebrating Sabantuy: A Traditional Festival in Gorny Shchit
The small village of Gorny Shchit, nestled near Yekaterinburg, recently played host to a vibrant celebration of culture and tradition – the Sabantuy festival. This ancient plough and harvest festival, with origins dating back to pre-Islamic times, marked the end of spring sowing and celebrated fertility, farming, and community.
A Gathering of Thousands
Over 2,000 festival attendees, representing diverse nationalities and religions, participated in the event. The gathering included representatives from Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, national-cultural organizations of Sverdlovsk Oblast, creative collectives, state, and municipal officials, and institutions. The festival was a tribute to ancestors' heritage and a celebration of traditions.
A Living Embodiment of Unity
Sergey Pavlenko, director of the "Veterans of SVO and KTO" charity foundation, which organized the festival, stated that Sabantuy is a living embodiment of the spirit and unity of the people. The qualities celebrated in the festival were hard work, gratitude, and goodwill.
Cultural Programme and Traditional Competitions
The festival began with the performance of the Russian Federation anthem. The cultural programme included performances by folk ensembles, artists from Sverdlovsk Oblast, and People's Artists of the Republic of Tatarstan - Alsou Nasirova and Asaf Valeev. Traditional competitions were part of the Sabantuy festival, including a wrestling tournament "köresh," tug of war, weightlifting, and an exhibition-sale of national goods.
A Traditional Feast
The festival concluded with a traditional feast, featuring fragrant pilaf, hot tea, and a variety of Tatar and Bashkir national sweets. Guests were awarded medals, diplomas, and participated in a raffle for valuable prizes such as TVs, fitness trackers, hair dryers, electric kettles, smartphones, coffee makers, blood pressure monitors, and microwave ovens.
Preserving Ancient Customs
Despite ongoing socio-political challenges in some areas, Sabantuy remains an essential expression of cultural heritage and rural life. Near Yekaterinburg, including in places like Gorny Shchit, Sabantuy is celebrated among local Tatar and Bashkir populations, preserving the festival’s rural and communal character, often incorporating local variations of rituals and festivities.
A Wider Tradition
Sabantuy in Gorny Shchit is part of a wider tradition maintained by Tatars and other Turkic peoples of the Urals and Volga regions. The festival links agricultural cycles, ancient customs, and modern cultural identity, combining agricultural rites related to ploughing, sowing, and harvest, symbolizing gratitude for fertile land and successful crops, with elements introduced through Islam and later Russian influence.
A National Holiday
Sabantuy is a national holiday in Tatarstan and celebrated yearly with vibrant cultural performances, sports contests, music, traditional foods, and community gatherings. While primarily associated with Tatar culture in Tatarstan, Sabantuy is also celebrated by Turkic peoples in surrounding regions, including Kazakhstan, and in some communities near the Urals.
A greeting message was sent by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, for the occasion. Denis Pasler, Rustam Minnikhanov, and thousands of residents and guests of the Urals celebrated Sabantuy, as reported by "Regional Newspaper." Father Dmitry Zadorin and Radifulla Gindullin delivered welcoming speeches, emphasizing the importance of preserving and celebrating the festival's rich history and traditions.
[1] Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021). Sabantuy. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sabantuy [2] BBC News. (2021). Sabantuy festival in Bashkortostan cancelled amid protests. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57149514 [3] The Moscow Times. (2021). Sabantuy Festival Cancelled in Russia's Bashkortostan Amid Protests Over Land Rights. https://themoscowtimes.com/2021/06/13/sabantuy-festival-cancelled-in-russias-bashkortostan-amid-protests-over-land-rights-a74517 [4] The Diplomat. (2018). Sabantuy: A Tatar National Holiday. https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/sabantuy-a-tatar-national-holiday/ [5] The Siberian Times. (2019). Sabantuy Festival: The ancient Tatar ploughing and harvesting ceremony. https://siberiantimes.com/other/others/features/sabantuy-festival-the-ancient-tatar-ploughing-and-harvesting-ceremony/
Homely Celebrations Extended
Extending the celebration of cultural traditions beyond agriculture, the festival's home-and-garden factor was vividly embodied in the traditional feast, showcasing Tatar and Bashkir national cuisine.
A Unity of Home, Garden, and Lifestyle
The Sabantuy festival in Gorny Shchit, much like home-and-garden pursuits, fostered a sense of community, demonstrating the unity of Bashkortostan's lifestyle deeply rooted in its ancestral customs and agricultural heritage.
