Yekaterina Royeva. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Today Moscow turned into a Cossack village. The sports complex "Luzhniki" is hosting the fourth festival "Cossack Village." The event brought together more than 3,000 Cossacks from Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Montenegro, as well as 11 military Cossack societies of Russia, representatives of the executive authorities of the places of traditional residence of the Cossacks, the representatives of the public registry and Cossack organizations, cadet corps, youth and student associations, and state amateur art groups, and other institutions of sports and culture.
One of the highlights of the festival was the construction and consecration of the Chapel, which was built on people's donations. According to the agreement with the Russian Orthodox Church at the end of the festival the temple will be handed over to those who need special spiritual nourishment.
The guests and participants of the festival were addressed by the head of the Department of Inter-regional Cooperation, Inter-ethnic Relations and Ties with Religious Organizations of Moscow City Hall Yuri Artyukh, deputy presidential envoy to the Central Federal District Nikolay Konstantinov, Metropolitan of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, chairman of the Synodal Committee for Cooperation with the Cossacks of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill, and Deputy Agriculture Minister and Secretary of State Alexander Petrikov.
In his message Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin stressed that "today Cossacks are experiencing a new rise among young people, it secures traditional values and moral ideals, embodies the vital connection between the generations."
Deputy Agriculture Minister Alexander Petrikov, addressing the gathered Cossacks, noted that "the revival of the Russian Cossacks will run parallel to the revival of the arable land in Russia. Russian Cossacks will play a crucial role in the process of import substitution on the domestic food market."
At the festival one could get acquainted with the decoration of Cossack traditional villages, enjoy their field kitchen, listen to Cossack songs and participate in traditional merrymaking. Every visitor was able to join the traditional Cossack crafts: to try a potter's wheel, or take up a sledgehammer. Special sports fields have been organized as well in order to hold demonstrations and master classes in traditional Cossack martial arts and competitions between the representatives of the Cossack communities participating in the festival.
