White Elder from the Sayan Mountains arrived at the RUSSIA EXPO
Ded Moroz from Buryatia — Sagaan Ubgen — resembles our usual winter wizard only in appearance. The same white beard, white hat, long white robe with ornaments, belted with a sash, and a staff in his hands.
However, the White Elder, i.e. Sagaan Ubgen, is actually a Buddhist deity — the guardian of life and longevity. He is considered a symbol of the New Year and has been worshipped for 2.5 thousand years.
One of the elements of the wizard’s unusual attire, in addition to the magical staff with the dragon-shaped tip, are rosary beads, which the elder wears around his neck. Grandfather shared the secret of their magical meaning with the visitors of the holiday: "There are 108 rosaries in total. For Buddhists the number 108 is a sacral number!".
The series of the winter wizards' visits to the Exposition started on November 18 with the birthday celebration of the most famous Ded Moroz, who lives in Veliky Ustyug. On December 23, guests of the RUSSIA EXPO were greeted by winter folklore heroes from Chuvashia and Mari El — Hel Muchi and Yushto Kugyza.
The II All-Russian Wedding Festival took place at the National Centre RUSSIA, featuring official wedding ceremonies, along with a series of themed events.
The discussion "Climate of the Future: Trends and Technological Opportunities" and the interactive event "Speak like Matusovsky" — all this is featured in the upcoming week's digest.
The author’s event "From Brush to Code: How Technology Changes the Perception of Art" will take place on July 24 at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the educational project "Thursday. Development".
