"It will be bright, sunny and joyful": the All-Russian Wedding Festival was held in Primorye
Vladivostok hosted the All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" for the first time: 11 couples from the Primorye Territory and other regions of the country said "I do", exchanged rings and received the flame of the Family Hearth from couples who have been together for more than 25 years. On the same day, the future newlyweds also took part in rituals to bless them with a happy family life and "forge" their marriage.
The future families came to Vladivostok not only from different cities in the Primorye Territory, but also from other regions — Rostov and Tyumen. The Governor of the Primorye Territory, Oleg Kozhemyako, read out a ceremonial message from the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to the participants of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts".
"Dear friends, I sincerely congratulate you on a major and significant event — the birth of a new family. I wish you happiness and well-being. Take care of each other. May your dreams come true. For each of us, family is a reliable source of support and the main value in life. It is largely at home, within the family circle, that a person's character and worldview are shaped, cultural traditions are established, along with such unshakable moral principles as caring for loved ones, love for the Motherland and a sense of involvement in its destiny," the President of the Russian Federation noted in his message.
The Governor of the Primorye Territory, Oleg Kozhemyako, emphasised the importance for the region of an event that brought together loving families from across the country. He also noted a tradition born through the new marriages right at the celebration: from now on, the couples will always mark their anniversaries on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.
"It is wonderful that our festival is attended by couples not only from Vladivostok, but also from other regions. The Primorye Territory is developing dynamically — it is Russia's outpost in the Far East. Most importantly, the Primorye Territory, like our entire vast country, is built on family values — care, respect and devotion to one another. We have a great future and great prospects, so we will always support families who decide to tie their future to the region: our territory has 34 support measures that are received by more than 90,000 families every year," Oleg Kozhemyako said.
Eleven couples said "I do" in a ceremonial setting, signed the register, exchanged rings and shared their first kiss as newlyweds. Primorye families with many years of married life symbolically passed on the "Heart of Russia" Family Hearth and offered advice based on their own experience. On the same day, the future newlyweds took part in the traditional Russian rituals of blessing with honey smoke and "forging" their marriage.
Primorye beekeeper Alexei Zinchenko explained that the purpose of the ceremony was to bless the couples with a happy future life: according to tradition, honey makes the road ahead "sweet". Natalia Bogatyreva, a blacksmith with 15 years of experience and Head of the regional branch of the Russian Guild of Blacksmiths, invited the couples to join metal heart blanks together. This tradition is popular at blacksmithing festivals across the country, and the participants were happy to take part in the ritual.
The eventful day continued with the newlyweds' first dance and contests. The couples received a huge boost of inspiration that they will carry with them throughout their life together. Nadezhda and Yevgeny Terentyev, who have already been together for several years, do not regret deciding to register their marriage at the All-Russian Wedding Festival.
"Of course, we are a little tired, but the emotions were incredible. We did not even expect ourselves to react this way — many thanks to the organisers for such an event. In the future, we plan to make our family even bigger. We think everything will be bright, sunny and joyful!" Yevgeny and Nadezhda commented.
All the newlyweds also received gifts from the National Centre RUSSIA: personalised plates, branded blankets, nevalyashka toys dressed as a Bride and Groom, and other presents. Daria Vakula, a manager at the National Centre RUSSIA in the Primorye Territory, made candles for the participants of the All-Russian Wedding Festival by hand.
"Sasha moved to Vladivostok from Khabarovsk, and then I transferred here to join him. We decided to get married on the Day of Peter and Fevronia, went to the registry office, and were invited to join such a wonderful celebration — and we were all for it. We are hugely impressed: so many emotions, gifts, and so many people took part in this event, supported us and helped us. Organising a festival like this takes a lot of work, and we are very grateful," Zhanna and Alexander Ovsov said.
It should also be noted that on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, the National Centre RUSSIA in the Primorye Territory hosted an awards ceremony for the region's "golden" couples — those who have been together for more than a quarter of a century. There are 70 such couples in the region, and 15 were honoured at the Centre. The day before, participants of the All-Russian Wedding Festival planted oak, linden and hawthorn saplings in the outdoor area. These trees will grow together with the families of the newlyweds who married on 8 July.
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Newlyweds from Nyagan, choreographers Yuri Osovin and Viktoria Khmyrova, took part in the production.
Moscow residents greeted the future newlyweds and congratulated them on their upcoming weddings.
