The first All-Russian Wedding Festival came to an end at the RUSSIA EXPO
On the final day, the marriage registration ceremony of
thirteen couples from the Central Federal District of Russia took place on the
Main Street Stage of the Exposition. Couples from the Bryansk, Vladimir,
Voronezh, Kaluga, Kostroma, Kursk, Moscow, Orel, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver, Tula
and Yaroslavl regions became husband and wife.
"Today is the final day of the first All-Russian Wedding
Festival. It has become a bright and significant continuation of the Year of
the Family, the start of which was announced by President Vladimir Putin at the
RUSSIA EXPO in January. There has never been such an event in the history of
our country: over 300 people got married on the first day of the festival. And
during the whole period of the Exposition, 564 people got married - this
historic event will remain in the memory of 282 families for the rest of their
lives. We are grateful to the representatives of the regions for their
sensitive attitude to each couple and joint organization of this holiday. We also express our gratitude to the
general partner of the festival — the Government of Moscow. And, of
course, thank the newlyweds for sharing such an important event with us and the
whole country," said Anastasia Zvyagina, Deputy Director General of the RUSSIA
EXPO.
Many couples at the All-Russian Wedding Festival got married
in national outfits, demonstrating the richness of Russia's cultures. "The festival ends today, but
together with you we have started new wedding traditions in Russia — we saw
many couples in traditional costumes. We hope that getting married
according to our Russian customs will become fashionable, because it is really
very beautiful," emphasized Anastasia Zvyagina.
The traditional wedding procession within the Festival
started from the Main Arch of VDNH and ended at the Main Street Stage of the
Exposition. Brides and grooms in brightly colored wedding dresses followed the
festive route accompanied by a Romani ensemble, animators and creative groups
from their native regions. The procession was also accompanied by a theatrical
performance “Wedding Feast”, demonstrating the traditions of wedding feasts of
different regions of Russia in a modern interpretation.
The festive procession ended with a solemn marriage
registration. In addition, on the Main Street Stage of the Exposition, the
newlyweds were traditionally handed over the symbolic flame of the All-Russian
Family Hearth "Heart of Russia", which was lit at the Exposition on January 23
during the official launch ceremony of the Year of the Family with the
participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The culmination of the final day of the Festival was a mass
flash mob to the familiar song “Ah, This Wedding!” in an unexpected modern
arrangement, in which the audience, newlyweds, professional dancers and guests
of the RUSSIA EXPO took part. The large-scale celebration of the birth of new
families ended with a bright concert on the Main Street Stage. Regional artists
and groups, as well as Julianna Karaulova, the headliner of the musical program
of the Festival, gave a festive mood to the guests and newlyweds.
Newlyweds Vyacheslav and Anastasia from the Orel region
shared their impressions of the Festival. They chose regional folk costumes for
the official marriage registration in order to represent their small homeland
at the Festival to the fullest extent.
"We, of course, expected that there would be something grand
and large-scale, but we could not even imagine that the organization would be
at such a level. Thank you all, we are very happy!" said Anastasia.
The festive mood and impressions from the wedding ceremony
were shared by newlyweds Sergei and Victoria from the Yaroslavl region.
"We came from the Yaroslavl region. We wanted to create a
very interesting fairy tale that we would want to tell our grandchildren about.
And indeed, this is probably the kind of story that one wants to share and pass
on. Many of our friends came to celebrate this holiday with us in Moscow. Thank
you all so much for being with us on one of the most important events in our
lives," said Victoria.
The first All-Russian Wedding Festival was held at the
RUSSIA EXPO. It started on the first Sunday after Easter, May 12, on Red Hill.
On that day, the Exposition's Main Street Stage hosted the largest simultaneous
marriage ceremony with the participation of 151 couples.
The large-scale program of the first All-Russian Wedding
Festival also included presentations of wedding traditions of Russian regions.
Guests of the Exposition witnessed festive celebrations of different peoples of
the country, saw the rituals of bride price and wishes for the young, wedding
roundelays and other traditional stages of regional wedding ceremonies.
In addition, the Festival featured colorful costumed wedding
processions, thematic masterclasses, tastings of wedding cuisine from different
parts of Russia. And, of course, the highlight of the festival program was the
opening of the exposition of traditional wedding costume "Fashion Brands of
Russia. Evolution of Russian Style" in Pavilion No. 75.
